The Wasp — 1881 — page 72: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page contains two satirical cartoons and accompanying text commentary. **Top Left Cartoon** ("You must really ask papa!"): Shows a man in a top hat gesturing toward a seated woman, apparently depicting a social interaction about seeking paternal permission—likely satirizing Victorian courtship conventions where women required father's consent. **Top Right Cartoon** ("Coming events cast their shadows before"): Depicts multiple figures in an interior, seemingly illustrating premonitions or future consequences of present actions. **Text Content**: Includes a poem titled "All the World's a Fraud" (attributed to Shakespeare, with editorial modification), cynically describing human nature and social hypocrisy. Below this is discussion of California Senate composition and Senator Chase's nomination of Harry George for U.S. Senator, critiquing political patronage and character. The page satirizes Victorian social conventions, human dishonesty, and political corruption.