Life, 1885-02-19 · page 10 of 16
Life — February 19, 1885 — page 10: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Life Magazine Page Analysis This page contains **theater reviews** and **satirical commentary** typical of Life's social humor. The **"How to Live on Nothing"** section mocks American authors' precarious finances. Life interviews an author earning $39 yearly from publications, then itemizes absurdly minimal expenses (lodging $5, food $21.65, cigars $33). The joke: the author claims comfort while admitting he survives only because people lend him money—satirizing both the author's delusion and publishers' exploitation of writers. The **Washington Monument section** is backhanded praise disguised as flattery. Life sarcastically calls it a "marvel of beauty" with "graceful outlines," then undermines this by suggesting it was commissioned casually by a Western congressman ("M.C.") who simply ordered "one of them kind" enlarged repeatedly. The satire targets American artistic pretension and rushed monumentalism—implying the nation values scale over genuine aesthetic achievement. Both pieces exemplify Life's trademark: puncturing American self-regard through exaggeration and ironic compliment.
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Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
eae APHIS ICTOR DURAND bas been, withdrawn at Wallack’s to give place to Mr. Stephenson's Comedy, Impulse. . . . R. LAWRENCE BARRETT gave a most finished performance last week, at the Star Theatre, of Robert Browning’s tragedy, Blot In the 'Scutcheon.” He was well supported by Misses Allen and Wainwright, whose acting contributed rather more to the success of the performance than Mr. Barrett himself, whose labored style of acting made the character of a more freezing disposition than the author intended. The afterpiece “ The King’s Pleasure,” adapted by Mr. Thompson from De Banville’s comedy, .“ Gringoire,” was well sustained throughout, Mr. Barrett and Mr. James pre- senting the strolling poet and whimsical king most effectively. HOW TO LIVE ON NOTHING. ECOME an American author, The American author luxuriates in a privilege accorded to nooneelse. First, the government gives him the right to own his own works for a short period. ‘Then it practically takes away that right, by leaving him to compete with thousands of pirated foreign books which are not allowed to be property here. One‘of these favored beings has been interviewed by LIFE, and says that he has solved the problem of cheap living. ‘ My in- come,” he states, “is derived mainly from my published vol- in number. hey bring me in from $6 to $7 a year, This sum I divide as follows: umes, si each, Average yearly incomie........+ Annual expenses: Lodging Clothing .. Boot-blacks..... eee 25 Cigars ....... 33 Soda water. 15 R. R. and car fares. a 60 Toothpicks....... — 02 Clubs and extras........065 3 98 $39 00 $39 00 Thus you see that I not only subsist, but enjoy many little comforts. I write about one book a year, which increases my income by $6 or $7 every time.” . “Why, then,” asked Lire, “should the American author complain ?” “He should n't,” was the answer. “It is the people who have to lend him money who should complain.” $39 co $s 00 THE WASHINGTON MONUMENT. HO can say now that we are not an artistic people? This monument, like the music of the future, will not be readily understood by the masses, but its graceful out- lines and seductive proportions appeal to every heart. To the architects, if there were any, we offer our heartiest congratu- lations. If, on the other hand, some Western M. C. simply requested a manufacturer of memorial shafts to give him “ one of them kind,” only several hundred times enlarged, why these congratulations would naturally belong to the M.C. In our minds, this monument is a marvel of beauty. The design throughout shows the hand of anartist. Although a trifle too tropical in its style, perhaps, for our more Northern tastes, we can not resist the intoxication of its sensuous outlines, and the magnificence of its ornament. In originality it surpasses the wildest dreams of the most visionary enthusiast. He wasa bold man who designed it; not so much in his con- ception asin showing himself after his design was carried out. In some South American countries they use eggs for cut- rency, which may account for the large amount of bad cur- rency in circulation there. comicbooks.com