The Wasp — 1879 — page 688: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

The main illustration shows a young child eating from a plate, likely depicting a commentary on child labor or working-class poverty. The surrounding text discusses bakers working on Sundays and labor practices, suggesting the image relates to working conditions and exploitation of poor families. The article argues that enforcing Sunday rest for bakers would be beneficial, as it would gradually normalize the practice. It criticizes how "journeyman bakers" and poor families rely on Sunday work for survival, and suggests that once the rule is established, it will become accepted practice—comparing this to how governments are "modifying the stringency of their laws." The child's direct engagement with food appears designed to evoke sympathy for working-class families affected by labor regulations and economic hardship.