An Experiment in Altruism

"An Experiment in Altruism" by Margaret Pollock Sherwood is a late 1800s story about a narrator arriving in a new city with the goal of doing charitable work. The narrator meets people like Janet and the Doctor, each providing a different view of helping others and dealing with problems in society. The story looks at important ideas like improving society, dealing with the complicated relationships between people, and the challenge of staying hopeful while trying to help people who are struggling. Through conversations with unique characters, the reader learns about the different ways people think about doing good and the difficulties of actually making a difference. The narrator thinks about the tricky questions that come up when trying to help the poor, showing both the selfless actions and the tough situations that people involved in social change have to deal with.