The Wasp — 1879 — page 294: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page contains letters to the editor rather than a political cartoon. The content includes correspondence addressing social issues of the era: One letter discusses corpse-snatching and medical cadaver acquisition—a real Victorian concern about bodies being stolen for anatomy schools. Another critiques wealthy people's charitable pretenses while ignoring poor communities. The letters touch on marriage customs, inheritance disputes, and class hypocrisy. There's reference to "the Wasp of August" satirizing how the wealthy exploit the poor while claiming benevolence. The text also includes Shakespeare quotations, suggesting *The Wasp* engaged educated readers familiar with classical literature. The overall tone is satirical social commentary targeting Victorian-era class inequalities and institutional abuses presented through reader correspondence rather than illustration.