Judge — August 1935 — page 6: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis of Judge Cartoon Page This cartoon satirizes economic conditions following the National Recovery Administration (NRA), a New Deal program (1933-1935). The caption reads: "Junior got his old job back after the NRA went out." The image shows a tenement building with residents in windows overlooking a street scene. A small child carries a toolbox or lunch pail, apparently returning to child labor work. The satire critiques the NRA's collapse by suggesting that without its protections, vulnerable workers—specifically children—were forced back into exploitative labor conditions. The cartoon reflects contemporary anxieties about the Depression era and debates over New Deal effectiveness. It uses dark humor to highlight social consequences of losing Depression-era worker protections, particularly the vulnerability of child laborers.