| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from This Side of Paradise by F. Scott Fitzgerald: GILLESPIE: (Feebly) What do you mean I've changed. I feel the
same toward you.
ROSALIND: But you don't look the same to me.
GILLESPIE: Three weeks ago you used to say that you liked me
because I was so blasi, so indifferentI still am.
ROSALIND: But not about me. I used to like you because you had
brown eyes and thin legs.
GILLESPIE: (Helplessly) They're still thin and brown. You're a
vampire, that's all.
ROSALIND: The only thing I know about vamping is what's on the
piano score. What confuses men is that I'm perfectly natural. I
This Side of Paradise |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Domestic Peace by Honore de Balzac: candelabrum----"
At these words the Count's face lighted up; he violently seized the
Colonel's hand: "My dear General," said he, in a perceptibly altered
voice, "if any man but you had asked me such a question, I would have
cracked his skull with this mass of gold. Leave me, I entreat you. I
feel more like blowing out my brains this evening, I assure you, than
----I hate everything I see. And, in fact, I am going. This gaiety,
this music, these stupid faces, all laughing, are killing me!"
"My poor friend!" replied Montcornet gently, and giving the Count's
hand a friendly pressure, "you are too vehement. What would you say if
I told you that Martial is thinking so little of Madame de Vaudremont
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| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Lin McLean by Owen Wister: eyes upon me. "You're a case, too, I expect."
But she took only brief note of me, although it was from head to foot. In
her stare the dull shine of familiarity grew vacant, and she turned back
to Lin McLean. "You carry that," said she, and gave the pleased
cow-puncher a hand valise.
"I'll look after your things, Miss Peck," called Tommy, now springing
down from his horse. The egg tragedy had momentarily stunned him.
"You'll attend to the mail first, Mr. Postmaster!" said the lady, but
favoring him with a look from her large eyes. "There's plenty of
gentlemen here." With that her glance favored Lin. She went into the
cabin, he following her close, with the Taylors and myself in the rear.
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The fourth excerpt represents the element of Earth. It speaks of physical influences and the impact of the unseen on the visible world, and is drawn from The Divine Comedy (translated by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow) by Dante Alighieri: These wounds, when thou shalt be within," he said.
Ashes, or earth that dry is excavated,
Of the same colour were with his attire,
And from beneath it he drew forth two keys.
One was of gold, and the other was of silver;
First with the white, and after with the yellow,
Plied he the door, so that I was content.
"Whenever faileth either of these keys
So that it turn not rightly in the lock,"
He said to us, "this entrance doth not open.
More precious one is, but the other needs
The Divine Comedy (translated by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow) |
