"A tiger dies and leaves a skin. A man dies and leaves a name." This ancient Chinese proverb illustrates the fundamental quality
of man that distinguishes him from the animals—the power to think and reason. He can decide what his future will hold. In the molding and shaping of his life, man exerts an influence on all whom he encounters. He has the ability to choose the type of influence he will have. A tiger, unlike a man, has no control over either his environment or his destiny. Though he is a majestic animal that prowls the jungle with pride and assurance, terrorizing both man and beast, his actions are governed only by the laws of nature. His death leaves the world unchanged; he exerts no lasting influence. When a man dies, however, he may continue to influence others through his accomplished goals and through the traits and ideas he has passed on. What "shape" is this paragraph?
From the construction of the paragraph, the shape is likely to be a rectangle. This is because of the technique of parallelism used in the story. The following except provides an example:
"A tiger dies and leaves a skin. A man dies and leaves a name."
Both sentences describe what the two creatures leave after death.
