The Stranger Theme Card

The Stranger by Albert Camus

Quotes:

• "Then he offered to bring me a cup of coffee with milk. I like milk in my coffee, so I said yes, and he came back a few minutes later with a tray. I drank the coffee. Then I felt like having a smoke. But I hesitated, because I didn’t know if I could do it with Maman right there. I thought about it; it didn’t matter.I offered the caretaker a cigarette and we smoked."
• "It occurred to me that anyway one more Sunday was over that Maman was buried now, that I was goingback to work, and that, really, nothing had changed."
• "Flipping through a file, the prosecutor asked her bluntly when our "liaison" had begun. She indicated the date. The prosecutor remarked indifferently that if he was not mistaken, that was the day after Maman died. 'Gentleman of the jury, the day after his mother’s death, this man was out swimming, starting up a dubious liaison, and going to the movies, acomedy, for laughs. I have nothing further to say.'"
• "They [the jury] had before them the basest of crimes, a crime made worse than sordid by the fact that theywere dealing with a monster, a man without morals."
• "The Arab drew his knife and held it up to me in the sun. The light shot off the steel and it was like a long flashing blade cutting at my forehead. At the same instant the sweat in my eyebrows dripped down over my eyelids all at once and covered them with a warm, thick film. My eyes were blinded behind the curtain of tears and salt. All I could feel were the cymbals of sunlight crashing on my forehead and, indistinctly, the dazzling spear flying up from the knife in front of me. The scorching blade slashed at my eyelashes and stabbed at my stinging eyes. That’s when everything began to reel. The sea carried up a thick, fiery breath. It seemed to me as if the sky split open from one end to the other to rain down fire. My whole being tensed and I squeeze my hand around the revolver. The trigger gave."

Vehicles

• Imagery->Meursault indulges in the pysical world around him
• Flashbacks->remembers his mother telling him stories of the father he never knew
• Paradox-> objective judgement and subjective motivation
• Irony-> the death of his mother doesn't affect him

Conflicts

• Man vs. Society
• Absurdity vs. Normalcy
• Rebelling vs. Conforming

Subjects

• The illegitimacy of authority
• A world without values
• The importance of the individual

Themes

• The realization that not being dead is not the same as being alive leads to enlightenment and the desire to rebel against the societal machine.
• The eminent and inevitable reality of death is something that should not be feared.

Plot

Camus' novel opens up with the death of the narrator's mother. From a start, readers realize that he is different and completely unaffected by his mother's death. He goes through a series of obstacles which end up in society questioning his moral values towards the end. He starts dating his girlfriend and questionable fiancee Marie, becomes entangled in the middle of a confrontation between his neighbor, Raymond, and his strumpet and her Arab brother, and ends up shooting the Arab. This all leads to a trial where the magistrate, prosecutor, and chaplain become misled in their assumptions about Meursault's morals. The novel ends with the death of Merusault.

Title's Significance

The title, The Stranger, is exemplary of the relationship between Meursault and society, as well as Meursault and himself. To both himself and society, he is a stranger because makes a decision to not conform or follow any rules.

Major Characters

Monsieur Meursault, Marie, Raymond, Arab, Monsieur Perez, the prosecutor, the chaplain, the magistrate

wazzzz up?

December 20th, 1999 was the day Budweiser made its mark on pop culture. "Wazzzz up?" were the two viral words that everyone used when talking to their friends. This commercial has been the recepient of various awards, including the coveted Clio award which rewards creative advertising. Not only did this minute clip help Budweiser sales increase, but it helped demonstrate how capturing your audience is key in order to achieve a succesful advertisement. Charles Stone, the commercial's director, intertwined ancient methods of persuasion, which are ethos, pathos, and logos, and made sold a product to viewers across the nation.

Budweiser, the sender of the ad, effectively captures audiences through humor and to an extent, make their product seem harmless. Viewers are consistently entertained and there is never a boring moment. It is also to keep in mind what they are selling, since every guy is holding a bottle or six-pack of beer. Stone brings it back around at the end and after all the yelling, the men remember and go back to "Just watching the game, having a Bud."

