The Wasp — 1891 — page 113: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This satirical comic strip depicts a child repeatedly attempting to cross a barbed wire fence, encountering escalating consequences. The title puns on "barb" (sharp criticism) and "barb-rous" (barbarous). The comic appears to be social commentary on immigration or border control, with the fence representing a barrier and the child representing vulnerable people attempting to cross it. Each panel shows different painful or humiliating outcomes—slipping under, crawling through, or getting caught—suggesting the impossible situation faced by those trying to circumvent restrictions. The final caption "OR YOU MIGHT AS WELL GO TO THE DOGS!" implies complete degradation, reinforcing the critique that such policies reduce people to desperation or dehumanization. The specific historical context remains unclear without additional publication information.