| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from McTeague by Frank Norris: world, they were elegant, they were debonair, they had their
"young men."
On this occasion she presented herself at the door of Old
Grannis's room late in the afternoon. His door stood a
little open. That of Miss Baker was ajar a few inches. The
two old people were "keeping company" after their fashion.
"Got any junk, Mister Grannis?" inquired Maria, standing
in the door, a very dirty, half-filled pillowcase over one
arm.
"No, nothing--nothing that I can think of, Maria," replied
Old Grannis, terribly vexed at the interruption, yet not
McTeague |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Secret Places of the Heart by H. G. Wells: thoroughly bad lot. She had about as much morality, in the
narrower sense of the word, as a monkey. And yet she stands
out in my mind as one of the most honest women I have ever
met. She was certainly one of the kindest. Part of that
effect of honesty may have been due to her open brow, her
candid blue eyes, the smiling frankness of her manner. . . .
But--no! She was really honest.
"We drifted here as we are doing now. She pulled at the sweet
rushes and crushed them in her hand. She adds a remembered
brightness to this afternoon.
"Honest. Friendly. Of all the women I have known, this woman
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