The Wasp — 1879 — page 579: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This satirical cartoon depicts a bearded man (likely a political or public figure) wielding a pen or writing implement, surrounded by fallen figures and scattered papers. The composition suggests chaos resulting from inflammatory speech or writing. The title "The Result of Insolence—The Corrosion of Tongues" indicates this critiques someone whose words have caused damage or destruction. The fallen bodies and disarray suggest consequences of verbal excess or reckless rhetoric. The prominent writer figure appears responsible for this wreckage. Without clearer context or date from *The Wasp*, I cannot identify the specific figure or incident referenced. However, the cartoon satirizes how powerful speech—whether political, journalistic, or personal—can have serious destructive consequences, presenting insolence and loose tongues as literally corrosive forces in society.