The first chapter of any story is what ultimately makes the reader care about the events that unfold with each turned page. It serves as a foundation for what the rest of the writing will entail and creates a relationship amongst not only the reader and the story itself, but between the audience and the author as well. The opening pages are the most crucial element to a story’s triumph, but the first lines of the introduction are just as pivotal to the success of a novel, as they are the only way to effectively captivate the reader. K.M. Weiland’s (2013) essay “The Hook” displays how essential the opening line of any novel can be by stating that it is the first opportunity to “grab your readers’ attention and give them a reason to read your story” (p. 340). With acquiring the audience’s attention, the author should also determine how they will reveal key information over the course of the novel. Michael Kardos (2013) suggests in his essay “Starting Your Story” that the author should give readers “important information up front” (p. 346) to make them care about the story itself. A successful first chapter encompasses the institution of the plot’s setting, tone, characters, and by the end of the first handful of pages, should illustrate the conflict along with its stakes. All of these elements working together not only create a compelling first chapter but serve as the foundation for an even greater novel.
Charlotte Brontë’s (1847) novel Jane Eyre exemplifies the basic characteristics of an effective first chapter. These elements are established naturally within the introductory pages through the exploration of the story’s protagonist Jane Eyre. The story opens with the titular character describing her resent towards her adoptive family due to her “physical inferiority” (p. 372) when compared to other family members, specifically with her cousin John. The immediate usage of medias res effectively hooks the reader and makes them question both why she feels such resentment towards her extended-family, and why she finds solitude in the window seat of the drawing room. Over the course of the chapter, a feud between Jane and John is revealed and establishes the basic conflict of class and gender inferiority inside the story itself. Time period is crucial to Brontë’s novel, as it displays the underlying rules of the story. The nineteenth century is commonly viewed as the peak and turning point of class and gender inferiority in the world’s history, and the conflict between Jane and John displays this notion. The story’s setting also conveys the dreary tone of the novel as well. Jane’s isolation from the rest of the family creates a tone that only can only be described as somber, which is partly due to the dreary weather occurring in northern England. The opening chapter bestows little exposition and presents a variety of questions for the reader to digest, such as the fate of Jane’s father and why her extended-family are so dismissive towards her. Along with the well-established sense of mystery, the remaining elements of the novel are seamlessly woven together to create an effective first chapter. The chapter concludes during a suspenseful altercation between Jane and John, alongside his mother, Mrs. Reed. With many unanswered questions, the audience is incentivized to continue to read to discover how the rest of the story unfolds.
An example of a less-successful first chapter comes in the form of Emily Brontë’s (1847) novel Wuthering Heights. The story opens with the protagonist, Mr. Lockwood, visiting the manor of Mr. Heathcliff, his landlord, in Yorkshire, England. The reader quickly realizes that both of the lead characters can be described as misanthropists, which makes the audience question what events caused the gentlemen to develop cynical perceptions of humanity. Mr. Lockwood is fascinated to find another individual who shares a similar outlook as he does by stating, “I felt interested in a man who seemed more exaggeratedly reserved than myself” (p. 368) and this attraction is ultimately what drives the events of the introductory chapter. Being the reserved individual that he is, Lockwood’s immediate interest in Heathcliff can hook the audience and make the reader yearn for the reasoning behind his appeal to the ominous landlord. The events transpiring inside of the manor establishes the mysterious tone of the story. The opening is very ambiguous in exposing information to the audience, and by the conclusion of the chapter, the reader knows very little about the events of the novel. Aside from establishing the relationship between Lockwood and Heathcliff, the opening chapter provides very little exposition for the reader to utilize. The audience has no indication as to what events may or may not transpire over the course of the story, which could make the reader either continue to read or stop entirely. Overall, the novel’s introductory chapter is effective in displaying the relationship between Lockwood and Heathcliff, which will undoubtedly serve as the driving force for the story’s conflict. However, by the conclusion of the introduction, the audience is still unaware of the stakes and even the rules of the novel. The opening pages do very little to incentivize the reader to continue to read and rely too heavily on ambiguity to establish a gripping first chapter.
