Virginibus Puerisque, and Other Papers

"Virginibus Puerisque, and Other Papers" by Robert Louis Stevenson is a set of essays that looks at different ideas about growing up, friendship, and marriage during the late 1800s. Stevenson uses thoughtful and funny writing to make readers think about the rules of society and their own experiences with love and friendship. Early on, the book talks a lot about marriage, comparing old views with how people think about it now. Stevenson talks about the worries people have about getting married, even comparing it to being afraid of dying. The author also goes into how shaky friendships can be and how society pushes people to get married, thinking about the give-and-take and problems that come with close relationships. By looking at couples, their decisions, and the strange feelings around love, the beginning of the collection gets people ready for a bigger talk about what human connections really mean.