This leads to the message, or ethos, of this commercial: enjoy every moment of the day, be it while watching television or picking up the phone, with a cold beer in hand. In order for viewers to go along with the trend, they may feel that in order for their own setting to make sense, need to specifically have a Bud. No harm exists, which for some can contradict the true dangers of alcohol. For others, the sender manages to convince those watching that a couple beers with some friends will not put lives at serious risk. If anything, it will instigate a good time.

"That is exactly how it goes." These thoughts of a "guy's night" are instantly exposed when taking a look at this clip. Budweiser connects on an emotional level with their beer-loving, football crazed audience. Even those who don't necessarily enjoy drinking or watching a game, fall under the "Wazzzz up?" trance. Through the use of pathos, a clear and simple message is communicated: Having fun and saying stupid things are exactly what a friendship encompasses, along with the beer that, in this case, adds to the excitement occurring.

Like men of few words, this commercial does not contain an extensive or even intelligent amount of dialogue. The first dialogue is between two guys on the phone, who ask each other the same thing: "Sup? Nothin'. Just watching the game, drinking a Bud." A roommate walks in and the frenzy starts up. "Wazzz up? Waaaazzzzzzzz up? Waaaazzzz upppp? azzzzz, azzzz, uuu, ppp? Nothin'. Just watching the game, drinking a Bud. True." These few words brought together many people from 1999 to 2003. "What's up?" became "Wazzzz upp?" and gradually it became the tie between this group of friends.

The logic of this scenario is simple. It starts with a common image, guy laying on the couch, watching the game, and enjoying a beer. Roommate walks in with a pack of beer and that can only seem to mean one thing: game time. Although, this clip brought many together, it seems to be directed to those between the ages of 21 through 30, living with a roommate in your very own bachelor pad. The other friends are all different and have there own way of saying "Wazzzzz up?" which towards the end, brings them only together, regardless of their background.

Through the simple message and language the sender employs, a spur of emotions reach viewers everywhere. This commercial is recognized by many that hit televsion shows like The Simpsons and South Park have incorporated "Wazzzzz up?" into their scripts. The numerous commercials that followed were given a rest in 2003. The clips, which came to be known as "True", continue to this day playing a part in network televisions and bachelor pads. Inevitably, that's how game nights are spent. And inevitably, one may still find themselves answering the phone with a long "Waaaaazzzzz uuuppp?" True?

Lyrics to "Seven Nation Army"

I'm gonna fight 'em all
A nation army couldn't hold me back
They're gonna rip it off
Taking their time right behind my back
And I'm talking to myself at night
Because I can't forget
Back and forth through my mind
Behind a cigarette
And the message coming from my eyes
Says leave it alone
Don't want to hear about it
Every single one's got a story to tell
Everyone knows about it
From the Queen of England to the hounds of hell
And if I catch it coming back my way
I'm gonna serve it to you
And that aint what you want to hear
But thats what I'll do
And the feeling coming from my bones
Says find a homeI'm going to Wichita
Far from this opera for evermore
I'm gonna work the straw
Make the sweat drip out of every pore
And I'm bleeding, and I'm bleeding, and I'm bleeding
Right before the lord
All the words are gonna bleed from me
And I will sing no more
And the stains coming from my blood
Tell me go back home

