| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Dead Souls by Nikolai Vasilievich Gogol: followed more in his upper portion than in his lower. One result was
that he seldom turned his head to look at the person with whom he was
speaking, but, rather, directed his eyes towards, say, the stove
corner or the doorway. As host and guest crossed the dining-room
Chichikov directed a second glance at his companion. "He is a bear,
and nothing but a bear," he thought to himself. And, indeed, the
strange comparison was inevitable. Incidentally, Sobakevitch's
Christian name and patronymic were Michael Semenovitch. Of his habit
of treading upon other people's toes Chichikov had become fully aware;
wherefore he stepped cautiously, and, throughout, allowed his host to
take the lead. As a matter of fact, Sobakevitch himself seemed
Dead Souls |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Outlaw of Torn by Edgar Rice Burroughs: of his captor. Presently he began to whimper, for he
was tired and hungry and frightened--just a poor little
baby, helpless and hopeless in the hands of this cruel
enemy all his royalty as nothing, all gone with the
silken finery which lay in the thick mud at the bottom
of the Thames--and presently he dropped into a fitful
sleep in the bottom of the skiff.
When darkness had settled, De Vac pushed the skiff
outward to the side of the dock and gathering the sleep-
ing child in his arms stood listening, preparatory to
mounting to the alley which led to old Til's place.
The Outlaw of Torn |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Commission in Lunacy by Honore de Balzac: judge, controlling the emotion he felt at this narrative.
"Yes, monsieur."
Popinot gave an expressive shrug; he rose and opened the door into the
next room.
"Noel, you can go," said he to his clerk.
"Monsieur," he went on, "though what you have told me is enough to
enlighten me thoroughly, I should like to hear what you have to say to
the other facts put forward in the petition. For instance, you are
here carrying on a business such as is not habitually undertaken by a
man of rank."
"We cannot discuss that matter here," said the Marquis, signing to the
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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 The Soul of Man by Oscar Wilde: kill himself by overwork in order to secure property, and really,
considering the enormous advantages that property brings, one is
hardly surprised. One's regret is that society should be
constructed on such a basis that man has been forced into a groove
in which he cannot freely develop what is wonderful, and
fascinating, and delightful in him - in which, in fact, he misses
the true pleasure and joy of living. He is also, under existing
conditions, very insecure. An enormously wealthy merchant may be -
often is - at every moment of his life at the mercy of things that
are not under his control. If the wind blows an extra point or so,
or the weather suddenly changes, or some trivial thing happens, his
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