The Wasp — 1914 — page 51: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page contains a narrative passage rather than a cartoon. It depicts a conversation between James Burnham (a sailor) and Captain Moses Smith (a pious shipmaster), discussing Christian devotion. **Key satirical elements:** - Captain Smith represents hypocritical religious piety—he speaks of "godly men" and "true servants of the Lord" while casually discussing the pirate attack that killed Smith's brother and enslaved "black negroes" - The irony: Smith profits from the slave trade yet frames his survival as divine blessing - Burnham's "crooked smile" suggests he recognizes Smith's moral inconsistency - The satire mocks how religious language masks brutal commercial exploitation **Historical context:** This likely critiques American shipowners and merchants who engaged in slavery while claiming Christian virtue—a common target of 19th-century American satirical publications.