Judge — December 22, 1894 — page 16: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page satirizes the popular craze surrounding "Trilby," an English novel about hypnotism and seduction that became a fashionable fad. The main cartoon mocks how a literary sensation spreads uncritically through society. The central figure "Chollie" (a society dandy type) has read the book and attempts to hypnotize women using techniques from the plot. The surrounding vignettes show how the "Trilby" hairstyle—apparently inspired by the novel—supposedly flatters different face shapes, presented as mock-scientific fashion advice. The satire targets both the novel's sensational plot (an ugly man hypnotizing a beautiful woman) and the superficial way fads spread among the fashionable classes, who mindlessly adopt hairstyles and behaviors based on popular literature without critical thought. It's a critique of mass culture susceptibility and the absurdity of trend-following.