| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from The Marriage Contract by Honore de Balzac: things on peaks of ice, you still have feelings; but as for me, I
should freeze to death. The life of that great majority, to which I
belong in my commonplace way, is made up of emotions of which I now
have need. Often a man coquets with a dozen women and obtains none.
Then, whatever be his strength, his cleverness, his knowledge of the
world, he undergoes convulsions, in which he is crushed as between two
gates. For my part, I like the peaceful chances and changes of life; I
want that wholesome existence in which we find a woman always at our
side."
"A trifle indecorous, your marriage!" exclaimed de Marsay.
Paul was not to be put out of countenance, and continued: "Laugh if
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Resurrection by Leo Tolstoy: "What is he saying?" asked the Englishman.
Nekhludoff told him the old man was blaming the inspector for
keeping men imprisoned.
"Ask him how he thinks one should treat those who do not keep to
the laws," said the Englishman.
Nekhludoff translated the question. The old man laughed in a
strange manner, showing his teeth.
"The laws?" he repeated with contempt. "He first robbed
everybody, took all the earth, all the rights away from men,
killed all those who were against him, and then wrote laws,
forbidding robbery and murder. He should have written these laws
Resurrection |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Animal Farm by George Orwell: pig appeared to be stirring. It was nearly nine o'clock when Squealer made
his appearance, walking slowly and dejectedly, his eyes dull, his tail
hanging limply behind him, and with every appearance of being seriously
ill. He called the animals together and told them that he had a terrible
piece of news to impart. Comrade Napoleon was dying!
A cry of lamentation went up. Straw was laid down outside the doors of the
farmhouse, and the animals walked on tiptoe. With tears in their eyes they
asked one another what they should do if their Leader were taken away from
them. A rumour went round that Snowball had after all contrived to
introduce poison into Napoleon's food. At eleven o'clock Squealer came
out to make another announcement. As his last act upon earth, Comrade
Animal Farm |
