| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Fanny Herself by Edna Ferber: Theodore's manager arrived in September, on a Holland boat,
on which he had been obliged to share a stuffy inside cabin
with three others. Kurt Stein was German born, but American
bred, and he had the American love of luxurious travel. He
was still testy when he reached Chicago and his charge.
"How goes the work?" he demanded at once, of Theodore. He
eyed him sharply. "That's better. You have lost some
of the look you had when you left Wien. The ladies would
have liked that look, here in America. But it is bad for
the work."
He took Fanny aside before he left. His face was serious.
Fanny Herself |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Moby Dick by Herman Melville: and chief-mate, with six sailors, had all died of a fever caught from
a blasted whale they had brought alongside."
Upon this the captain started, and eagerly desired to know more.
"What now?" said the Guernsey-man to Stubb.
"Why, since he takes it so easy, tell him that now I have eyed him
carefully, I'm quite certain that he's no more fit to command a
whale-ship than a St. Jago monkey. In fact, tell him from me he's a
baboon."
"He vows and declares, Monsieur, that the other whale, the dried one,
is far more deadly than the blasted one; in fine, Monsieur, he
conjures us, as we value our lives, to cut loose from these fish."
Moby Dick |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Bronte Sisters: intrusted to her brother, that, in all probability, he would not
deliver, and then, dreadful thought! she would think me cooled and
changed for not returning it, or, perhaps, he had already given her
to understand that I had ceased to think of her. I would wait,
however, till the six months after our parting were fairly passed
(which would be about the close of February), and then I would send
her a letter, modestly reminding her of her former permission to
write to her at the close of that period, and hoping I might avail
myself of it - at least to express my heartfelt sorrow for her late
afflictions, my just appreciation of her generous conduct, and my
hope that her health was now completely re-established, and that
The Tenant of Wildfell Hall |
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 Options by O. Henry: a flatterer. So I joined the ranks of the candid and honest. At once
I became mendacious and didactic.
"In all ages, Miss Hinkle," said I, "in spite of the poetry and
romance of each, intellect in woman has been admired more than beauty.
Even in Cleopatra, herself, men found more charm in her queenly mind
than in her looks."
"Well, I should think so!" said Ileen. "I've seen pictures of her
that weren't so much. she had an awfully long nose."
"If I may say so," I went on, "you remind me of Cleopatra, Miss
Ileen."
"Why, my nose isn't so long!" said she, opening her eyes wide and
Options |
