Judge — November 2, 1918 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "Seeing Things" - Judge, November 2, 1918 This political cartoon by Charles Sarka depicts a soldier experiencing what appears to be a hallucinatory or delirious vision. The prone figure sees military symbols and weaponry floating above—including rifles, bayonets, bullets, bombs, and various national emblems (YMCA, Salvation Army, Liberty Bonds insignia). Published just days before WWI's armistice (November 11, 1918), the cartoon likely satirizes the psychological toll of combat on soldiers returning from the front. The "seeing things" title suggests shell shock or war trauma—a condition soldiers experienced but society wasn't yet equipped to acknowledge or treat. The surreal imagery of floating weapons and patriotic symbols reflects the disconnect between civilian wartime propaganda and soldiers' lived horror.