| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from The Virginian by Owen Wister: war. "I don't know what you mean, sir," she said.
Now was his danger; for it was easy to fall into mere crude
impertinence and ask her why, then, did she speak thus abruptly?
There were various easy things of this kind for him to say. And
any rudeness would have lost him the battle. But the Virginian
was not the man to lose such a battle in such a way. His shaft
had hit. She thought he referred to those babies about whom last
night she had shown such superfluous solicitude. Her conscience
was guilty. This was all that he had wished to make sure of
before he began operations.
"Why, I mean," said he, easily, sitting down near the door, "that
The Virginian |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Arrow of Gold by Joseph Conrad: I wonder what they would think if they knew of your existence."
"I don't exist," she said.
"That's easy to say. But I will go as if you didn't exist - yet
only because you do exist. You exist in me. I don't know where I
end and you begin. You have got into my heart and into my veins
and into my brain."
"Take this fancy out and trample it down in the dust," she said in
a tone of timid entreaty.
"Heroically," I suggested with the sarcasm of despair.
"Well, yes, heroically," she said; and there passed between us dim
smiles, I have no doubt of the most touching imbecility on earth.
The Arrow of Gold |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from She Stoops to Conquer by Oliver Goldsmith: MARLOW. As I behave to all other ladies. Bow very low, answer yes or
no to all her demands--But for the rest, I don't think I shall venture
to look in her face till I see my father's again.
HASTINGS. I'm surprised that one who is so warm a friend can be so
cool a lover.
MARLOW. To be explicit, my dear Hastings, my chief inducement down was
to be instrumental in forwarding your happiness, not my own. Miss
Neville loves you, the family don't know you; as my friend you are sure
of a reception, and let honour do the rest.
HASTINGS. My dear Marlow! But I'll suppress the emotion. Were I a
wretch, meanly seeking to carry off a fortune, you should be the last
She Stoops to Conquer |