It's been named one of the "Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time" by the magazine, Rolling Stone. The Wite Stripes, "Seven Nation Army," combines rhythm and lyrics to create one of the catchiest songs of 2003. This hit record off their album, Elephant, was composed by lead singer, Jack White and his former wife, Meg White.
The title itself carries its roots in the lead singer's history. Its the name her gave to the Salvation Army as a child. It has nothing to do with the Christian organization though. Instead, the lyrics speak of a frustration between the singer and those around him, concerning a decision made that has everyone talking.
"I'm gonna fight 'em off/A seven nation army couldn't hold me back." The first lines of this song introduce a battle that he is determined to face and combat. The rhythm in the background helps support this, with an underlying riff throughout the song. The beat of what can be compared to an army marching helps highlight the determination the lead singer holds in confronting this problem. "They're gonna rip it off/taking their time right behind my back." The folowing third and fourth lines is where he refers to his problem as "it" to help reel in listeners who are faced with a similar dilemma. Parallel structure is also present between the first and third lines which helps strengthen the meaning of this song.
The constant reminders and vivid image he holds in his mind is made clear when he says, "And I'm talking to myself at night because I can't forget." He continues by trying to communicate how many people know about "it". "Everyone knows about it/from the Queen of England to the hounds of hell." White uses a method of exaggeration to give readers a sense of, what seems to be, an immense number of people that know about his problems. Although he tried to forget about what lingers in his mind, he still has a constant reminder through the people around him. "And if i catch you comin' back my way/ I'm gonna sell it to you." White is willing to take revenge upon those who have made his life a living hell.
He quickly resorts to running away though. "And the feeling coming from my bones says find a home." He employs body parts to help emphasize just how much this whole debacle is affecting him, both emotionally and physically. The next four lines demonstrate his finding a home and what he is willing to do in order to be in peace with his past. "I'm going to Wichita/ Far from this opera forever more/ I'm gonna work the straw/ Make the sweat drip out of every pore." His plans of going to Witchita, Kansas, out in the middle of no where will help him confront his past decisions. He infers he will work till until he rids himself of the frustration when he says, "I'm gonna work the straw." Here, is where he will "bleed" till no more "words" will allow him to sing. The hard work he plans on doing to move on to the future is all compared to a farmer working his field. Once this happens, "the stains coming from my blood tell me go back home."
This whole idea of struggle between decisions of the past is a constant theme and tying bond that brings humanity together. The inner-battle is something all people try to either flee or confront. So much so, that as White put it, an army made up of all the continents in the world couldn't hold him back. It's just a matter of accepting past decisions and dealing with them in a healthy way. By using parallel structure, exaggeration, and the rhythm, White helps successfully communicate his stamina to fight his frustrations without fear and with dedication.

found poem

Oh this paradise inferno!
You’ve had me under your voodoo spell since freshman year.
I quench for you like alleys in a city thirst for dark lights.
You cause my heartbeat to increase every time I walk into class.
Procrastination, you are the luminous moon to my night.

Romeo & Juliet, some play I somewhat read.
I only thought of eating cupcakes and sitting in a café.
But it’s okay, ‘cause its almost over,
All I have to do is finish this found poem,
So I can pass this class and get going on my others.

one-hit wonder.

