Jane Austen introduces us to the Dashwood family, who have lived in Norfolk Park for many years. One day, they're supposed to move out of the house, but they don't have enough money to do so. Jane tells them that her brother Edward Ferriars is her proudest brother. He's a gentleman, and she thinks he's the perfect heir to her father's fortune. She also says that her mother wants her to have a bigger role in politics than her brother, Robert Ferriars, because she wants to live a "peaceful life" in her own home. Jane says she's going to write to her cousin, John Middleton, to ask him to lend them a cottage so they can move away from the house. She's hopeful that Edward will be one of the first people to come to the cottage.