The Wasp — March 13, 1880 — page 8: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "Questions in Zoology Defend" — Parrots This page presents a satirical essay about working-class idleness, using a parrot anecdote as its framing device. The text criticizes "Sand-lot Idlers"—unemployed men gathering in public spaces—arguing they refuse honest work while expecting charity. The illustrations show a parrot and a birdcage. The parrot story illustrates the essay's central complaint: a bird taught to say "Who's there?" becomes so associated with the phrase that it refuses other commands, symbolizing workers who blame circumstances for unemployment rather than accepting available jobs. The satire targets labor's excuses, arguing that workers claiming jobs don't pay enough actually prefer idleness. The author advocates strict discipline: workers should either accept low wages or face consequences. This reflects 19th-century anti-labor sentiment blaming poverty on moral failing rather than systemic economic conditions.