| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Myths and Myth-Makers by John Fiske: what mental process the myth-maker can speak of natural
objects in language which implies that they are animated
persons. Brief as our account of this process has been, I
believe that enough has been said, not only to reveal the
inadequacy of purely philological solutions (like those
contained in Max Muller's famous Essay) to explain the growth
of myths, but also to exhibit the vast importance for this
purpose of the kind of psychological inquiry into the mental
habits of savages which Mr. Tylor has so ably conducted.
Indeed, however lacking we may still be in points of detail, I
think we have already reached a very satisfactory explanation
Myths and Myth-Makers |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Red Inn by Honore de Balzac: the window.
"Let us avoid a scene," she said. "If Mademoiselle Taillefer hears her
father, she might be thrown into hysterics."
The banker now re-entered the salon, looked round for Victorine, and
said a few words in her ear. Instantly the young girl uttered a cry,
ran to the door, and disappeared. This event produced a great
sensation. The card-players paused. Every one questioned his neighbor.
The murmur of voices swelled, and groups gathered.
"Can Monsieur Taillefer be--" I began.
"--dead?" said my sarcastic neighbor. "You would wear the gayest
mourning, I fancy!"
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from The Light of Western Stars by Zane Grey: was maddening, yet unutterably sweet; and they seemed to be just
one bewildering effect of surprise.
In a nature like hers, where strength of feeling had long been
inhibited as a matter of training, such a transforming surprise
as sudden consciousness of passionate love required time for its
awakening, time for its sway.
By and by that last enlightening moment came, and Madeline
Hammond faced not only the love in her heart, but the thought of
the man she loved.
Suddenly, as she raged, something in her--this dauntless new
personality--took arms against indictment of Gene Stewart. Her
The Light of Western Stars |
