Abstract
This paper examines the universal and enduring appeal of Alfred Hitchcock's films. The author defines two films in particular -- "Strangers on a Train" and "Vertigo" as the quintessential Hitchcock films. The author contends that although Hitchcock's films may no longer have the capability to shock their audience, they feature several recurring plot devices that capture the imagination. These plot features include an ingenious criminal scheme, the use of doubles, a guilty person who manages to cast suspicion upon a non-guilty person, and an amoral person being punished. The films "Strangers on a Train" and "Vertigo" demonstrate Hitchcock's best use of those devices.

Outline:
Introduction
Discussion
Conclusion

From the Paper
"Alfred Hitchcock's thrillers, though filmed half a century ago, have maintained their ability to keep an audience enthralled. Part of the initial impact of Hitchcock's thrillers is that they were groundbreaking, and they offered a vision of the ugly side of humanity that had not been explored in cinematic media. However, a modern audience does not experience the same shock at those revelations that the original audience experienced. Therefore, the permanency of the movies' appeal must be attributed to something besides the shock factor. Many attribute the lasting greatness of Hitchcock's thrillers to Hitchcock's use of several important cinematic themes."

Tags:Alfred, Hitchcock, Strangers on a Train, Vertigo, suspense, thrillers, film, cinema

Abstract
This is an outline for a paper about why people sometimes find it easier to talk to strangers about important matters than to people that they know well.

Tags:strangers, talking, communication, depression, dying, outline, Internet, chat room, bartender, hairdresser, taxi driver, barber

Abstract
This paper explains that John Higham, in his "Strangers in the Land", states that, although the United States prides itself on being a country open to newcomers and strangers, this diversity has created a great deal of conflict between the peoples who have made up and continue to make up the American nation. The author points out that the very fragility of American identity, given that America is a constructed nation upon soil that once belonged to an alien, native people, has made the characterization of what is American all the more important and the voices that give rise to nativism all the more strident. The paper relates that anti-immigrant sentiment was directly linked to unemployment, ultimately resulting in the passage of anti-immigration acts directed against "others" such as, for example, Chinese immigrants in 1924.

From the Paper
"The book "Strangers in the Land" looks at the ways distinct groups have tried to claim and prove that they belong, by comparing themselves to other groups and deeming themselves to be favorable based on other group's perceived differences and un-American status. Higham does not characterize such behavior as mere prejudice. Rather he calls it "nativism", a particular and particularly noxious and dangerous form of prejudice. Nativism, according to the author, is distinct in its economic and political effects from personal prejudice directed at ethnic and racial groups. Nativism is anti-stranger, it says, you are not like us, you are not like one of us, our nation."

Tags:nativism, nationalism, anti-immigration, groups, differences

Abstract
This paper discusses that, in "Strangers on a Train", Alfred Hitchcock does not state openly the theme but rather gives the viewer clues in his frequent use of double images. The author points out that a double image in the film signals that the viewer is about to see an enactment of opposites in the characters of the story, which are not necessarily visible physically but often indicate the character's internal qualities. The paper explains that double images in "Strangers on a Train" signal conflict about to occur in the story (especially relating the characters), represent the protagonist's inner thoughts, fears and desires, and represent Bruno as part of the dark side of Guy's psyche.

From the Paper
"When Bruno suggests that they each have someone to get rid of--he his father and Guy his wife--and that they should "exchange murders," Guy doesn't take him seriously. He thinks Bruno is eccentric. As Guy gets off the train, he laughingly says he agrees with everything Bruno suggests. Guy leaves his unique cigarette lighter behind on the train, possibly because he is so anxious to escape from the odd, obnoxious, and overbearing Bruno. The lighter has embossed "double" tennis rackets crossing each other and the inscription "A to G." The image suggests that doubles are a metaphor for double-crossing."

Tags:dream, protagonist, subconscious, opposites, signal

Abstract
This is a critical report of Lyn Lofland's "A World of Strangers: Order and Action in Urban Public Space,"an interesting study of urban neighborhoods, and what makes them the way they are today. The paper shows how Lofland contends that neighborhoods are far different today because of the growth of cities. We live in a neighborhood of strangers, and our interactions with them cause little or no discourse or meaning. It shows how the author of the book makes it clear from the beginning that her premise is about the people who inhabit the cities of her topic, and not so much the cities themselves.

From the Paper
"Lofland also discusses the threat we feel from strangers, and how we react to this implied threat. In today's society, strangers are often a threat, and so we tend to avoid them at all costs, especially in public situations. The person standing across from us on the subway platform could be the man of our dreams, or an axe murderer looking for his next victim. We are afraid of strangers because of the autoimmunity of our society, and our cities. There are many different types of avoidance behaviors people exhibit when strangers surround them, such as in terminal waiting for a bus or a plane, or at a social engagement where they know none of the others in attendance. People go to fairly elaborate measures to ignore strangers in these situations, such as reading books, sitting in one spot and ignoring everyone around them, and moving from place to place investigating everything in the room so they are never in one place long enough to make contact with anyone else. These avoidance mechanisms say a lot about our society, and how we are all strangers to one another."

