Judge, 1925-09-26 · page 3 of 37
Judge — September 26, 1925 — page 3: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of Judge Page: "Life Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness" This page contains three separate pieces of social commentary: **"The Floorwalker"** satirizes workplace dignity—a department store employee maintains self-respect despite humble work. **"A Matter of Life and Death"** mocks bureaucratic indifference: an insurance company denies a policyholder's urgent request to see his case file, claiming business is too pressing. The irony is that life-and-death matters are reduced to procedural obstacles. **"Progress"** critiques modern psychology, suggesting society has traded genuine confidence for neurotic "inhibition" and "repression"—framing psychological concepts as fashionable weaknesses rather than progress. The illustration depicts women gossiping, with the caption "Psst! It's a great life if you weaken!"—reinforcing the theme that modern society encourages vulnerability disguised as sophistication.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
‘*LIFE LIBERTY AND THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS’? The Floorwalker DO NOT wear a cutaway, Nor do I bow and scrape To ladies anxious to exchange, A yard of wool or crepe. I do not jump when salesgirls call “Please, come here Mr. Snore,” In fact I do not even work, At a department store. But I’m a floorwalker just the same Since our darling little baby came. George Bancroft Duren JUDGE A Matter of Life and Death FICE BOY (firmly)—The boss says he can’t see you to-day; he’s very busy. Caller—But I must see him; tell him this is a matter of life and death. (The boy disappears. He returns several moments later with the announcement that the interview has been granted. Immediately the life insurance solicitor—for that is what the caller is—picks up his brief case and enters the inner office. R. C. O'Brien Progress It used to be conceit, but now it’s ego. From anger we have changed to temperament; We get a little fancier as we grow Conversant with each psych-ex- periment. Timidity we now call inhibition, And murder is a psychopathic case; Repression, an inferior condition— Three cheers for the neurotic hu- man race. “Pssst! It’s a great life if you weaken!” comicbooks.com