The Wasp — 1888 — page 212: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This cartoon from *The Wasp* (March 17, 1888) depicts a ghostly, bearded figure in religious robes pointing downward from above, while a woman kneels below in apparent distress or submission. The title suggests a deceased person's continued influence over the living. The specific identity of the figures remains unclear from the image alone—the robed figure appears to be a religious authority or historical leader, and the kneeling woman likely represents a person, group, or nation under his posthumous control. Without additional context about 1888 San Francisco politics or recent deaths of prominent religious figures, the precise satirical target cannot be definitively determined. The cartoon critiques how a dead person's ideology or legacy continues shaping behavior and decisions among the living.