| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Silas Marner by George Eliot: father?"
"Yes, child, nobody could behave better," said Silas,
emphatically. "He's his mother's lad."
"But I don't want any change," said Eppie. "I should like to go
on a long, long while, just as we are. Only Aaron does want a
change; and he made me cry a bit--only a bit--because he said I
didn't care for him, for if I cared for him I should want us to be
married, as he did."
"Eh, my blessed child," said Silas, laying down his pipe as if it
were useless to pretend to smoke any longer, "you're o'er young to
be married. We'll ask Mrs. Winthrop--we'll ask Aaron's mother
Silas Marner |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Jungle by Upton Sinclair: money--he would have been alive and strong today if he had not had
to work in Durham's dark cellars to earn his share. And Ona, too,
had given her health and strength to pay for it--she was wrecked and
ruined because of it; and so was he, who had been a big, strong man
three years ago, and now sat here shivering, broken, cowed, weeping
like a hysterical child. Ah! they had cast their all into the fight;
and they had lost, they had lost! All that they had paid was gone--
every cent of it. And their house was gone--they were back where
they had started from, flung out into the cold to starve and freeze!
Jurgis could see all the truth now--could see himself, through the
whole long course of events, the victim of ravenous vultures that
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| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Tarzan the Untamed by Edgar Rice Burroughs: repairs."
For two days Smith-Oldwick worked upon the damaged
plane -- worked in the face of the fact that from the first he
realized the case was hopeless. And at last he told her.
'I knew it," she said, "but I believe that I felt much as you
must have; that however futile our efforts here might be, it
would be infinitely as fatal to attempt to retrace our way to
the jungle we just left or to go on toward the coast. You know
and I know that we could not reach the Tanga railway on foot.
We should die of thirst and starvation before we had covered
half the distance, and if we return to the jungle, even were we
Tarzan the Untamed |
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 Daisy Miller by Henry James: Men are welcome to the privilege!"
"Pray what is it that happens--here, for instance?" Winterbourne demanded.
"The girl goes about alone with her foreigners. As to what
happens further, you must apply elsewhere for information.
She has picked up half a dozen of the regular Roman
fortune hunters, and she takes them about to people's houses.
When she comes to a party she brings with her a gentleman
with a good deal of manner and a wonderful mustache."
"And where is the mother?"
"I haven't the least idea. They are very dreadful people."
Winterbourne meditated a moment. "They are very ignorant--
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