The Wasp — 1889 — page 230: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page contains humorous advice columns and satirical commentary rather than political cartoons. The illustrations show domestic scenes depicting social awkwardness—a man struggling with a woman's bustle (a framework under skirts), and a man receiving "private sympathy" after losing something. The humor targets Victorian-era social conventions: a correspondent asks how to discreetly tell a woman her bustled dress shows through her outer layer; another discusses a missing sock from laundry; a third provides advice on addressing servants who've made mistakes. The "Answers to Correspondents" section addresses readers' questions about etiquette, lost items, and social propriety. The satire mocks the rigid formality and social anxieties of upper-middle-class Victorian society, particularly around clothing, domestic help, and proper behavior.