Puck — September 11, 1878 — page 8: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This political cartoon depicts a nighttime street scene showing wealthy individuals indifferent to human suffering. In the foreground, destitute figures—including a woman and child—appear to be begging or in distress on the street. Buildings labeled "FEVER" suggest a disease outbreak, possibly cholera or similar epidemic affecting the poor. In the sky, an angel or supernatural figure hovers, seemingly witnessing the scene. The composition contrasts the misery of the impoverished masses with the apparent wealth and privilege visible in the background. The incomplete caption suggests this critiques how wealthy people's greed or neglect contributes to urban poverty and disease. This reflects Gilded Age social commentary on the wealth gap and moral failures of the rich toward the suffering poor.