| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Tess of the d'Urbervilles, A Pure Woman by Thomas Hardy: you must leave it to me about asking for help. And
don't go thinking about her making a match for me--it
is silly." "Very well said, Tess!" observed her father
sententiously.
"Who said I had such a thought?" asked Joan.
"I fancy it is in your mind, mother. But I'll go."
Rising early next day she walked to the hill-town
called Shaston, and there took advantage of a van which
twice in the week ran from Shaston eastward to
Chaseborough, passing near Trantridge, the parish in
which the vague and mysterious Mrs d'Urberville had her
Tess of the d'Urbervilles, A Pure Woman |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Mirror of the Sea by Joseph Conrad: play their little part. In the polity of winds, as amongst the
tribes of the earth, the real struggle lies between East and West.
XXVI.
The West Wind reigns over the seas surrounding the coasts of these
kingdoms; and from the gateways of the channels, from promontories
as if from watch-towers, from estuaries of rivers as if from
postern gates, from passage-ways, inlets, straits, firths, the
garrison of the Isle and the crews of the ships going and returning
look to the westward to judge by the varied splendours of his
sunset mantle the mood of that arbitrary ruler. The end of the day
is the time to gaze at the kingly face of the Westerly Weather, who
The Mirror of the Sea |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from The Art of War by Sun Tzu: using our forces, we must seem inactive; when we are near, we
must make the enemy believe we are far away; when far away, we
must make him believe we are near.
20. Hold out baits to entice the enemy. Feign disorder,
and crush him.
[All commentators, except Chang Yu, say, "When he is in
disorder, crush him." It is more natural to suppose that Sun Tzu
is still illustrating the uses of deception in war.]
21. If he is secure at all points, be prepared for him. If
he is in superior strength, evade him.
22. If your opponent is of choleric temper, seek to
The Art of War |
