The Wasp — October 25, 1879 — page 6: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis of "The Illustrated Wasp" Page 213 The central illustration, titled "EUPHRATE OF THE PAST AND YOUR FATE OF TO-DAY," depicts a skeletal or death-like figure representing Fashion, shown as a destructive force throughout history. The accompanying text argues that Fashion is humanity's enemy, a "hereditary foe" that causes people to abandon reason and nature. The article traces Fashion's tyranny from ancient times (referencing the Euphrates civilization and the "bigtry of Catharine d' Medici") through contemporary Victorian society. The satire criticizes how Fashion compels people—particularly women—to adopt absurd, uncomfortable, and unhealthy practices in pursuit of style, making them complicit in their own suffering. The piece advocates for rejecting Fashion's dictates in favor of rational dress and natural beauty.