Another example of an introductory chapter that encompasses all elements necessary to find success through its opening is Charles Dickens’ (1861) novel Great Expectations. Throughout the introductory pages, Dickens establishes a relationship between Pip and the reader. The author does this by providing enough exposition for the audience to feel sympathetic for the protagonist’s tragic past and displaying how much loss the young man had experienced through the death of both his parents along with multiple siblings. While exploring Pip’s harrowing upbringing inside of a rural English graveyard, which serves as the chapter’s setting, the tone of the novel dramatically shifts from tragic and comedic to utterly terrifying upon the introduction of an escaped convict. Dickens is effective in characterizing the menacing antagonist by stating that if Pip is to be unsuccessful in accomplishing the inmate’s task, his heart and liver would be “tore out, roasted, and ate” (p. 379). This characterization effectively displays the story’s general conflict and its stakes. The first chapter raises a variety of questions without exposing too much or too little information to the audience. Dicken’s efficacious use of ambiguity makes the audience dwell on the possibilities of the remaining chapters, such as the fate of Pip and the consequences of his actions. The author concludes the introductory pages in a place that makes the reader covet for answers to a variety of compelling questions.
The final example of yet another effective first chapter is found within Arthur Conan Doyle’s (1890) novel The Sign of the Four. The story follows renowned detective Sherlock Holmes and his relationship with his partner, and the chapter’s protagonist, Dr. Watson. The difference in ethical approaches between the two detectives serves as the introduction’s conflict inside nineteenth century England. Throughout the chapter, Doyle conveys that Holmes appears to only aid in investigations because it is trying of his skills, while Watson seems to genuinely posses the desire to help other individuals. Watson seems to doubt his partner’s actual investigation skills, as Holmes is avid user of cocaine, which he uses to heighten his brain activity. The most pivotal scene during the chapter comes in the form of Watson presenting his family watch to Holmes to test the limits of his investigatory expertise. Despite Watson thinking the test was impossible, Holmes is able to arrive at a detailed conclusion of the watch’s history in a short amount of time, stating that it belonged to Watson’s eldest brother, who lived in poverty before “taking to the drink” (p. 385) and dying. This encounter exemplifies the difference of ethics between the detectives, as Holmes often views cases as abstract problems without thinking about the emotional significance of them. The reader is led to believe that the differing outlooks will be a reoccurring conflict throughout the novel. Doyle’s mysterious tone aids in creating a suspenseful atmosphere for the events of the story, which ultimately makes the audience acquire the desire to see how the relationship between the iconic detectives is affected during the events of the novel.
One of the most pivotal storytelling elements found throughout each of the opening chapters is the use of ambiguity. Charles Dickens’ (1861) Great Expectations, along with Arthur Conan Doyle’s (1890) novel The Sign of the Four, and Charlotte Brontë’s (1847) story Jane Eyre rely heavily on the usage of the element by presenting the reader with a variety of intriguing questions without revealing an abundance of key information. By the end of the first chapter, the reader has a sense of direction in which the story could follow narratively, which makes them dwell on the possible outcomes of the novel. This sense of mystery is what ultimately incentivizes the audience to continue to read. While three of the previously mentioned novels are effective in their usage of ambiguity, Emily Brontë’s (1847) Wuthering Heights severely lacks the ability to utilize the element sufficiently. The overly ambiguous chapter fails to captivate the reader from the opening pages by relying too heavily on ambiguity to further the plot itself, which makes the reader lack a sense of attentiveness to the only aspect of the story that is fully developed found in Mr. Lockwood’s relationship with Mr. Heathcliff. The dynamic between the two gentlemen is not sufficient enough to enthrall the audience within the introductory pages, making them unengaged in the outcome of the story.
The first chapter of every story is the most crucial element in a novel finding its success. The aforementioned novels prove that the introductory pages are the only possibility to effectively make the reader care about the events that are occurring within the confines of a book. Failure to successfully accomplish this will not only cause the integrity of the plot to suffer but will also not allow a relationship between the reader and the story to form. The audience will lack the motivation to continue to read to see how the plot unfolds and will ultimately move onto something more suitable to their personal desire, even if a superb novel lies beneath its lackluster opening.