‘It is a truth universally acknowledged….' Jane Austen wrote the most perfect opening line – and we've been spoofing it ever since!
'It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.'
– Pride and Prejudice (1813), Jane Austen
Few opening lines in literature are as instantly recognisable—or as frequently parodied—as Jane Austen's iconic opening sentence from Pride and Prejudice (1813). At first glance, it reads like a wry social decree, a tongue-in-cheek proclamation of Regency England's marital economics, or, given the universality of the line, India's arranged marriage tradition.
Austen's genius lies in cloaking subversion in propriety. The line's lofty phrasing—'a truth universally acknowledged'—mimics the grand pronouncements of Enlightenment thinkers, only to undercut itself with the absurdity of its claim. Is it really a universal truth that every wealthy bachelor is desperate to marry? Or is this merely what society—particularly mothers with unmarried daughters—desperately wants to believe?
The next sentence confirms the satire: 'However little known the feelings or views of such a man may be… this truth is so well fixed in the minds of the surrounding families, that he is considered as the rightful property of some one or other of their daughters.' Here, Austen skewers the entitlement and presumption of a society that treats marriage as both a financial necessity for women and a foregone conclusion for men.
Part of the sentence's staying power is its adaptability. It has been repurposed for everything from zombie parodies ('It is a truth … a zombie in possession of brains must be in want of more brains') to Bridget Jones's self-deprecating diary ('It is a truth … when one part of your life starts going okay, another falls spectacularly to pieces').
Yet its endurance also speaks to uncomfortable continuities. Though women today (theoretically) have more autonomy, the pressure to marry—or to justify not marrying—persists. How many rom-coms still peddle the idea that a successful woman's life is incomplete without a partner? How often are single women asked, 'Why aren't you settled yet?' Austen's line, for all its 19th-century specificity, still resonates because the machinery of societal expectation hasn't fully dismantled.
A perfect first line does more than hook a reader—it sets the tone for everything that follows. Austen's does so masterfully, as she establishes the voice (arch, all-knowing, and observant), introduces theme (marriage, money, and the absurdity of social norms), and invites complicity (readers in on the joke become co-conspirators in Austen's satire), all in a pithy 23 words. Indeed, for a master wordsmith, less is more.
Two centuries later, the line remains a benchmark for writers. It proves that the best openings are capable of meaning new things to each generation. As Austen might say: It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a great first line must be in want of endless reinterpretation.
('Drawing a Line' is an eight-column weekly series exploring the stories behind literature's most iconic opening lines. Each column offers interpretation, not definitive analysis—because great lines, like great books, invite many readings.)
Aishwarya Khosla is a journalist currently serving as Deputy Copy Editor at The Indian Express. Her writings examine the interplay of culture, identity, and politics.
She began her career at the Hindustan Times, where she covered books, theatre, culture, and the Punjabi diaspora. Her editorial expertise spans the Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Punjab and Online desks.
She was the recipient of the The Nehru Fellowship in Politics and Elections, where she studied political campaigns, policy research, political strategy and communications for a year.
She pens The Indian Express newsletter, Meanwhile, Back Home.
Write to her at aishwaryakhosla.ak@gmail.com or aishwarya.khosla@indianexpress.com. You can follow her on Instagram: @ink_and_ideology, and X: @KhoslaAishwarya. ... Read More
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‘It is a truth universally acknowledged….' Jane Austen wrote the most perfect opening line – and we've been spoofing it ever since!
'It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.' – Pride and Prejudice (1813), Jane Austen Few opening lines in literature are as instantly recognisable—or as frequently parodied—as Jane Austen's iconic opening sentence from Pride and Prejudice (1813). At first glance, it reads like a wry social decree, a tongue-in-cheek proclamation of Regency England's marital economics, or, given the universality of the line, India's arranged marriage tradition. Austen's genius lies in cloaking subversion in propriety. The line's lofty phrasing—'a truth universally acknowledged'—mimics the grand pronouncements of Enlightenment thinkers, only to undercut itself with the absurdity of its claim. Is it really a universal truth that every wealthy bachelor is desperate to marry? Or is this merely what society—particularly mothers with unmarried daughters—desperately wants to believe? The next sentence confirms the satire: 'However little known the feelings or views of such a man may be… this truth is so well fixed in the minds of the surrounding families, that he is considered as the rightful property of some one or other of their daughters.' Here, Austen skewers the entitlement and presumption of a society that treats marriage as both a financial necessity for women and a foregone conclusion for men. Part of the sentence's staying power is its adaptability. It has been repurposed for everything from zombie parodies ('It is a truth … a zombie in possession of brains must be in want of more brains') to Bridget Jones's self-deprecating diary ('It is a truth … when one part of your life starts going okay, another falls spectacularly to pieces'). Yet its endurance also speaks to uncomfortable continuities. Though women today (theoretically) have more autonomy, the pressure to marry—or to justify not marrying—persists. How many rom-coms still peddle the idea that a successful woman's life is incomplete without a partner? How often are single women asked, 'Why aren't you settled yet?' Austen's line, for all its 19th-century specificity, still resonates because the machinery of societal expectation hasn't fully dismantled. A perfect first line does more than hook a reader—it sets the tone for everything that follows. Austen's does so masterfully, as she establishes the voice (arch, all-knowing, and observant), introduces theme (marriage, money, and the absurdity of social norms), and invites complicity (readers in on the joke become co-conspirators in Austen's satire), all in a pithy 23 words. Indeed, for a master wordsmith, less is more. Two centuries later, the line remains a benchmark for writers. It proves that the best openings are capable of meaning new things to each generation. As Austen might say: It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a great first line must be in want of endless reinterpretation. ('Drawing a Line' is an eight-column weekly series exploring the stories behind literature's most iconic opening lines. Each column offers interpretation, not definitive analysis—because great lines, like great books, invite many readings.) Aishwarya Khosla is a journalist currently serving as Deputy Copy Editor at The Indian Express. Her writings examine the interplay of culture, identity, and politics. She began her career at the Hindustan Times, where she covered books, theatre, culture, and the Punjabi diaspora. Her editorial expertise spans the Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Punjab and Online desks. She was the recipient of the The Nehru Fellowship in Politics and Elections, where she studied political campaigns, policy research, political strategy and communications for a year. She pens The Indian Express newsletter, Meanwhile, Back Home. Write to her at or You can follow her on Instagram: @ink_and_ideology, and X: @KhoslaAishwarya. ... Read More
