Yet Another Beginning

Two key points that we must analyze when reading a book are: the beginning and the end. Evidently, the first line of the book peaks the reader's interest: “It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.”(p.1) Other than interesting those that glance over the first page, it gives us an overview of the social context and values the book includes. The narrator makes this statement which indicates it will remain true during the entire work. In fact, the second sentence reassures this. So, what does this first sentence reveal about the work?

First, it reveals the story happens in a highly stratified society similar to what Jane Austen experienced in England at the time. It also shows the strict social codes that were the basis of this society. Now, straying away from basic Wikipedia knowledge, I can deduce other things.

This statement shows the way people saw their world at the time. Things were “universally acknowledged” unlike today where we doubt everything and each person forms their own opinion. Assuming this rule extends to Jane Austen, we should expect to see absolutes which contrasts greatly with Shakespeare, where not one character is completely good or evil. If this is true then it will be interesting to analyze this work since so few of the ones I have read include any type of absolutes. In fact, many take the grays to the extreme.

I do not believe a good versus evil situation is possible because the rest of the chapters set the tone for a love story. We could expect to see a character that will never change its characteristics. A greedy or devious person will remain unchanged despite the experiences he or she accumulates during the story. I expect to see some kind of absolutes while reading this even though I just started the book .