The Wasp — November 15, 1879 — page 8: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis This page contains a dramatic script rather than a political cartoon. It's Act II of "Baruch Kowski, or Le Juif Polonais" (The Polish Jew), a three-act play adapted from French by Mr. Salmi Morse for *The Wasp* magazine. The script features characters including Michel (a wealthy burgmaster), Jules, and others in what appears to be a melodramatic narrative involving family conflicts, inheritance disputes, and moral dilemmas. The dialogue discusses contracts, marriages, and accusations of wrongdoing. Without seeing accompanying illustrations or knowing the broader context of *The Wasp's* satirical intent, the specific targets of any satire are unclear. The Jewish protagonist's name and Polish setting suggest possible ethnic stereotyping common to 19th-century American satire, but the exact satirical point requires additional context.