Tags:communication, environment, locational, socialization, autoimmunity

Abstract
This paper analyzes how Homer's "Hymn to Demeter", "The Iliad", and "The Odyssey" all explore the traditional customs of providing shelter for strangers and the consequences for breaking such customs. The paper points out that, in these three tales, one can see the importance placed on good hospitality. They are a reflection of the ancient tradition of receiving guests with kindness and generosity. Breaking these traditions proved disruptive of the rest of the community, and efforts were then taken to restore order. The paper concludes that Homer's writings give us key insight into the everyday values of Greek life and culture.

From the Paper
"These traditions are also highlighted in the breaking of them by the characters in Homer's tales. He highlights the action which broke these taboos, but also a negative response to it by the other figures in the story. When Demeter refused to allow healthy harvests, Zeus had to step in to stop her from taking the lives of millions of people in order to save her single daughter, (Morford and Lanardon 313). This shows the general negative attitude towards disregarding the health and welfare of strangers. Another prime example of breaking this taboo is the account of Achilles and his actions towards Hector's body. Many cultures showed respect to guests, even forced guests as in the case of prisoners of war. It was custom out of respect for fallen soldiers to return the body in order to get the proper funereal rites. In The Iliad, Achilles refuses this custom when he drags Hectors body and refuses to surrender it to the Trojans, (Homer Book 22, line 494). This was a taboo, despite the fact that Hector was an enemy."

Tags:hospitality, ancient, tradition

Abstract
This paper presents a critical review of "The Book of Strangers" by Ian Dallas, in which the spiritual journey and enlightenment of a rational duty-bound college librarian is depicted.

From the Paper
"Ian Dallas, in the novel The Book of Strangers, explores three events which focus on the development and enlightenment of the main librarian at State University Library. The three events are the librarian's evolution from a focus on words and the mind to a realm where words and rationality are transcended; his mysterious "decision" to give up the "white hash" which he had previously believed to be the means to enlightenment; and his discovery of a God and spirituality rooted not in duty but in delight. Together, these three events are crucial in the narrator's spiritual awakening, and lead him to discover that what he has been seeking all along is the knowledge and experience of his own self."

Abstract
In this paper, the writer highlights how in both John Steinbeck's "The Chrysanthemums" and Ernest Hemingway's "Cat in the Rain," an unexpected stranger becomes the catalyst to make the two main characters aware of their own value. The writer describes how the main characters both suffer the constraints of an unhappy and contrived marriage until Elisa Allen in "The Chrysanthemums" encounters a peddler who briefly changes her entire self-perception and the American wife in "Cat in the Rain" finds self-assuredness through a generous and gracious hotel keeper. The writer points out that sometimes, an unbiased stranger can impact a new perspective, a new awareness, or a personal awakening.

From the Paper
"It is human nature to want to be acknowledged. We all wish to be recognized, desired, and respected. Essentially, when one's existence is validated by another human being, one can live feeling that her contributions and presence are profoundly substantial and appreciated. The feeling of being an anonymous entity is replaced with serenity and contentment. In John Steinbeck's "The Chrysanthemums" and Ernest Hemingway's "Cat in the Rain," an unexpected stranger becomes the catalyst to make the two main characters aware of their value. In Steinbeck's "The Chrysanthemums," Elisa Allen is made aware by a traveling peddler of her abilities and inner strength, which have otherwise been ignored by her husband."

Tags:self-worth, self-perception, awakening

Abstract
The paper examines "TtS" by Danielle S. Allen and "C" by Leslie Marmon Silko, and shows how the invisibility of the characters chosen for analysis in this paper allows them to see and understand the challenges they are facing. The paper discusses how this seeing and understanding enables them to interact with other people around them with dignity and self-respect, and to respond as effectively as possible to the social, political, and economic challenges they are facing as members of a minority race in a predominantly white society.

From the Paper
"In reading and studying "TtS" by Danielle S. Allen and "C" by Leslie Marmon Silko, it is evident that the invisibility of the characters chosen for analysis in this paper allows them to see and understand the challenges they are facing. Furthermore, this seeing and understanding enables them to interact with other people around them with dignity and self-respect, and to respond as effectively as possible to the social, political, and..."

Tags:talking, to, strangers

Abstract
This paper examines how Patricia Hightsmith's characters, as interpreted by Alfred Hitchcock on the screen, are interpreted from a moral point of view. The author analyzes how Hitchcock incorporated Highsmith's literary technique to develop these characterizations in the film.

From the Paper
"Riding on a train is, in life as well as in film, a curious situation. It draws together strangers of apparently different backgrounds. It is a situation of forward motion, a fact conveyed by the film s use of train sounds, from the beginning shriek of a train whistle (paralleling the shriek of a murdered victim) and also through such sounds as the churning engine. The sight of the wheels pulsating forward on the tracks also suggests such propelled, forward motion. Yet a train is not only a representation of forward motion, for tracks cross, the train must stop at certain points, and in a similar way individual s lives cross and intersect."

Tags:Hitchcock, Highsmith, amorality, literary, artifice, homoeroticism, film, tom, ripley