The Wasp — 1896 — page 375: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page is primarily **advertising**, with two small satirical vignettes: **"Why the Engagement Was Broken"** depicts a woman rejecting a man, likely satirizing courtship rituals of the era. The humor appears centered on her superficial complaint about orchids—suggesting women were capricious about romantic gestures. **"Characteristic of the Sex"** shows two silhouetted women gossiping, with dialogue about a man (Jack Perkins) being "miserly" and "selfish." The satire targets female cattiness and social manipulation—a woman threatens to publicly shame him unless he lends her money, framing it as "personal favor." Both cartoons reflect period gender stereotypes: women as irrational, materialistic, and manipulative; men as hapless victims. The jokes rely on assumptions about gender behavior that modern readers would recognize as outdated social satire.