| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Fanny Herself by Edna Ferber: And they entered, and took their seats. It was fascinating
to watch the other members of the congregation come in, the
women rustling, the men subdued in the unaccustomed dignity
of black on a week day. One glance at the yellow pews was
like reading a complete social and financial register. The
seating arrangement of the temple was the Almanach de Gotha
of Congregation Emanu-el. Old Ben Reitman, patriarch among
the Jewish settlers of Winnebago, who had come over an
immigrant youth, and who now owned hundreds of rich farm
acres, besides houses, mills and banks, kinged it from the
front seat of the center section. He was a magnificent old
Fanny Herself |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Sportsman by Xenophon: account for the salvation of the state? Yet from these evils every one
will easily hold aloof, if once enamoured of those joys whose brief I
hold, since a chivalrous education teaches obedience to laws, and
renders justice familiar to tongue and ear.[19]
[16] See "Hellenica Essays," p. 371.
[17] "To depravity of speech and conduct" (whether as advocates or
performers). See Aristoph. "Clouds."
[18] Or, "bring down on themselves, their children, and their friends
a spring of misfortunes in the shape of diseases, losses, or even
death."
[19] "For what does a chivalrous education teach save to obey the law,
|
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from A Straight Deal by Owen Wister: overseas.
He justified the British opinion that we are a nation of braggarts. On
the other hand, in London, we had Admiral Sims, another American, a
splendid antidote. He corrected the Secretary's brag. What is the moral?
Look out how you generalize. Since we entered the war that tribe of
English has increased who judge us with an open mind, discriminate
between us, draw close to a just appraisal of our qualities and defects,
and possibly even discern that those who fill our public positions are
mostly on a lower level than those who elect them.
I proceed with two more letters, both dissenting, and both giving very
typically, as it seems to me, the American feeling about England--
|
