An Altruist

Ouida's (Marie Louise de la Ramée) short novel, "An Altruist," published in 1897, is a pointed critique of the insincere philanthropy and questions of social justice prevalent in late Victorian English society; the narrative follows the central character, a wealthy and self-proclaimed altruist, revealing the deep inconsistency between his lofty moral claims and his actual self-serving and performative actions; Ouida sharply interrogates the false motivations behind the upper classes' supposed acts of "goodness" towards the lower classes and the superficiality of social reform, ultimately inviting the reader to reflect on the idea that true compassion and altruism lie in actions performed without expectation of social status or approval.