Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions based on the passage: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen is a classic known for its humor and complex characters. The famous first sentence of the book, "It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife," begins to set up all of the major themes of money, status, and marrying well that are prevalent in 19th century England. The Bennet family, particularly Elizabeth Bennet, a smart and strong willed heroine, is the subject of Austen's commentary on the societal imperative for women to marry well and thereby have a stable income. The title itself is quite meaningful, as it first indicates the character flaws that drive much of the conflict in this novel, namely Darcy's pride and Elizabeth's prejudice. In fact, Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy, being a rich and high-ranking person, first of all shows a haughty character, thereby being very super by virtue of his class. Elizabeth, having been offended by his initial lack of warmth, as well as having been misled by the deceiving Mr. Wickham, very quickly showed prejudice against him. Traces the story of each as they navigate these weaknesses. Darcy needs to lower his pride to appreciate the value of Elizabeth's interior standing, though she must see the strength of his superior qualities. Austen employs irony and satire liberally to point out the absurdities of the class structure. Personages like the obsequious Mr. Collins and the imperious Lady Catherine de Bourgh symbolize the hard and silly aspects of class consciousness. The sojourn at Darcy's grand estate, Pemberley, is an important defining instance in which the splendor of the property and the favorable reports of his servants compel Elizabeth to revise her earlier opinion and realize the truth of Darcy's goodness. In the final analysis, the novel promotes love marriages, couples like Jane and Bingey, and Elizabeth and Darcy, who have successful marriages because of love, in contrast to couples who marry for convenience (Charlotte Collins and Mr. Collins) or those who are full of passion but irresponsible (Lydia and Wickham).
What are the major themes expressed by the first line of the novel?
Wealth, status, and marriage
The question asks which themes the novel's famous first sentence begins to introduce, so the answer must come from that part of the passage.
The passage says the opening line 'begins to set up all of the major themes of money, status, and marrying well that are prevalent in 19th century England'.
Matching these to the options: 'money' is wealth, 'status' is social standing, and 'marrying well' is marriage.
The passage reinforces this by noting Austen's commentary on 'the societal imperative for women to marry well and thereby have a stable income', tying money and marriage together.
'Nature and the countryside' and 'Love & War' are never linked to the first sentence, and 'Education and morality' is not among the themes it names.
The three ideas in the passage correspond exactly to wealth, status and marriage.
Hence the major themes introduced are Wealth, status, and marriage.
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