Life, 1883-02-22 · page 8 of 16
Life — February 22, 1883 — page 8: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of Life Magazine Page 90 (February 22nd) This page depicts a well-known American legend reimagined as satire. A young boy (labeled "a certain Boy") confesses to his father that he cut down a cherry tree with his "little hatchet." The father figure responds with surprise and anger, warning the boy he's "barred from all retreat." This satirizes the famous (likely apocryphal) story of young George Washington confessing to his father about cutting down a cherry tree—a tale traditionally used to illustrate honesty and virtue. The satire inverts this moral lesson: instead of praising the boy's honesty, the father threatens punishment, suggesting the real lesson is fear of consequences rather than moral principle. The cartoon mocks how this founding myth sanitizes American values.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
A Certain Bey being qusstioned as te “a ey cs had cut dowxz « feverité ~ Cherry tree , replied ee ; Fother [ Cannot tell « Wie [did it with my Tittle Borcher °? FEBRUARY 22nd. AMAZED STANDS BUSHROD TO BEHOLD But SEE HOW GEORGE, UNUSED TO LIES His CHERRY TREE TRUNCATED. AND BARRED FROM ALL RETREAT, ACTS. His LANGUAGE :—WERE YOU EVER TOLD “ FATHER, IT WAS YOUR SON,” HE CRIES; How IT WAS PUNCTUATED ? “T DONE IT WITH MY MEAT AXE.” comicbooks.com