The opening of 'The Great Gatsby' - 'In my younger and more vulnerable years my father gave me some advice that I've been turning over in my mind ever since. "Whenever you feel like criticizing any one," he told me, "just remember that all the people in this world haven't had the advantages that you've had."' This sets a reflective and somewhat nostalgic tone. It makes the narrator seem like someone who has been ruminating on this advice for a long time, which gives the story a more personal and introspective feel overall.
The best opening sentences hook the reader. For example, in 'The Great Gatsby' with 'In my younger and more vulnerable years my father gave me some advice that I've been turning over in my mind ever since.' It makes you want to know what that advice was. They also set the tone. A dark opening like in 'Dracula' ('3 May. Bistritz. - Left Munich at 8:35 P.M., on 1st May, arriving at Vienna early next morning...') sets a mysterious and somewhat foreboding tone for the whole horror story.
The opening creates expectations and curiosity. The ending fulfills or subverts those expectations. If they work well together, the story feels coherent and meaningful.
The best opening sentences also set the mood for the whole novel. In a horror novel, a spooky opening can put the reader on edge for the entire read. In a romantic novel, a sweet or passionate opening can make the reader feel the love right from the start. They are like a preview of what the whole story will be like in terms of atmosphere. Consider 'The Great Gatsby' where the opening gives a sense of mystery and melancholy that pervades the whole novel.
They introduce key themes. Consider 'To Kill a Mockingbird' by Harper Lee: 'When he was nearly thirteen, my brother Jem got his arm badly broken at the elbow.' This opening not only starts the story but also foreshadows the violence and injustice that will be central themes in the novel. It hooks the reader right from the start, making them eager to explore how this event came about and what it means for the characters.
They hook the reader right away. For example, if an opening sentence is mysterious like in 'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo' - 'Late one night, a man on his way home happened to see a girl walking along a railway track.' It makes you want to know who the girl is and what she's doing there.
Famous opening lines can also establish the mood. Take 'The Great Gatsby' opening 'In my younger and more vulnerable years my father gave me some advice that I've been turning over in my mind ever since.' It gives a sense of reflection and sets a somewhat nostalgic mood from the start, which colors the whole reading experience as you expect the story to be about looking back on things. And as you read on, this mood is carried throughout the novel.
The settings of novels can greatly influence the overall story. For example, a story set in a post - apocalyptic world will likely have a very different mood and set of challenges compared to one set in a utopian society. The setting can create the atmosphere, like a spooky old mansion in a horror novel. It can also limit or expand the possibilities for the characters' actions. If it's a small, isolated village, the characters may have fewer options in terms of resources and social interactions compared to a big city setting.
The opening lines can set the tone. Take 'All children, except one, grow up.' from J.M. Barrie's 'Peter Pan'. It has a bittersweet and somewhat mysterious tone that pervades the whole story. They draw the reader in and make them want to continue reading to find out more about the world and characters that are being introduced.
In many dystopian novels, the opening lines show a deviation from the normal. For instance, the start of 'Snowpiercer' (the novel on which the movie is based). If it started with a line like 'The train moved forward.' It might seem normal, but instead, it might start with something like 'The survivors on the train knew that outside was a frozen, dead world.' This immediately shows a world that is not as it should be. It sets a tone of confinement, of a last - ditch effort at survival in a world that has gone horribly wrong. And this tone of a world in crisis and people just trying to get by in a very abnormal situation pervades the entire story.
Jules and Vincent are very important in setting the tone. Their cool, nonchalant attitude towards the violent and seedy underworld they are a part of gives the movie a laid - back yet edgy feel.