Judge — September 20, 1919 — page 3: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "Twenty Below" - Judge Magazine, September 20, 1919 This cartoon satirizes educational aspirations and class anxiety in post-WWI America. A well-dressed man in a top hat converses with a woman on what appears to be a ship or observation deck overlooking New York's harbor and skyline. The caption's joke relies on a crude pun: the mother is "encouraged about his education" because he obtained a degree, but the man quips that "if he gets a few more he'll be nearly up to zero"—meaning additional degrees won't improve his worthless prospects or character. The satire targets educated but unemployed or underemployed young men of the era, mocking the assumption that formal education guarantees social or financial success. The gentleman's formal attire underscores the irony.