Introduction by way of Google
Titiola Bakare, writing in the Daily Pennsylvanian, writes about how the procedure of learning about a gentleman’s fortune and expectations has changed since Jane Austen’s day.
Back in the day, a formal introduction was a necessary prerequisite for romantic involvement.
Take the classic Jane Austen novel. Before a man even entered the drawing room of a woman’s home, she was well informed of his social standing, economic status, and professional occupation.
Well, times have changed for better and for worse. Though we no longer need or want men to “provide” these markers of success, we often know very little about the people we choose as companions. These days you’re lucky to get a guy’s last name over the noise in a crowded bar. Alas, technology has provided an answer. We may not have a drawing room, or Mr. Darcy, but we do have access to the 21st century remix of the formal introduction: www.google.com.
Hee! (Private to Ms. Bakare: there’s more than one classic Jane Austen novel. Just saying.)
