| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Kwaidan by Lafcadio Hearn: sixteen years he was a tall, strong lad; but in mind he remained always at
the happy age of two, and therefore continued to play with very small
children. The bigger children of the neighborhood, from four to seven years
old, did not care to play with him, because he could not learn their songs
and games. His favorite toy was a broomstick, which he used as a
hobby-horse; and for hours at a time he would ride on that broomstick, up
and down the slope in front of my house, with amazing peals of laughter.
But at last he became troublesome by reason of his noise; and I had to tell
him that he must find another playground. He bowed submissively, and then
went off,-- sorrowfully trailing his broomstick behind him. Gentle at all
times, and perfectly harmless if allowed no chance to play with fire, he
Kwaidan |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Troll Garden and Selected Stories by Willa Cather: during the recitation; in another he made a running commentary on
the lecture, with humorous intention.
His teachers felt this afternoon that his whole attitude was
symbolized by his shrug and his flippantly red carnation flower,
and they fell upon him without mercy, his English teacher leading
the pack. He stood through it smiling, his pale lips parted over
his white teeth. (His lips were continually twitching, and be had
a habit of raising his eyebrows that was contemptuous and
irritating to the last degree.) Older boys than Paul had broken
down and shed tears under that baptism of fire, but his set smile
did not once desert him, and his only sign of discomfort was the
The Troll Garden and Selected Stories |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from The Secret Sharer by Joseph Conrad: Directly I put my head out of the companion I saw the group
of my two officers, the second mate barefooted, the chief
mate in long India-rubber boots, near the break of the poop,
and the steward halfway down the poop ladder talking to them eagerly.
He happened to catch sight of me and dived, the second
ran down on the main-deck shouting some order or other,
and the chief mate came to meet me, touching his cap.
There was a sort of curiosity in his eye that I did not like.
I don't know whether the steward had told them that I was "queer" only,
or downright drunk, but I know the man meant to have a good look at me.
I watched him coming with a smile which, as he got into point-blank range,
The Secret Sharer |
