Judge, 1919-03-01 · page 13 of 32
Judge — March 1, 1919 — page 13: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# "A Social Experiment" - Satire Explanation This is the opening of a short story illustrated by Lawrence Fellows. The satire targets wealthy American social climbers of the Jazz Age era. **The Setup:** An elderly, wealthy but physically unattractive man (John Smith—sixty, short, fat, bald) marries a young, attractive chorus girl (Henrietta Dainty, twenty-two) who exploits his promise to grant her any wish. She immediately demands a Fifth Avenue mansion. **The Social Satire:** The text mocks "new money" ambition—Smith acquired his wealth but lacks social standing. Even prestigious Fifth Avenue addresses are purchased second-hand from other newly-rich people unable to convince "Wall Street" residents of their financial legitimacy. The house itself, decorated by "architects, interior experts, artists and collectors," is clearly a status symbol rather than a home. **The Joke:** The illustration shows Mrs. Smith posing for a "Smart Manners" photographer at the beach—she's performing social respectability while wearing a bold, attention-getting bathing suit. The caption and story suggest her real goal isn't domestic happiness but social acceptance, which money alone cannot buy.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
: \ \ E10 \ LFELLO Wife \ “Oxe Day ox tHe Beacn Mrs. Sautu Posrep ror A PHrorocraPHeR oF Smart Manners” A Social Experiment By J. A. Wauprox Illustration by EW persons ever get more money than they want, but John Smith, after accumulating more than any man needs, passing the better part of his life in the quest, took a notion jo marry. He fancied the appearance of Henrietta Dainty, aged twenty-two, tall, slender, graceful, with a face as guileless as that usually limned on a cherub. She was a magnet for any masculine eye, and had been popular as a member of a theatre chorus. Smith was sixty, short, fat and bald. Henrietta married Smith on his promise to do any- thing she wished, without asking for a bill of particulars. Her first desire of note was a house on Fifth Avenue. LAWRENCE Frtiows Social ambition long ago exhausted new residential possibilities on that thoroughfare, the prestige of which involves transverse streets. On one of these Smith was able to pick up a social bargain, owing to the inability of another newly-rich person to convince a sufficient number of those who mentally reside in Wall Street as to a great financial opportunity. This particular house, with all accessories and fur- nishings, had been collaborated by architects, interior experts, artists and collectors, even to the door mats, and it greatly pleased Mrs. Smith, as it would please any reasonable young woman. From the day of their wedding Mrs. Smith had advanced and reiterated her desire to get into comicbooks.com