The Wasp — 1921 — page 16: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This appears to be a dramatic dialogue scene rather than a political cartoon. It depicts a conversation between a General and Irma Melipoff, a woman fleeing from Litova during civil unrest following the Czar's death. The scene references the Russian Revolution and its violent aftermath. Melipoff describes riots and killings in the streets, and reveals she escaped in a droshky (Russian carriage) after the driver was shot dead. She sought refuge at this location. The satire's target is unclear from this page alone, though it may critique either Russian instability or American responses to Russian refugees. The dramatic staging suggests the publication was using this contemporary geopolitical crisis for entertainment purposes.