| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Animal Farm by George Orwell: stories were leaking out from Pinchfield about the cruelties that
Frederick practised upon his animals. He had flogged an old horse to
death, he starved his cows, he had killed a dog by throwing it into the
furnace, he amused himself in the evenings by making cocks fight with
splinters of razor-blade tied to their spurs. The animals' blood boiled
with rage when they heard of these things beingdone to their comrades,
and sometimes they clamoured to be allowed to go out in a body and attack
Pinchfield Farm, drive out the humans, and set the animals free. But
Squealer counselled them to avoid rash actions and trust in Comrade
Napoleon's strategy.
Nevertheless, feeling against Frederick continued to run high. One Sunday
Animal Farm |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Polity of Athenians and Lacedaemonians by Xenophon: path towards iniquity. He knows that a bad man has a better chance of
slipping through the fingers of justice in a democratic than in an
oligarchical state.
[26] Or, "and which are good for nothing."
[27] Or,"its own friends and supporters."
[28] Reading {ontes} or (if {gnontes}), "who, recognising the nature
of the People, have no popular leaning." Gutschmidt conj. {enioi
egguoi ontes}, i.e. Pericles.
[29] On the principle that "the knee is nearer than the shin-bone,"
{gonu knemes}, or, as we say, "charity begins at home."
III
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