Life, 1889-06-20 · page 1 of 18
Life — June 20, 1889 — page 1: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# "Different Views of an Ideal" - Life Magazine, June 20, 1889 This satirical cartoon illustrates a gender conflict about marriage expectations. A woman (left) and man (center) discuss what qualities an ideal husband should possess. The woman insists her future husband must not refuse her and must embody knightly virtues—honor, courage, and moral excellence. The man counters dismissively: "That's all right, my dear. I'll introduce you to my brother, who is studying for the ministry. Just the fellow you want. He is the fool of the family." The joke targets late 19th-century courtship ideals, mocking both the woman's romantic expectations of masculine virtue and the man's cynical suggestion that only a naive, religious fool would meet such standards. It satirizes the gap between women's marriage hopes and men's practical skepticism.
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Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
3 SJUNE 20, 1889. , NUMBER 338. Biteted at the New York Post Ofte as Second-Class Mail Matter, . Copyright, 188), by Min@gett & Minter. prehicanys LE SVM. DIFFERENT VIEWS OF AN IDEAL. She: YOU MUST NOT THINK ME FICKLE FOR REFUSING YOU, BUT THE MAN I MARRY MUST COME UP TO MY IDEAL, HE MUST HAVE ALL THE VIRTUES OF A KNIGHT-ERRANT. He: THAT'S ALL RIGHT, MY. DEAR. I'LL INTRODUCE YOU TO MY BROTHER, WHO IS STUDYING FOR THE MINISTRY, JUST THE FELLOW YOU WANT. HE IS THE FOOL OF THE FAMILY.