# Epigraph explained — Chance

> Chapter companion for Chance by Joseph Conrad.

## What happens

The epigraph, a quotation from Sir Thomas Browne, introduces the novel's central meditation on the role of Fortune or fate in human affairs, suggesting that while Fortune governs all things, human error lies in persisting in that belief without acknowledging other forces.

## Themes in this chapter

### Chance and Fate

The epigraph directly addresses the concept of Fortune governing all things, a central theme of the novel.

## Key lines

> Those that hold that all things are governed by Fortune had not erred, had they not persisted there.

People who believe that everything is controlled by luck or fate would not be wrong, if they did not stubbornly cling to that belief.

_This epigraph suggests a nuanced view of fate, implying that while fortune plays a role, it is not the sole determinant._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/chance_se/chapters/epigraph
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/chance_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/chance_se/chapters