Life — September 13, 1883 — page 8: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "The Stock Broker's" Cartoon Analysis This Life magazine cartoon satirizes stock market speculation and financial greed. The upper scene shows a well-dressed broker at his office, surrounded by luggage and market materials—suggesting he's prepared to flee quickly with profits. The lower scene depicts the consequences: a man in a boat rowing away, labeled "Permit me to see you off to the poor farm," addressing someone who appears financially ruined. The snake-like ribbon connecting the scenes reads "I'll not be cut off from the market"—indicating the broker's obsession with financial gains regardless of others' losses. The satire critiques brokers' self-interest and the human toll of stock market manipulation, where ordinary people lose everything while brokers escape with their wealth.