The Wasp — 1895 — page 8: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis of "The Wasp," January 5, 1895 This satirical cartoon depicts two figures on what appears to be an Oakland Ferry dock, with sailboats visible in the background. The caption reads "MOONLIGHT CONFIDENCES ON THE OAKLAND FERRY" with dialogue: "HE—Do you believe in such a thing as love at first sight? / SHE—Certainly. A hasty glance does not discover imperfections." The joke satirizes romantic idealization and courtship deception. The woman's response suggests that quick, superficial attraction succeeds *because* it prevents scrutiny of flaws. This commentary reflects late-19th-century social attitudes about marriage and gender relations, mocking the notion that romantic love can overcome practical judgment. The ferry setting—a public transit space—adds irony to this supposedly intimate "moonlight" encounter.