Judge — December 16, 1911 — page 14: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This cartoon satirizes marriage and divorce through overheard gossip between two women on a couch. One woman (in light dress) tells another (in dark dress) about her husband's optimism regarding automobiles becoming universal. When asked his business, she reveals he's a divorce lawyer. The joke works on multiple levels: the husband's prediction about universal automobile ownership is presented as naïve optimism, while his actual profession (divorce lawyer) implies he profits from marital dissolution. The satire suggests that increased mobility from automobiles will lead to more infidelity and divorces—a cynical but contemporary concern about how new technology disrupts traditional family structures. The elaborate Art Nouveau furniture and fashionable dress indicate this targets upper-class readers.