“Oh my God, Becky look at her butt.” These famous first words of Anthony Ray’s one-hit wonder, “Baby Got Back, stirred the hip-hop industry into a frenzy in the early 1990s. Ray, most commonly known as his adopted alias Sir Mix-A-Lot, was the first to water down the hardcore, thug life rappers at this time had commonly described to a fun and catchy song popular in the 80s. He appealed to many pop listeners, which was a feat at this time of rappers like Tupac and Notorious BIG.
Mix-A-Lot was born in 1963 in Seattle, Washington. He loved all kind of music and started rapping in the early 80s. He opened his own record label, Nastymix, with a Seattle DJ, Nasty Nes. From here, he wrote his own music and based it off life in Seattle, not New York like many other rappers in the industry had done. Before his hit, “Baby Got Back”, he was already a platinum-selling artist. He became a success story, a rapper from Seattle(which was unheard of at this time) who started his own record label, wrote his own music, and promoted himself successfully. He managed to mix old-school electro with modern hip-hop and created danceable music for fans in the hip-hop genre. It was not until he signed with Def American label that he became more mainstream. This along with a new pimped-out image helped carry him into success. In 1992, he set out his first album, Mack Daddy, debuting “Baby Got Back” as his second single. When this song was unveiled, it became not only a great hit which stayed on top of the Billboard charts for 5 weeks, but it was also accompanied by a sensitive issue: race and sex.
The video, which was banned off MTV for some time due to the content, starts off with two Caucasian females looking at a voluptuous black woman. “She looks like, one of those rap guys’ girlfriends. But, you know, who understands those rap guys?” They stereotype the body of a black woman, which Mix-A-Lot praises in his song. In an interview for VH1, he said he was giving appreciation for “women whose body types were rarely given positive cultural attention.” In the song, Mix-A-Lot goes on admiring this woman and her rather large derrière. “That when a girl walks in with an itty bitty waist/ and a round thing in your face/ you get sprung.” He makes a point of sharing his dislike for the women that were considered beautiful at this time. “I’m tired of magazines/ Sayin’ flat butts are the thing.” Fashion magazines in the late 80s praised a woman’s body that didn’t show too much skin and was somewhat of a classic beauty. Mix-A-Lot goes completely against this norm and instead, admires women of color. “So I'm lookin' at rock videos/ Knock-kneeded bimbos walkin' like hoes/You can have them bimbos/I'll keep my women like Flo Jo.” He prefers his women to be like Florence Griffith-Joyner, an Olympic gold medalist who is black and has the body he idolizes, rather than the women in rock videos at the time. “And I'd rather stay and play/'Cause I'm long, and I'm strong/And I'm down to get the friction on.” Mix-A-Lot became the king of double entendres in the hip-hop industry. In this one, he refers to his phallus and what he wants to engage in with the woman. “So Cosmo says you're fat/Well I ain't down with that!” Not only does he say he wants to get with this girl, but he defends her and brings out an important matter. The tabloids always said and say, even today, that if a woman isn’t a certain size, she’s obese, ugly, and won’t achieve anything if they don’t look like models. “Give me a sister, I can't resist her/Red beans and rice didn't miss her/Some knucklehead tried to dis.” Throughout the song, all he wants is a real woman, who in this case actually eats. He doesn’t care what other say, and thus, because of his exaggerated affection for these women, many thought he was either degrading black women or ignoring white women.
It’s up really up to listeners to chose what they think is his message. The success of “Baby Got Back” got Sir Mox-A-Lot a Grammy for Best Rap Solo Performance and millions of album sales. He accomplished so much more though. He helped establish the genre of hip-hop and helped give listeners more to listen to. He left the business because he was tired of the industry. He says, “Most cats that rap, they rap about bling bling, and just keep doing it. And, I mean, I cant knock it, since I was the king of it at one time, but that is why I don't like hip-hop these days . It's all about bling bling and really doesn't have substance." He was inspired by a variety of artists, including Gary Numan, founding father of synth pop; Funkadelic, an R & B artist; and The Accused, a Rock and Alternative band. He mixed his love for all genres and thus, made a name for himself. Rap artists, Lil Jon and Goldie Lookin’ Chain have looked to him for inspiration in their careers. He’s returned to hip-hop, but still finds something is missing. He says, “Thats why I love rock. I still dig hip-hop, I just think it could be better. Eminem is real. He may wear an expensive necklace, but he is real and doesnt rap about his $100,000 necklace like others do.” He believes hip-hop is a genre that always needs to challenge and evolve itself through those that call themselves hip-hop artists.
Whatever he believes, we know he started what today is appreciated by rap, R & B, and hip-hop music videos; the woman. However, he was the one that highlighted the female anatomy in a hysterical and good-humored way. “So ladies, if the butt is round,/And you want a triple X throw down,/Dial 1-900-MIXALOT/And kick them nasty thoughts/Baby got back!”





"Baby Got Back"

Oh, my, god. Becky, look at her butt.
It is so big. *scoff*
She looks like,one of those rap guys' girlfriends.
But, you know, who understands those rap guys? *scoff*
They only talk to her, because,she looks like a total prostitute, 'kay?
I mean, her butt, is just so big.
I can't believe it's just so round, it's like,out there, I mean - gross.
Look!She's just so ... black!
[Sir Mix-a-Lot]I like big butts and I can not lie
You other brothers can't deny
That when a girl walks in with an itty bitty waist
And a round thing in your face
You get sprung, wanna pull out your tough
'Cause you notice that butt was stuffed
Deep in the jeans she's wearing
I'm hooked and I can't stop staring
Oh baby, I wanna get with you
And take your picture
My homeboys tried to warn me
But that butt you got makes me so horny
Ooh, Rump-o'-smooth-skin
You say you wanna get in my Benz?
Well, use me, use me
'Cause you ain't that average groupie
I've seen them dancin'
To hell with romancin'
She's sweat, wet,
Got it goin' like a turbo 'Vette
I'm tired of magazines
Sayin' flat butts are the thing
Take the average black man and ask him that
She gotta pack much back
So, fellas! (Yeah!) Fellas! (Yeah!)
Has your girlfriend got the butt? (Hell yeah!)
Tell 'em to shake it! (Shake it!)
Shake it! (Shake it!)Shake that healthy butt!
Baby got back!(LA face with Oakland booty)

