The Wasp — 1895 — page 912: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page is primarily **advertising**, featuring steamship lines, whiskey, wines, typewriters, and patent services typical of 1895-96 San Francisco commerce. The central cartoon, titled **"The Monster,"** depicts a couple in conversation. The woman says: "I utterly refuse your proposition of marriage! I do not make myself plain?" The man replies: "Nature has forestalled you." The joke appears to be a **harsh critique of the woman's appearance**—suggesting she's so physically unattractive ("plain") that nature itself has already rejected her as marriageable material. This reflects period attitudes about women's value being tied to conventional beauty standards. The "monster" label likely refers to her perceived unattractiveness rather than any literal deformity, making it a mean-spirited personal insult masquerading as humor.