Life — November 21, 1889 — page 3: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis This *Life* magazine page contains two illustrations addressing the scarcity of men during an unspecified period (likely WWI era, given the context). **Top illustration:** A Thanksgiving scene with turkeys and pilgrims, labeled "THANKSGIVING." **Bottom illustration:** Two women in conversation. The caption reads: "We were at the Van Twinkler's ball last evening. It was delightful, but there were very few men. I'm not surprised. My husband says that men are very scarce among the four hundred." **The satire:** The joke targets wealthy society women of the "Four Hundred" (New York's elite social class). While the country faces a genuine shortage of men, these privileged women treat male scarcity as merely an inconvenience at their social balls—oblivious to or indifferent toward larger societal consequences. The humor derives from their self-centered perspective on a serious national issue.