The Wasp — 1895 — page 356: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This cartoon depicts a dramatic domestic confrontation. A woman (labeled "Mother-in-Law") confronts a man identified as "John Henry Smith," accusing him of drunkenness in harsh terms: "you're drunk! beastly and disgustingly drunk!" The man, depicted in a degraded state, responds defensively: "Look me in the face, sir!" and "Which face?"—a self-aware joke acknowledging his intoxicated condition has literally altered his appearance. The setting includes period details: an ornate mirror, oil lamp, and formal clothing suggesting a middle-class Victorian home. The satire targets male alcoholism and the social shame it brings to families, particularly the embarrassment caused to in-laws. The cartoon reflects contemporary anxieties about male drinking habits and their domestic consequences.