Pressure - Paramore
We Found Love - Rihanna
You Really Gotta Hold On Me - She & Him
Use Somebody - Kings Of Leon
Lean On Me - Bill Withers
Here We Go Again - Demi Lovato
Because of You - Kelly Clarkson
You've Got A Friend In Me - Randy Newman
Mr. Know-It-All - Kelly Clarkson
Just The Way You Are - Bruno Mars.
Stand By Me - Ben E. King
Nicole
1) Song: The Only One - The Black Keys
Reasoning:
Everyone knows that when you’re a teenager who is starting to like this one boy or girl, things get confusing. You start asking yourself if you really like this person? If you’ll ever have a chance with them? Then, you start thinking of them 24/7 and questioning yourself why you like this person. You come up with a long list of pros and cons in which the cons overpower the pros, but even though you know this person isn’t exactly right for you, you just continue liking them more and more.
This song, The Only One by The Black Keys speaks to how even though you don’t exactly want to like this person nor do you understand why, he/she is still the only one who has your attention. It’s obvious that Maria doesn’t know for certain as to why she likes Matt, and with everyone around her telling her to not speak to him, she probably doesn’t want to either. But with all these reasons to not like this boy, she still does. “Can’t explain, no why can’t I contain control. You have all my soul.” Maria would listen to a song which speaks directly to her, and this one if the perfect tune for her.
2) Song: Pressure - Paramore
Reasoning:
Pressure by Paramore is a song speaking to how decision making is extremely hard, especially if you’re being pressured by the people around you. Maria is constantly being pressured to think that Matt is a filthy clone who should not be spoken to. Of course, her opinion on him speaks otherwise. Yet, the peer pressure she experiences could influence her immensely. Although it is not blatantly stated in the book that she’s feeling pressured, you can easily assume. Maria is a pushover, someone who can be used easily; thus, meaning she can be easily manipulated. With everyone around her, even her own sister, trying to discontinue Maria’s relationship with Matt, it is only obvious that she feels pressure.
“Cause I fear I might break and I fear I cant take it.” This lyric completely explains how Maria feels. She knows that Matt is not a bad person, but with everyone around her talking otherwise, it’s hard to stand her ground.
3) Song: We Found Love - Rihanna
Reasoning:
Maria fell in love with something that was prohibited and frowned upon of; Matt. Matt is a clone, which is said to be something that doesn’t have a ‘soul’. Something that should not be acknowledge and should be treated like an animal, We Found Love by Rihanna is the perfect song that describes how Maria may feel. Because of the fact Maria fell in love with Matt in the land on Opium; a land in which all citizens believe that Matt is a filthy animal, there is no hope for her. Maria is a rich young lady who is planned to have an arranged marriage with a rich young human man, not Matt. With that said, the lyric “We found love in a hopeless place.” directly speaks to how Maria is feeling.
4) Song: You Really Gotta Hold On Me - She & Him
Reasoning:
“I don’t like you, but I love you. Seems that I’m always thinking of you. Oh, you treat me badly. I love you madly. You’ve really gotta hold on me.” When Matt forced Maria to kiss him in front of the whole Alacran estate and humiliated her, I could only have imagined how angry, disappointed and unhappy she was. How would you feel if you were demanded to do something like that? Although Maria was embarrassed in front of hundreds and should have despised Matt, she knew she still loved him. As much as he humiliated her, when it came down to it, Maria could never truly hate Matt. This song is a symbol for love hate relationships; meaning that you hate someone so badly that you just can't seem to forget about them. That although they may have done something so horrible to you, you still can’t help but forgive them. With that said, this song directly appeals to what Maria is feeling towards Matt.
Paula:
5) Song: Use Somebody - Kings of Leon
Reasoning:
Reasoning:
Everyone knows that when you’re a teenager who is starting to like this one boy or girl, things get confusing. You start asking yourself if you really like this person? If you’ll ever have a chance with them? Then, you start thinking of them 24/7 and questioning yourself why you like this person. You come up with a long list of pros and cons in which the cons overpower the pros, but even though you know this person isn’t exactly right for you, you just continue liking them more and more.
This song, The Only One by The Black Keys speaks to how even though you don’t exactly want to like this person nor do you understand why, he/she is still the only one who has your attention. It’s obvious that Maria doesn’t know for certain as to why she likes Matt, and with everyone around her telling her to not speak to him, she probably doesn’t want to either. But with all these reasons to not like this boy, she still does. “Can’t explain, no why can’t I contain control. You have all my soul.” Maria would listen to a song which speaks directly to her, and this one if the perfect tune for her.
