The Wasp — 1878 — page 400: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page contains miscellaneous satirical content rather than a unified political cartoon. The header illustration shows two figures at a desk labeled "Answer to Correspondents," depicting the magazine's advice column. The bulk of the page consists of satirical anecdotes and jokes mocking various social types: a pompous man named John Scott who affects gentility despite his working-class origins; a small man (possibly a prisoner) who receives patronizing legal advice; and military figures discussing etiquette and rank. The pieces satirize class pretension, legal absurdity, and military pomposity through humor rather than visual caricature. Without additional context about specific 1880s-90s figures or events referenced, the satire targets universal human foibles—social climbing, bureaucratic pedantry, and institutional rigidity—rather than particular political controversies.