Baby got back![Sir Mix-a-Lot]
I like 'em round, and big
And when I'm throwin' a gig
I just can't help myself,
I'm actin' like an animal
Now here's my scandal
I wanna get you home
And ugh, double-up, ugh, ugh
I ain't talkin' bout Playboy
'Cause silicone parts are made for toys
I want 'em real thick and juicy
So find that juicy double
Mix-a-Lot's in trouble
Beggin' for a piece of that bubble
So I'm lookin' at rock videos
Knock-kneeded bimbos walkin' like hoes
You can have them bimbos
I'll keep my women like Flo Jo
A word to the thick soul sisters, I wanna get with ya
I won't cuss or hit ya
But I gotta be straight when I say I wanna *#%(&*
Till the break of dawn
Baby got it goin' on
A lot of simps won't like this song
'Cause them punks like to hit it and quit it
And I'd rather stay and play
'Cause I'm long, and I'm strong
And I'm down to get the friction on
So, ladies! {Yeah!} Ladies! {Yeah}
If you wanna roll in my Mercedes {Yeah!}
Then turn around! Stick it out!
Even white boys got to shout
Baby got back!Baby got back!
Yeah, baby ... when it comes to females,
Cosmo ain't got nothin' to do with my selection.
36-24-36? Ha ha, only if she's 5'3".

[Sir Mix-a-Lot]So your girlfriend rolls a Honda,
playin' workout tapes by Fonda
But Fonda ain't got a motor in the back of her Honda
My anaconda don't want none
Unless you've got buns, hun
You can do side bends or sit-ups,
But please don't lose that butt
Some brothers wanna play that "hard" role
And tell you that the butt ain't gold
So they toss it and leave it
And I pull up quick to retrieve it
So Cosmo says you're fat
Well I ain't down with that!
'Cause your waist is small and your curves are kickin'
And I'm thinkin' bout stickin'
To the beanpole dames in the magazines:You ain't it, Miss Thing!
Give me a sister, I can't resist her
Red beans and rice didn't miss her
Some knucklehead tried to dis
'Cause his girls are on my list
He had game but he chose to hit 'em
And I pull up quick to get wit 'em
So ladies, if the butt is round,
And you want a triple X throw down,
Dial 1-900-MIXALOT
And kick them nasty thoughts
Baby got back!
(Little in the middle but she got much back) [4x]

hypnopaedia.

In this world, we surround ourselves with things and people we love and care for. Unlike Brave New World, where people experience a false sense of happiness, in our world, we have a variety of things we can turn to when things go sour. As humans, we need others around us in order to sometimes feel complete or at least not feel completely alone in this world. In the end, our decisions are what determines if we die alone or full with memories of those you love.

soma holiday

Ineffective, cold, finite
No, that isn’t me.
I make up the human physique
In a world where man needs me
They lose all will and only are
“All the advantages of Christianity and alcohol,
None of their defects.”
Through me, you melt
Flushed cheeks and friendly smiles
Avoided days, blinded truths
I am your cloud in the sky
Suspended in your system
In your controlled society
Yes, Shakespeare can lend a lens to avoiding reality, too
But I’m like a flood
Controlling your gratifications, needs, religion
“Community, Identity, Stability.”
Opium, cannabis, hallucinogen
Too dozed to confront anything
Apathetic
Fascist state that promotes a utopia
Go ahead John
Watch as I’m distributed, those deltas
Enslaved under a spell
A prison of pleasure and entertainment
Oh if only you knew how artificial you were
Keep close to your mindless choices
Masses! I am your answer.
The way, the truth, and the light
To you though, happiness is better than the truth