| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Tanglewood Tales by Nathaniel Hawthorne: our vessel might be wrecked, and our bones left whitening along
the shore."
"But just listen to the pleasant voices of those maidens, and
that buzz of the loom, as the shuttle passes to and fro," said
another comrade. "What a domestic, household, home-like sound
it is! Ah, before that weary siege of Troy, I used to hear the
buzzing loom and the women's voices under my own roof. Shall I
never hear them again? nor taste those nice little savory
dishes which my dearest wife knew how to serve up?"
"Tush! we shall fare better here," said another. "But how
innocently those women are babbling together, without guessing
 Tanglewood Tales |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Almayer's Folly by Joseph Conrad: presence in Sambir. The stir caused by her arrival had died out,
it is true, and Lakamba had not renewed his visits; but about a
year after the departure of the man-of-war boats the nephew of
Abdulla, Syed Reshid, returned from his pilgrimage to Mecca,
rejoicing in a green jacket and the proud title of Hadji. There
was a great letting off of rockets on board the steamer which
brought him in, and a great beating of drums all night in
Abdulla's compound, while the feast of welcome was prolonged far
into the small hours of the morning. Reshid was the favourite
nephew and heir of Abdulla, and that loving uncle, meeting
Almayer one day by the riverside, stopped politely to exchange
 Almayer's Folly |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Massimilla Doni by Honore de Balzac: of the senses against the governing faculty."
"Might we not convince ourselves of this by some further experiment?"
said the doctor.
"Cataneo, you might bring your tenor and the prima donna together
again," said Capraja to his friend.
"Well, gentlemen," said the Duke, "come to sup with me. We ought to
reconcile the tenor and la Clarina; otherwise the season will be
ruined in Venice."
The invitation was accepted.
"Gondoliers!" called Cataneo.
"One minute," said Vendramin. "Memmi is waiting for me at Florian's; I
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