| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from The Turn of the Screw by Henry James: redeemed in a measure indeed by not being wholly disengaged nor
of a height too pretentious, dating, in their gingerbread antiquity,
from a romantic revival that was already a respectable past.
I admired them, had fancies about them, for we could all profit
in a degree, especially when they loomed through the dusk,
by the grandeur of their actual battlements; yet it was not at
such an elevation that the figure I had so often invoked seemed
most in place.
It produced in me, this figure, in the clear twilight, I remember,
two distinct gasps of emotion, which were, sharply, the shock
of my first and that of my second surprise. My second was a
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde: I could not help going round. I had thrown her some flowers,
and she had looked at me--at least I fancied that she had.
The old Jew was persistent. He seemed determined to take me behind,
so I consented. It was curious my not wanting to know her,
wasn't it?"
"No; I don't think so."
"My dear Harry, why?"
"I will tell you some other time. Now I want to know about the girl."
"Sibyl? Oh, she was so shy and so gentle. There is something of a
child about her. Her eyes opened wide in exquisite wonder when I
told her what I thought of her performance, and she seemed quite
The Picture of Dorian Gray |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen: "I have heard much of your master's fine person," said Mrs.
Gardiner, looking at the picture; "it is a handsome face. But,
Lizzy, you can tell us whether it is like or not."
Mrs. Reynolds respect for Elizabeth seemed to increase on this
intimation of her knowing her master.
"Does that young lady know Mr. Darcy?"
Elizabeth coloured, and said: "A little."
"And do not you think him a very handsome gentleman, ma'am?"
"Yes, very handsome."
"I am sure _I_ know none so handsome; but in the gallery
upstairs you will see a finer, larger picture of him than this.
Pride and Prejudice |
