The Wasp — 1895 — page 820: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This cartoon satirizes class pretension and social climbing. It depicts a fashionably dressed woman ("Miss Mumbles") confronting a man in a carriage drawn by an exhausted horse. The dialogue reveals her snobbish behavior: she claims not to recognize an old acquaintance, suggesting she's adopted superior airs due to newfound wealth or social status. The satire targets the nouveau riche—people who, having gained money, immediately distance themselves from their former social circle and inferiors. The carriage (symbol of prosperity) contrasts with the woman's coldness, mocking how "prosperity spoils" character by breeding arrogance and social climbing. It's commentary on American materialism and the corrupting effects of sudden wealth on personal integrity and loyalty.