Life, 1883-03-22 · page 8 of 16
Life — March 22, 1883 — page 8: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# "What They Do Not Say" - Life Magazine Satire This illustration satirizes courtship and marriage negotiations among the wealthy. The title reveals the cartoon's point: what remains *unspoken* during romantic proposals. The man (in formal dress) and woman (elaborately gowned) appear to be in a betrothal scene. The accompanying dialogue makes the satire explicit: the man speaks of love while subtly emphasizing the woman's father's wealth as essential to their marriage. The woman's response acknowledges she attracts "many men that most of them hate," suggesting she knows her value lies in wealth rather than genuine affection. The cartoon mocks how upper-class engagements mask mercenary motives behind flowery romantic language. The cherubs decorating the frame add ironic contrast to this cynical view of love and marriage among society's elite.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
WHAT THEY YOUR FATHER MUST BE WORTH AT LEAST A MIL- LION, AND YOU WOULD ENABLE ME TO GO THROUGF LIFE § I COULD NEVER HOPE FOR WITHOUT YOU, I po Nov LOVE YoU, IT IS TRUE, BUT—ONE CANNOT EXPECT EVERYTHING. SO LET US MARRY. IF YOUR FATHER FAILS I CAN CRAWL OUT OF IT SOMEHOW. DO NOT SAY. She: Very wWetL! You Witt NEVER AMOUNT TO ANYTHING, BUT YOU ARE GOOD ENOUGH AS FAR AS YOU GO. I HAVE TRIFLED WITH SO MANY MEN THAT MOST OF THEM HATE MEF, AND I MAY NOT GET A BETTER OFFER. IF I po I CAN BREAK THE ENGAGEMENT, comicbooks.com