| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Within the Tides by Joseph Conrad: - even in his cups. And then, despair, like misfortune, makes us
acquainted with strange bed-fellows. For she may well have
despaired. She was no longer young - you know.
"On the man's side this conjunction is more difficult to explain,
perhaps. One thing, however, must be said of Bamtz; he had always
kept clear of native women. As one can't suspect him of moral
delicacy, I surmise that it must have been from prudence. And he,
too, was no longer young. There were many white hairs in his
valuable black beard by then. He may have simply longed for some
kind of companionship in his queer, degraded existence. Whatever
their motives, they vanished from Saigon together. And of course
Within the Tides |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne: as thine has, beneath a burden like thy scarlet letter. Oh, I
could reveal a goodly secret! But enough. What art can do, I
have exhausted on him. That he now breathes and creeps about on
earth is owing all to me!"
"Better he had died at once!" said Hester Prynne. "Yea, woman,
thou sayest truly!" cried old Roger Chillingworth, letting the
lurid fire of his heart blaze out before her eyes. "Better had
he died at once! Never did mortal suffer what this man has
suffered. And all, all, in the sight of his worst enemy! He has
been conscious of me. He has felt an influence dwelling always
The Scarlet Letter |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane: when he should pitch headlong. He stalked like
the specter of a soldier, his eyes burning with the
power of a stare into the unknown.
There were some who proceeded sullenly, full
of anger at their wounds, and ready to turn upon
anything as an obscure cause.
An officer was carried along by two privates.
He was peevish. "Don't joggle so, Johnson, yeh
fool," he cried. "Think m' leg is made of iron?
If yeh can't carry me decent, put me down an'
let some one else do it."
The Red Badge of Courage |
