| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Kwaidan by Lafcadio Hearn: few,-- barely enough to serve as husbands for the Mothers-Elect, and these
few perish almost as soon as their duty has been done. The meaning of
Nature's law, in this extraordinary world, is identical with Ruskin's
teaching that life without effort is crime; and since the males are useless
as workers or fighters, their existence is of only momentary importance.
They are not, indeed, sacrificed,-- like the Aztec victim chosen for the
festival of Tezcatlipoca, and allowed a honeymoon of twenty days before his
heart was torn out. But they are scarcely less unfortunate in their high
fortune. Imagine youths brought up in the knowledge that they are destined
to become royal bridegrooms for a single night,-- that after their bridal
they will have no moral right to live,-- that marriage, for each and all of
Kwaidan |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Contrast by Royall Tyler: DIMPLE
I was tortured there once.
CHARLOTTE
Pray, Mr. Dimple, was it a tragedy or a comedy?
DIMPLE
Faith, Madam, I cannot tell; for I sat with my
back to the stage all the time, admiring a much better
actress than any there--a lady who played the fine
woman to perfection; though, by the laugh of the
horrid creatures round me, I suppose it was comedy.
Yet, on second thoughts, it might be some hero in a
|
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Almayer's Folly by Joseph Conrad: In the back courtyard there was the same absence of sound and
life. In the cooking-shed the fire was out and the black embers
were cold. A tall, lean man came stealthily out of the banana
plantation, and went away rapidly across the open space looking
at them with big, frightened eyes over his shoulder. Some
vagabond without a master; there were many such in the
settlement, and they looked upon Almayer as their patron. They
prowled about his premises and picked their living there, sure
that nothing worse could befall them than a shower of curses when
they got in the way of the white man, whom they trusted and
liked, and called a fool amongst themselves. In the house, which
Almayer's Folly |
The fourth excerpt represents the element of Earth. It speaks of physical influences and the impact of the unseen on the visible world, and is drawn from O Pioneers! by Willa Cather: but he was perfectly merciless when it came to
watering the orchard."
"That's one thing I like about Germans;
they make an orchard grow if they can't make
anything else. I'm so glad these trees belong to
some one who takes comfort in them. When I
rented this place, the tenants never kept the
orchard up, and Emil and I used to come over
and take care of it ourselves. It needs mowing
now. There she is, down in the corner. Ma-
O Pioneers! |