2) Song: Pressure - Paramore
Reasoning:
Pressure by Paramore is a song speaking to how decision making is extremely hard, especially if you’re being pressured by the people around you. Maria is constantly being pressured to think that Matt is a filthy clone who should not be spoken to. Of course, her opinion on him speaks otherwise. Yet, the peer pressure she experiences could influence her immensely. Although it is not blatantly stated in the book that she’s feeling pressured, you can easily assume. Maria is a pushover, someone who can be used easily; thus, meaning she can be easily manipulated. With everyone around her, even her own sister, trying to discontinue Maria’s relationship with Matt, it is only obvious that she feels pressure.
“Cause I fear I might break and I fear I cant take it.” This lyric completely explains how Maria feels. She knows that Matt is not a bad person, but with everyone around her talking otherwise, it’s hard to stand her ground.
3) Song: We Found Love - Rihanna
Reasoning:
Maria fell in love with something that was prohibited and frowned upon of; Matt. Matt is a clone, which is said to be something that doesn’t have a ‘soul’. Something that should not be acknowledge and should be treated like an animal, We Found Love by Rihanna is the perfect song that describes how Maria may feel. Because of the fact Maria fell in love with Matt in the land on Opium; a land in which all citizens believe that Matt is a filthy animal, there is no hope for her. Maria is a rich young lady who is planned to have an arranged marriage with a rich young human man, not Matt. With that said, the lyric “We found love in a hopeless place.” directly speaks to how Maria is feeling.
4) Song: You Really Gotta Hold On Me - She & Him
Reasoning:
“I don’t like you, but I love you. Seems that I’m always thinking of you. Oh, you treat me badly. I love you madly. You’ve really gotta hold on me.” When Matt forced Maria to kiss him in front of the whole Alacran estate and humiliated her, I could only have imagined how angry, disappointed and unhappy she was. How would you feel if you were demanded to do something like that? Although Maria was embarrassed in front of hundreds and should have despised Matt, she knew she still loved him. As much as he humiliated her, when it came down to it, Maria could never truly hate Matt. This song is a symbol for love hate relationships; meaning that you hate someone so badly that you just can't seem to forget about them. That although they may have done something so horrible to you, you still can’t help but forgive them. With that said, this song directly appeals to what Maria is feeling towards Matt.
Paula:
5) Song: Use Somebody - Kings of Leon
Reasoning:
Maria is a person that is very easy to manipulate and to boss around. She is very sensitive and weak as well. Just a few words or a small action can make her crumble, no matter who those words or actions are coming from. When Maria tries to say goodbye to Matt and opens her arms for a hug, Matt pushes her hands away, causing her to instantly start tearing up (69). Maria always needs a shoulder to lean on and someone to support her. This is most likely because of a devastating event that occurred when she was young. Maria’s mother walked out of the house (111), and ever since then, she’s had a habit of hoarding things. It is clear that when her mother left, Maria was stripped of the support that only a mother can provide. Ever since then, she has been vulnerable. In the ‘present’ of the book, it is often Matt who provides the listening ear. Use Somebody by Kings of Leon is about requiring a person to be there for you. The chorus, “You know that I could use somebody, someone like you,” is a perfect representation of one of the aspects of Maria’s personality.
6) Song: Lean on Me by Bill Withers
Reasoning:
6) Song: Lean on Me by Bill Withers
Reasoning:
Lean on Me is sang in two perspectives; one talking about how others can lean on you and the other perspective about you leaning on others. Both tie in well in relation to Maria. She is a very good friend to Matt and is one of the few who care for him. There are many instances, such as the scenario in the empty room where Maria comes to visit Matt right after he is left there by himself (30), when Matt relies on Maria to give him comfort. Usually, Maria isn’t even aware of what she’s doing. Along with this, there are times when Maria is the one who needs the comforting shoulder. This is when Matt and Maria’s roles switch. Lean On Me describes the relationship that Matt and Maria have very well. The song also has a very nice melody and seems like something a nice, sweet, caring girl like Maria would listen to.
7) Song: Here We Go Again - Demi Lovato
Reasoning:
7) Song: Here We Go Again - Demi Lovato
Reasoning:
Here we Go Again by Demi Lovato best represents Maria’s relationship with Tom and Matt. In the beginning, Maria treats the boys very nicely and is her normal sweet caring self. This is until either Tom or Matt do something to upset her. For instance, Matt forcing Maria to give him a kiss at El Patron’s birthday party. She was completely humiliated and tried to refuse (109). After whatever it is that either of the boys do, Maria remains upset and avoids them. However, after a short time period, Maria will forgive them. Yet it happens again and the process repeats itself. “Here we go again.” It is surprising and appalls most readers that Maria can forgive the boys again and again.
