Judge, 1920-05-01 · page 7 of 36
Judge — May 1, 1920 — page 7: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of Judge Cartoon: "Mother You Shall Not See!" This is a humorous dialogue between a father (Popp) and son (George) where the son repeatedly guesses increasingly scandalous confessions—writing obscene books, coughing in theaters, disagreeing with notable figures like Rupert Hughes or Sir Oliver Lodge, praising singers, smoking tobacco. The punchline reveals Popp is an escaped convict wearing prison clothes. Rather than being scandalized, George emotionally embraces him as "My father!—A felon!" and dramatically declares his mother must never learn the truth. **The satire:** This mocks early 20th-century social hypocrisy and inverted values—the son considers artistic/intellectual disagreements and tobacco use more shameful than harboring a fugitive criminal. It satirizes how middle-class respectability obsesses over trivial social transgressions while overlooking actual moral failings. The title's reference to the mother suggests concerns about maintaining appearances for women, particularly wives.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Popp—-Worse than that! Grorce—Worse? You frighten me, Dad! You fill my mind with fearful imaginings. I may do you a dreadful injusti Father dear—if you don’t say what it is. Can’t you see? Ter- rible conjectures! What is it that preys on your mind? What has it to do with? Have you—written an obscene book? Popp— Worse! Georce—You mean you have written an obscene book and they didn’t suppress it? no—not that! Did you—no, no! y it, son. Did you cough in a theater? Popp— Worse even than that! Grorce—I am going mad! Have you been chairman of an entertainment committee? Popp— Not that! Grorce—Did you say you didn’t like Arthur Hopkins’s overhead lighting in the theater? Popp— My son! Grorce—Forgive me, Dad. But if you won't tell me what am I to do but guess the most awful things? Did you disagree with Rupert Hughes about Sir Oliver Lodge? I won't insult you that way! aii \ Popp—It was even more terrible than that! Don’t Don’t you see how I am suifering? Grorce—You leave me no other course, Dad—I must know. If I am to forgive I must know what it is. Popp— You will never forgive—nor will your mother—— Grorce—There is nothing we cannot forgive. Mother and I are Christians! Did you—don’t tell me that you praised one singer to another? Popp—No. I’m too cowardly to do that. Grorce—Father! There is one more guess I will hazard— but I know it can’t be! I ask your forgiveness for thinking it— but you leave me no choice. Did you smoke tobacco? Popp—No, son. You know there has been no tobacco for over two years. No. It was even more awful than that! (He rises, takes a step aside and throws open his overcoat and bows his head in shame. He has on prison clothes) Georce—Father! Prison clothes! What have you done? Popp—I am an escaped convict! Grorce—(Crossing to him—looking him over, then clasping him to his bosom) My father!—A felon! Poor old Dad! (He pushes him down in the chair again) Now, tell me! Popp—Isn’t this enough? Your father a felon! why I must go— You see “Mortner You Suatt Nor See!”