"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife."

"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife."

- Narrator, Volume I: Chapter 1

In the first line of the novel, Austen reveals two of its primary themes: marriage and class (particularly as indicated by money). In the world of Pride and Prejudice, individuals are defined by their marital opportunities and financial holdings. However, the irony in this line conceals an implicit criticism. The line's grammatical focus is on "a single man . . . in want of a wife," but Austen's novel is centered on her female characters as they struggle to succeed within this oppressive patriarchy. Each Miss Bennet knows that without a husband of decent means and status, she risks living a life as a powerless and potentially destitute spinster. That Austen can imply such a desperate reality in a superficially breezy and straightforward line is evidence of her mastery.