Question

Pride and prejudice first line explanation

Answer 1

This is the first sentence of Pride and Prejudice and stands as one of the most famous first lines in literature. Even as it briskly introduces the arrival of Mr. Bingley at Netherfield—the event that sets the novel in motion—this sentence also offers a miniature sketch of the entire plot, which concerns itself with the pursuit of “single men in possession of a good fortune” by various female characters. The preoccupation with socially advantageous marriage in nineteenth-century English society manifests itself here, for in claiming that a single man “must be in want of a wife,” the narrator reveals that the reverse is also true: a single woman, whose socially prescribed options are quite limited, is in (perhaps desperate) want of a husband

Answer 2

Answer:

single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife. In plain, modern day English this sentence means "Everyone knows rich, single men want to get married." Think about who in today's terms actively seeks marriage.