Judge — December 1, 1917 — page 7: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This cartoon satirizes the home-front activities of World War I. The scene depicts a knitting circle, where women gathered to produce military supplies (socks, sweaters, etc.). The "knitter" (the woman in the hat) instructs her husband—a soldier in uniform—to return home promptly after his military drill, rather than socializing afterward. The humor inverts traditional gender roles: the wife commands the husband as if *she* is the military authority figure, while he must obey domestic orders. This reflects the broader WWI-era social shift where women took on public responsibilities (war work, knitting circles) while men served militarily. The satire gently mocks both the domestic bosses on the home front and the soldiers' obligations to obey orders—whether from officers or wives.