| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from The Arrow of Gold by Joseph Conrad: picked up one after another all the various objects on the
dressing-table. On laying my hands on the brushes I had a profound
emotion, and with misty eyes I examined them meticulously with the
new hope of finding one of Rita's tawny hairs entangled amongst the
bristles by a miraculous chance. But Therese would have done away
with that chance, too. There was nothing to be seen, though I held
them up to the light with a beating heart. It was written that not
even that trace of her passage on the earth should remain with me;
not to help but, as it were, to soothe the memory. Then I lighted
a cigarette and came downstairs slowly. My unhappiness became
dulled, as the grief of those who mourn for the dead gets dulled in
The Arrow of Gold |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift: conscience, "that I ought to return to my native country, and
live at home with my wife and children." He told me, "there was
an English ship in the port just ready to sail, and he would
furnish me with all things necessary." It would be tedious to
repeat his arguments, and my contradictions. He said, "it was
altogether impossible to find such a solitary island as I desired
to live in; but I might command in my own house, and pass my time
in a manner as recluse as I pleased."
I complied at last, finding I could not do better. I left Lisbon
the 24th day of November, in an English merchantman, but who was
the master I never inquired. Don Pedro accompanied me to the
Gulliver's Travels |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from The Reef by Edith Wharton: "But you don't know yet that your friends will want you."
"I shall know tomorrow early. I asked Mrs. Farlow to
telegraph as soon as she got my letter."
A twinge of compunction shot through Darrow. Her words
recalled to him that on their return to the hotel after
luncheon she had given him her letter to post, and that he
had never thought of it again. No doubt it was still in the
pocket of the coat he had taken off when he dressed for
dinner. In his perturbation he pushed back his chair, and
the movement made her look up at him.
"What's the matter?"
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