| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Herodias by Gustave Flaubert: erect, now fell to her shoulders and surrounded her face like a
rainbow. Her lips were tinted a deep crimson, her arched eyebrows were
black as jet, her glowing eyes had an almost terrible radiance; and
the tiny drops of perspiration on her forehead looked like dew upon
white marble.
She made no sound; and the burning gaze of that multitude of men was
concentrated upon her.
A sound like the snapping of fingers came from the gallery over the
pavilion. Instantly, with one of her movements of bird-like swiftness,
Salome stood erect. The next moment she rapidly passed up a flight of
steps leading to the gallery, and coming to the front of it she leaned
Herodias |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Deputy of Arcis by Honore de Balzac: powerless.
"Don't interrupt the orator," repeated Cecile Beauvisage to Vinet,
with whom she exchanged a smile.
"My eyes involuntarily fell on the window of the room in which the
stranger had slept the night before. I don't know what time he went to
bed, although I was awake till past midnight; but I have the
misfortune to be married to a man who snores fit to crack the planks
and the rafters. If I fall asleep first, oh! I sleep so sound nothing
can wake me; but if Mollot drops off first my night is ruined--"
"Don't you ever go off together?" said Achille Pigoult, joining the
group. "I see you are talking of sleep."
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Bureaucracy by Honore de Balzac: not all a bed of roses for des Lupeaulx; he flattered and advised his
master, forced to flatter in order to advise, to advise while
flattering, and disguise the advice under the flattery. All
politicians who follow this trade have bilious faces; and their
constant habit of giving affirmative nods acquiescing in what is said
to them, or seeming to do so, gives a certain peculiar turn to their
heads. They agree indifferently with whatever is said before them.
Their talk is full of "buts," "notwithstandings," "for myself I
should," "were I in your place" (they often say "in your place"),--
phrases, however, which pave the way to opposition.
In person, Clement des Lupeaulx had the remains of a handsome man;
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