The Wasp — 1880 — page 234: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This cartoon depicts political candidates learning election results. The left panel shows a man (labeled as retiring at 9 a.m. after "given orders that he should not be awakened") receiving news—likely satirizing a candidate's indifference or overconfidence. The right panel shows more energetic reactions, with figures appearing startled or agitated by the results. The satire targets candidates' varying responses to electoral outcomes—contrasting studied nonchalance with panic. Without visible labels identifying specific 1880s-era candidates, the cartoon's point is generic: mocking politicians' theatrical reactions and pretended composure when facing electoral success or defeat. The exaggerated expressions emphasize the drama candidates performatively display.