The Wasp — 1896 — page 823: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This cartoon satirizes the vague financial language of the wealthy. A father explains to his daughter Clara that a "broker" is "a man, whose chief effort in life is to reduce his customers to that financial condition expressed by the significant term of 'broke.'" The joke plays on the double meaning of "broke"—both a professional who arranges financial transactions and someone financially ruined. The satire suggests that brokers deliberately impoverish their clients through their dealings, presenting sharp criticism of financial manipulation and dishonest business practices during what appears to be a period of economic instability or scandal. The page is primarily advertisements for champagne, shoes, whiskey, and hotels.