The Wasp — 1918 — page 173: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page fragment appears to be from a narrative or comic dialogue rather than a political cartoon. The text shows a man reassuring a woman about his sailor companions, claiming they're harmless ("veritable lambs") in the presence of a lady. His obsequious tone ("your most humble and devoted servant") and the woman's intensified interest suggest the satire targets either: 1. **Performative masculine gallantry** — the exaggerated politeness that masks opportunism 2. **Class dynamics** — sailors stereotyped as rough but deferential to genteel women 3. **Manipulation** — the speaker's false reassurances designed to gain the woman's trust The incomplete context makes precise interpretation difficult, but the satire appears social rather than explicitly political, mocking courtship rituals or class-based deference.