The Wasp — 1878 — page 333: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This six-panel satirical narrative depicts a class-based social commentary. Mr. Muggins, apparently a wealthy gentleman, mistreats his dog Growler by refusing him shelter or basic care—initially not even noticing the dog exists, then denying him a collar for protection. The satire shows Muggins's moral hypocrisy: he lectures Growler about concealing "real sentiments" (panel 3), implying social pretense, while actively abusing the animal. Growler's suffering—three hours shivering, forced to retrieve rocks from a river—continues throughout. The final panel's "reconciliation by moonlight" appears ironic rather than genuine, suggesting that cruelty masked by sentimentality remains unchanged. The cartoon likely critiques wealthy Victorian society's callousness toward those dependent on them, whether servants, animals, or the poor.