| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Almayer's Folly by Joseph Conrad: morning mist that hung over her in the solemn hush of all
creation before the dawn.
Such had been her existence before the coming of the brig with
the strangers. She remembered well that time; the uproar in the
settlement, the never-ending wonder, the days and nights of talk
and excitement. She remembered her own timidity with the strange
men, till the brig moored to the bank became in a manner part of
the settlement, and the fear wore off in the familiarity of
constant intercourse. The call on board then became part of her
daily round. She walked hesitatingly up the slanting planks of
the gangway amidst the encouraging shouts and more or less decent
Almayer's Folly |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Eugenie Grandet by Honore de Balzac: Charles, there was the need of conference; so after a few moments
spent in coquettish phrases and a little serious jesting, the clever
provincial said, thinking herself unheard by the others, who were
discussing the sale of wines which at that season filled the heads of
every one in Saumur,--
"Monsieur if you will do us the honor to come and see us, you will
give as much pleasure to my husband as to myself. Our salon is the
only one in Saumur where you will find the higher business circles
mingling with the nobility. We belong to both societies, who meet at
our house simply because they find it amusing. My husband--I say it
with pride--is as much valued by the one class as by the other. We
Eugenie Grandet |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Vendetta by Honore de Balzac: treasure. Then she sprang down hastily and returned to her place,
changed the position of her picture, pretended to be still
dissatisfied with the light, pushed a table close to the partition, on
which she placed a chair, climbed lightly to the summit of this
erection, and again looked through the crevice. She cast but one
glance into the space beyond, which was lighted through a skylight;
but what she saw produced so strong an effect upon her that she
tottered.
"Take care, Mademoiselle Ginevra, you'll fall!" cried Laure.
All the young girls gazed at the imprudent climber, and the fear of
their coming to her gave her courage; she recovered her equilibrium,
|
The fourth excerpt represents the element of Earth. It speaks of physical influences and the impact of the unseen on the visible world, and is drawn from Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell: Dilcey and Pork--they didn't run. The girls--your mother--we
couldn't be moving them."
"Yes, yes." He mustn't talk about Mother. Anything else. Even
that General Sherman himself had used this room, Mother's office,
for his headquarters. Anything else.
"The Yankees were moving on Jonesboro, to cut the railroad. And
they came up the road from the river--thousands and thousands--and
cannon and horses--thousands. I met them on the front porch."
"Oh, gallant little Gerald!" thought Scarlett, her heart swelling,
Gerald meeting the enemy on the stairs of Tara as if an army stood
behind him instead of in front of him.
Gone With the Wind |
