Life — October 27, 1892 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "The New Departure" — Life Magazine, October 27, 1892 This cartoon satirizes a father-daughter conversation about marriage. The dialogue reads: **Her Father:** "I believe you wish to speak to me about marrying my daughter?" **Her Suitor:** "Yes—what are your habits, sir? And I also wished to inquire concerning the amount of money you have each year, and to ask if you think you can make her happy." The satire inverts traditional courtship protocol. Normally, a suitor would be questioned about *his* finances and character. Here, the young man audaciously interrogates the *father* about these matters—implying he's evaluating whether the bride's family can adequately support him financially. This "new departure" mocks emerging attitudes about mercenary marriages and shifting gender dynamics in the 1890s, where financial considerations increasingly dominated matrimonial arrangements.