The Wasp — January 17, 1880 — page 4: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis of "The Illustrated Wasp" Page 403 This page is primarily a satirical essay about lawyers and the legal profession, illustrated with symbolic engravings rather than political cartoons. The text mocks lawyers as "sharks," criticizing their adversarial nature and willingness to twist law for profit. The illustrations support this theme: Lady Justice holding scales, robed figures in conflict (representing opposing counsel), and crucially, actual sharks and fish at the bottom—visual puns equating lawyers with predatory sea creatures. The essay argues lawyers create unnecessary complexity, manufacture disputes, and prioritize winning over justice. References to historical figures (Plato, Adam, Moses) suggest this is a timeless human problem. This is social satire targeting the legal profession's perceived greed and moral flexibility—a recurring theme in 19th-century American humor magazines.