Judge — May 20, 1922 — page 14: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This cartoon depicts an adult and child in what appears to be a domestic scene near a tree and building. The dialogue suggests the adult has physically disciplined the child ("that licking I gave you"), and the child responds by offering the exhausted adult a place to sit and recover. The satire critiques corporal punishment as a disciplinary practice. By showing the adult more exhausted from administering the beating than the child is from receiving it, the cartoon mockingly illustrates the absurdity and inefficiency of physical punishment. The child's patient, almost sympathetic response—offering rest—adds ironic commentary: the punishment has harmed only the punisher's stamina, not achieved any meaningful correction. This reflects late 19th/early 20th-century debates about child-rearing methods and the growing criticism of excessive physical discipline.