Views and Opinions

"Views and Opinions" by Ouida is a group of essays from the late 1800s that looks closely at different social problems and private thoughts of that time. It judges society by looking at beauty, what is right and wrong, and what is considered proper behavior, with the main idea being to talk about the complex rules of how people act, how money affects things, what art is, and what part people play in their communities. The author starts by being critical, comparing today’s world to an older, better time that is represented by a butterfly, which stands for beauty and grace. She talks about how shallow "smart" society is today, saying true elegance and class are missing, and that customs control how people act like they are slaves. This book deeply examines how these customs can ruin morals and culture, stopping people from seeing real beauty and being their true selves, which starts a bigger conversation about life and the dangers of following society’s rules too closely.