Life, 1888-08-23 · page 5 of 14
Life — August 23, 1888 — page 5: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# "Nobody Fooled" - Life Magazine Satire This page satirizes a marriage proposal scenario. The headline "Nobody Fooled" introduces a man's complaint about a woman who has already entangled him into marriage plans for October while he's still "engaged" elsewhere. The illustration shows a social scene where a young woman (left, standing) appears to be part of a couple's picnic or outing. The satirical point targets the woman's manipulation: she's using a parasol and companion as cover for her romantic scheming, leading the man toward matrimony against his will. The satire mocks both the predictability of courtship rituals and the woman's calculated tactics to secure marriage. The man considers this "low sort of business" for someone allegedly seeking fun rather than marriage—exposing the hypocrisy of Victorian-era romantic conventions.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
NOBODY FOOLED. What the girl with the parasol and her companion are thinking: IT'S AWFULLY MEAN TO LEAD HIM ON SO WHEN I AM ALREADY ENGAGED; RUT IT 7s SUCH FUN! What he thinks; Tis 18 A LOW SORT OF BUSINESS FOR A MAN WHO'S TO BE MARRIED ix OcToBeR. THEY ARE NO END OF SPORT, THOUGH, AND I COULD HAVE EITHER OF THEM FOR THE ASKING. comicbooks.com