| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Twenty Years After by Alexandre Dumas: young and pretty Aramis took off his cap to her with his
most gracious smile.
A most affectionate greeting, as one can well believe took
place between him and Lord de Winter.
"Where are we going?" inquired Aramis; "are we going to
fight, perchance? I carry no sword this morning and cannot
return home to procure one."
"No," said Lord de Winter, "we are going to pay a visit to
Her Majesty the Queen of England."
"Oh, very well," replied Aramis; then bending his face down
to Athos's ear, "what is the object of this visit?"
 Twenty Years After |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Resurrection by Leo Tolstoy: the Inquisition, all persecutions, and the great revolution?
They, too, knew the one true way, by means of their science."
"Their having erred is no proof of my going to err; besides,
there is a great difference between the ravings of idealogues and
the facts based on sound, economic science." Novodvoroff's voice
filled the room; he alone was speaking, all the rest were silent.
"They are always disputing," Mary Pavlovna said, when there was a
moment's silence.
"And you yourself, what do you think about it?" Nekhludoff asked her.
"I think Kryltzoff is right when he says we should not force our
views on the people."
 Resurrection |