The Wasp — 1895 — page 1043: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This satirical poem by L.G. Carpenter critiques Christian missionary work in New Guinea through dark humor. The narrative follows a white missionary who arrives with Christmas gifts (socks, specifically) for indigenous people, viewing them through a condescending, "civilizing" lens. The satire mocks: - **Colonial paternalism**: The missionary assumes indigenous people need Western goods and Christian salvation - **Absurd priorities**: Socks become the symbolic representation of "civilization" - **Violence masked as charity**: The poem hints at the brutal reality behind missionary work The accompanying illustration shows a woman dropping socks on a checkered floor—a visual pun on the poem's central joke that socks represent Western "progress." The bottom caption about San Francisco's "hygienic custom" suggests the magazine was critiquing wealthy society's self-congratulatory attitudes about imposing their values globally.