| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The War in the Air by H. G. Wells: words--THERE ARE OTHER NATIONS!"
This speech it was that particularly impressed Bert Smallways.
"If them Germans or them Americans get hold of this," he said
impressively to his brother, "the British Empire's done. It's
U-P. The Union Jack, so to speak, won't be worth the paper it's
written on, Tom."
"I suppose you couldn't lend us a hand this morning," said
Jessica, in his impressive pause. "Everybody in Bun Hill seems
wanting early potatoes at once. Tom can't carry half of them."
"We're living on a volcano," said Bert, disregarding the
suggestion. "At any moment war may come--such a war!"
|
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Almayer's Folly by Joseph Conrad: stepped out carrying Nina in his arms, exhausted by the events
and the long travelling during the night. Almayer was the last
to leave the boat, and together with Ali ran it higher up on the
beach. Then Ali, tired out by the long paddling, laid down in
the shade of the canoe, and incontinently fell asleep. Almayer
sat sideways on the gunwale, and with his arms crossed on his
breast, looked to the southward upon the sea.
After carefully laying Nina down in the shade of the bushes
growing in the middle of the islet, Dain threw himself beside her
and watched in silent concern the tears that ran down from under
her closed eyelids, and lost themselves in that fine sand upon
Almayer's Folly |
