| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Laches by Plato: sort.
LACHES: Yes, Socrates; and the examination of such niceties is a much more
suitable employment for a Sophist than for a great statesman whom the city
chooses to preside over her.
SOCRATES: Yes, my sweet friend, but a great statesman is likely to have a
great intelligence. And I think that the view which is implied in Nicias'
definition of courage is worthy of examination.
LACHES: Then examine for yourself, Socrates.
SOCRATES: That is what I am going to do, my dear friend. Do not, however,
suppose I shall let you out of the partnership; for I shall expect you to
apply your mind, and join with me in the consideration of the question.
|
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from McTeague by Frank Norris: and Old Grannis went up and down the flight, gathering up
the fish, the lentils, and the sadly battered cabbage.
Marcus was raging over the pusillanimity of Alexander, of
which Maria had just told him.
"I'll cut him in two--with the whip," he shouted. "I will,
I will, I say I will, for a fact. He wouldn't fight, hey?
I'll give um all the fight he wants, nasty, mangy cur. If
he won't fight he won't eat. I'm going to get the butcher's
bull pup and I'll put um both in a bag and shake um up. I
will, for a fact, and I guess Alec will fight. Come along,
Mister Grannis," and he took the old Englishman away.
McTeague |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Maggie: A Girl of the Streets by Stephen Crane: Jimmie nodded, admitting the fact.
"We lived in deh same house wid her an' I brought her up an'
we never knowed how bad she was."
Jimmie nodded again.
"Wid a home like dis an' a mudder like me, she went teh deh
bad," cried the mother, raising her eyes.
One day, Jimmie came home, sat down in a chair and began to
wriggle about with a new and strange nervousness. At last he spoke
shamefacedly.
"Well, look-a-here, dis t'ing queers us! See? We're queered!
An' maybe it 'ud be better if I--well, I t'ink I kin look 'er up
Maggie: A Girl of the Streets |
