| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Eugenie Grandet by Honore de Balzac: remembered how long a time had elapsed since he gave her the last six
francs, always stipulated for the "wife's pin-money" when he sold his
yearly vintage. The four or five louis presented by the Belgian or the
Dutchman who purchased the wine were the chief visible signs of Madame
Grandet's annual revenues. But after she had received the five louis,
her husband would often say to her, as though their purse were held in
common: "Can you lend me a few sous?" and the poor woman, glad to be
able to do something for a man whom her confessor held up to her as
her lord and master, returned him in the course of the winter several
crowns out of the "pin-money." When Grandet drew from his pocket the
five-franc piece which he allowed monthly for the minor expenses,--
Eugenie Grandet |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Turn of the Screw by Henry James: Were I to get off quickly, this way, I should get off without a scene,
without a word. My quickness would have to be remarkable, however,
and the question of a conveyance was the great one to settle.
Tormented, in the hall, with difficulties and obstacles, I remember
sinking down at the foot of the staircase--suddenly collapsing there
on the lowest step and then, with a revulsion, recalling that it
was exactly where more than a month before, in the darkness of night
and just so bowed with evil things, I had seen the specter of the most
horrible of women. At this I was able to straighten myself; I went
the rest of the way up; I made, in my bewilderment, for the schoolroom,
where there were objects belonging to me that I should have to take.
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift: of this country were endued with a proportionable degree of
reason, they must needs be the wisest people upon earth. This
thought gave me so much comfort, that I resolved to go forward,
until I could discover some house or village, or meet with any of
the natives, leaving the two horses to discourse together as they
pleased. But the first, who was a dapple gray, observing me to
steal off, neighed after me in so expressive a tone, that I
fancied myself to understand what he meant; whereupon I turned
back, and came near to him to expect his farther commands: but
concealing my fear as much as I could, for I began to be in some
pain how this adventure might terminate; and the reader will
Gulliver's Travels |
