Tactical Purpose
An introduction can have many purposes which often provide different things to a piece of nonfiction prose. Many authors use introductions to provide context towards a piece of writing. The introduction often explains the purpose of the book and helps the reader to understand what the piece of writing is going to be about. Oftentimes in nonfiction prose the topic of a book could be related to a larger topic. An introduction can help provide context towards the rest of the book and to begin an idea which the author will flesh out in the rest of the book. The author may also use this to explain the origins of an event or topic which will then lead to the explanation of that event or topic. This is especially useful for books about broad topics as it may be necessary to explain the origins behind a topic before you get into the meat of the topic. The use of introduction is a useful tool for authors to help a reader understand the origins behind a piece of nonfiction prose and lays a necessary foundation for the rest of the literature. Introductions can also be used to explain real world factors behind a piece of literature. Sometimes they are not even written by the author. Sometimes they provide a debate about the book or they talk about the lives of the authors and how they came about the writing of the book. An introduction can also be used to set the tone of the literature which will then be carried on into the rest of the literature. But every introduction has an overarching link to the topic of the book. They all relate to the book in some way, whether they explain debates over the topic in question or they explain why the author's purpose was in writing this book, etc. and they lay a foundation which will then be expanded upon in the rest of the book.
Steps for analysis
Look at the title of the introduction. Does it have anything to do with the title of the book? If so, what is the connection between them? Are they related to a similar topic?
Find who wrote the introduction? Is it the author(s), or was it written by an outside source? Also analysis is the book is related to other pieces of writing, is it a sequel to another piece of writing?
While you read, analyze the topic of the introduction. What is the introduction focusing on?
Once you find the main ideas, analyze what the author writes about the topic? Is he providing context, making a claim, etc. Once you find this out, connect what the author is writing about to the topic of the introduction which will help you understand what the writer is trying to achieve.
Once you find what the writer is trying to achieve, analyze why the introduction is important to the book. Does it provide background information, provide an argument, or set up an event which will be explained later in the book. Knowing why the introduction was written will help the reader understand why the purpose that the introduction plays in the literature.
A History of Western Society 2: From the Age of Exploration to the Present
Introduction: The Origins of Modern Western Society
“The notion of “the West” has ancient origins...Throughout history, the meaning of "the West" has shifted, but in every era it has meant more than a geographical location."
Wiesner, Merry E., et al. A History of Western Society. Thirteenth edition, Value edition. ed., Boston, Bedford/St. Martin's, Macmillan Learning, 2020.
The purpose of this introduction is to explain what Western society is and to provide background information on the history of Western society. Explaining the topic of a piece of literature is a useful tool for an introduction as it allows the author to explain what he or she is writing about and helps clear up confusion on the topic of the book. This can be especially helpful in literature that focuses on a controversial topic or a topic which can be interpreted in multiple different ways like the way that “the West” can be interpreted to mean multiple different things in history from pure Western European society or Western societies like the United States. The author explains that, “Throughout history, the meaning of ‘the West’ has shifted, but in every era it has meant more than a geographical location." (Wiesner XXX). The explanation of “the West” in the introduction helps the reader identify what the author will be focusing on in the rest of the book.
The book also uses the introduction to provide background information on Western society. The writer explains multiple events leading up to the start of the book from the origins of Europe to the Renaissance. Because “A History of Western Society: Age of Exploration to the Present” is the second book of a series it is necessary for the writer to provide background information on the subject in question, Western society, so that the reader knows what was written about in the previous book. The writer might also include this introduction because oftentimes history books focus on topics which are part of a larger part of history. This can be shown by the title of the book as the book focuses on Western Society from the Age of Exploration to the Present. The time period that the book is focusing on is part of a larger whole of Western society so the author provides background information to show previous events in Europe led to the beginning time period of the book, the Age of Exploration. For example the introduction focuses on multiple time periods which came before the Age of Exploration and also described multiple cultures which were essential to the foundation of Europe, “The Ancient World provided several cultural elements that the modern world has inherited…First came the traditions of the Hebrews… Second, Greek architectural, philosophical, and scientific ideas…Third, Rome provided the Latin language… and concepts of law and government” (Wiesner XXX). Providing background information helps the writer show how Western society got to this point before the book goes into detail on future events and it also helps the reader have a concrete understanding of the foundation of the book's topic.