In 'To Kill a Mockingbird', the paragraph where Scout stands on the Radley porch and sees the world from Boo's perspective is excellent. It's a moment of great realization for her. The description of the simple things she notices, like the street and the neighbors' houses, but with a new understanding, makes it a standout. It shows how empathy can transform one's view of the world around them.
Well, one way is through the emotional impact they have. If a paragraph makes you feel deeply, like cry or laugh out loud, it could be a great one. For example, in 'The Fault in Our Stars', there are paragraphs that are so heart - wrenching about the characters' battle with cancer that they really stick with you.
In 'The Great Gatsby' by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the opening paragraph starts 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. "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 opening gives an insight into the narrator's mindset and also hints at the themes of class and judgment that are prevalent in the novel.
Effective opening paragraphs often set the tone for the whole novel. Consider 'Dracula' by Bram Stoker. '3 May. Bistritz. - Left Munich at 8.35 P.M., on 1st May, arriving at Vienna early next morning; should have arrived at 6.46, but the train was an hour late. Buda - Pest seems a wonderful place, from the glimpse which I got of it from the train and the little I could walk through the streets.' This matter - of - fact, journal - like start sets a somewhat eerie, anticipatory tone as if the narrator is unknowingly walking into danger. It makes the reader anticipate something bad is going to happen.
One of the best opening paragraphs is from 'Pride and Prejudice' by Jane Austen. 'It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.' This immediately sets the tone for a story centered around marriage and social status in 19th - century England.
One of the best ending paragraphs can be from 'To Kill a Mockingbird'. 'He turned out the light and went into Jem's room. He would be there all night, and he would be there when Jem waked up in the morning.' This simple yet powerful ending shows Atticus's love and protection for his son, and also gives a sense of comfort and stability after the events in the story.
One great opening is from 'Pride and Prejudice' by Jane Austen: 'It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.' This sets the tone for the story which is much about marriage and social status in the 19th - century English society.
In 'Romeo and Juliet', 'My bounty is as boundless as the sea, My love as deep; the more I give to thee, The more I have, for both are infinite.' Juliet's words here are a profound expression of her limitless love for Romeo.
The opening of 'The Great Gatsby' by F. Scott Fitzgerald is also remarkable. '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 opening gives us a sense of the narrator's character, his self - reflection, and also sets up the idea of class differences and judgment that are central to the novel.
In 'The Great Gatsby' by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the opening paragraph is quite evocative. '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 up the narrator's perspective and gives a hint of the moral and social commentary that will be threaded throughout the novel.