The Wasp — 1879 — page 144: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page presents a French theatrical play adaptation published in *The Illustrated Wasp*. The content is primarily dramatic—a three-act play featuring characters like Michel (a wealthy burgmaster), Hannes, Nicol, and Lena. The satirical angle appears to involve ethnic and religious stereotyping. The title references a Polish Jewish character ("La Juif Polonaise" = "The Polish Jewess"), and the dramatis personae suggest class-based humor involving servants, villagers, and social hierarchies typical of 19th-century satirical theater. Without additional historical context about the specific French source play or *The Wasp's* editorial stance, the precise political critique remains unclear, though the work likely relies on period stereotypes about Jewish characters and Eastern European settings for comedic effect.