Judge, 1924-05-24 · page 10 of 36
Judge — May 24, 1924 — page 10: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Cartoon Analysis: "The Higher Education" This satirical cartoon by John Held Jr. mocks the supposed leveling effect of college education on class distinctions. It depicts three figures representing different economic classes—a wealthy woman in furs, a working-class man, and an affluent gentleman—each wearing a "black slicker" (raincoat). The joke criticizes the notion that higher education creates economic equality. Despite attending college, students from privileged backgrounds allegedly shed their class markers (the black slicker becomes a yellow one after freshman year), only to have their parents eventually acquire the same working-class garment. The satire suggests that while education claims to equalize opportunity, actual class advantages and disadvantages persist—parents' economic status ultimately determines outcomes, not collegiate learning.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
THE HIGHER EDUCATION Relative to Practical Economics —which is replaced with a yellow slicker at the pass- ing of the first collegiate year— For example—the black slicker of the frosh Then to the male parent falls the lot of the black slicker—thus the equalization! Drawn by Joun Hein, J comicbooks.com