8) Song: Because of You - Kelly Clarkson
8) Song: Because of You - Kelly Clarkson
Reasoning:
Because of You is a song about losing someone and the effects of it. “Because of you, I never stray too far from the sidewalk.” When Maria was five years old, her mother left. For a child to experience this at such a small age is very traumatic and devastating. Because of this event, Maria is afraid of losing things. She even has a habit of hoarding things, such as toys and wrapping paper. If anything goes missing, Maria becomes frantic (111). Because of You illustrates this aspect of Maria’s inner feelings and thoughts very well.
Ashish:
9) Song: You’ve Got A Friend in Me - Randy Newman
Reasoning:
Maria is compassionate and caring. She is always there for everyone when they need someone. The song You’ve Got a Friend in Me is perfect for Maria because she is extremely considerate and always puts others before her self. She listened to all of Matt’s problems, and even when he degraded her in front of everyone she still believed there was good in him. The lyric for the song, “There isn't anything I wouldn't do for you. We stick together and we see it through,” perfectly matches Maria’s relationship with Matt and Tom. Matt forced Maria to kiss him at El Patron’s party and Tom attempted to kill Furball.
10) Song: Mr Know It All - Kelly Clarkson
Because of You is a song about losing someone and the effects of it. “Because of you, I never stray too far from the sidewalk.” When Maria was five years old, her mother left. For a child to experience this at such a small age is very traumatic and devastating. Because of this event, Maria is afraid of losing things. She even has a habit of hoarding things, such as toys and wrapping paper. If anything goes missing, Maria becomes frantic (111). Because of You illustrates this aspect of Maria’s inner feelings and thoughts very well.
Ashish:
9) Song: You’ve Got A Friend in Me - Randy Newman
Reasoning:
Maria is compassionate and caring. She is always there for everyone when they need someone. The song You’ve Got a Friend in Me is perfect for Maria because she is extremely considerate and always puts others before her self. She listened to all of Matt’s problems, and even when he degraded her in front of everyone she still believed there was good in him. The lyric for the song, “There isn't anything I wouldn't do for you. We stick together and we see it through,” perfectly matches Maria’s relationship with Matt and Tom. Matt forced Maria to kiss him at El Patron’s party and Tom attempted to kill Furball.
10) Song: Mr Know It All - Kelly Clarkson
Reasoning:
The theme of the song Mr. Know It All is about someone you can’t stand, because he is too confident. Tom comes off as sweet and innocent to some, but Matt and Maria see right past his fake self. They see his true self which is the arrogant and cocky side. The song Mr. Know It All by Kelly Clarkson is perfect for Tom because this is how Maria sees him. “Well you think you know it all, but you don’t know a thing at all, ain’t it something y’all, when somebody tells you something about you, think they know you more than you do.” The last two lines of that lyric matches Maria’s feelings towards Tom. Now another thing Tom does to Maria is try to destroy her emotionally. “Mr. Bring Me Down, well you like to bring me down, don’t you, I ain’t laying down, baby, I ain’t going down, can’t nobody tell me how it’s gonna be, nobody’s gonna make a fool out of me.” He always attempts to hurt Maria in any way possible. Such as, making her cry or attempted murder of Furball. The song also has an extremely catchy tune which fits with Maria since she is a teenage girl. Not to generalize, but Maria is portrayed as a stereotypical teenage girl. She is girly, talkative and emotional. This is the kind of music she would listen to.
11) Song: Just the Way You Are - Bruno Mars.
Reasoning:
Reasoning:
The song Just the Way You Are is the greatest representation of Maria because she believes that no matter how bad someone may seem, they still have good inside of them. She loves everyone, as the song title states, Just the Way They Are. The reason why we picked the Bruno Mars version of this song instead of the original Billy Joel version (even though there lyrics are different, the theme is the same) was because of the pacing. The Bruno Mars version has a faster pacing which leads to a catchy beat which we found Maria would easily enjoy listening to. The song has an extremely catchy rhythm while still keeping a deep connection to her.
12) Song: Stand By Me - Ben E King.
Reasoning:
Reasoning:
The song Stand By Me by Ben E. King is about friendship and accepting. The thing that keeps Maria going is her family and friends. Even though she is extremely emotional, she continues on with the support of her family and friends. “If the sky that we look upon, should tumble and fall, and the mountains should crumble to the sea, I won't cry, I won't cry, no I won't shed a tear, just as long as you stand, stand by me.” This lyric from the song is important because she knows even if everything in life goes wrong with a person, as long as she can forgive them or they will forgive her everything will be alright. That is why she values Tom and Matt so much after everything that has happened in the past.
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