The Introduction outlines the author's intentions in writing this book. This book, the Introduction says, is about mistakes, but not every single mistake. It presents instead an argument about the relationship between the social mistake, the narrative omniscience of certain 19th-century novels, and the middle class social order and it's authority over such novels of that era. The book focus is on a certain kind of mistake. The Introduction then outlines the novels which form part of the book's discussion and explains the reasons why these novels feature. The Introduction finally summarizes the chapters that follow.
Keywords: mistakes, narrative omniscience, 19th-century novel, social order, social mistake,