| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from This Side of Paradise by F. Scott Fitzgerald: sometimes that he seriously considered it. Another agreed that
there was nothing to live for. "Captain Corn," who had somehow
rejoined the party, said that in his opinion it was when one's
health was bad that one felt that way most. Amory's suggestion
was that they should each order a Bronx, mix broken glass in it,
and drink it off. To his relief no one applauded the idea, so
having finished his high-ball, he balanced his chin in his hand
and his elbow on the tablea most delicate, scarcely noticeable
sleeping position, he assured himselfand went into a deep
stupor....
He was awakened by a woman clinging to him, a pretty woman, with
This Side of Paradise |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Tom Sawyer, Detective by Mark Twain: ONE lick wouldn't kill him. Somebody else done it."
"Oh, yes," he says, "I done it--nobody else. Who else
had anything against him? Who else COULD have anything
against him?"
He looked up kind of like he hoped some of us could mention
somebody that could have a grudge against that harmless
no-account, but of course it warn't no use--he HAD us;
we couldn't say a word. He noticed that, and he saddened
down again, and I never see a face so miserable and so
pitiful to see. Tom had a sudden idea, and says:
"But hold on!--somebody BURIED him. Now who--"
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from The Firm of Nucingen by Honore de Balzac: do me the kindness of telling me what it is NOT. Now for a little
plain speaking, the rarest social ingredient. A business which should
consist in going out at night to look for goods to sell in the day
would obviously be impossible. You find the instinct of forestalling
the market in the very match-seller. How to forestall the market--that
is the one idea of the so-called honest tradesman of the Rue Saint-
Denis, as of the most brazen-fronted speculator. If stocks are heavy,
sell you must. If sales are slow, you must tickle your customer; hence
the signs of the Middle Ages, hence the modern prospectus. I do not
see a hair's-breadth of difference between attracting custom and
forcing your goods upon the consumer. It may happen, it is sure to
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