The Wasp — 1877 — page 271: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page satirizes Darwin's theory of evolution through three progressive transformation sequences. The top row humorously depicts "How to make an Elephant out of a Fly"—showing a fly gradually enlarging into an elephant. The middle section parodies "From a Bootjack to a Shoemaker," transforming an inanimate boot-pulling tool into a human figure. The bottom sequence shows "From a Goose to a Woman," morphing a bird into a fully formed woman. The cartoons mock evolutionary theory by suggesting absurd, impossible transformations—implying that Darwin's claims about species evolving are similarly ridiculous. This reflects late-19th-century skepticism toward evolution among certain American audiences. The satirist uses visual exaggeration to ridicule the scientific concept as illogical and offensive, particularly the goose-to-woman sequence.