Life — June 22, 1893 — page 9: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis This page from *Life* magazine features an illustration titled "A Resting Question" with the subtitle "Who Gets the Garden and the Man Gets Out?" The cartoon depicts anthropomorphized rats and mice wearing hats and formal clothing in a garden setting. The animals appear to be occupying a human space—specifically a garden—while a human figure is visible in the background, seemingly displaced or evicted. The satire appears to comment on **pest infestation and property control**, suggesting a humorous inversion where rodents have taken over a cultivated garden space, forcing out the human owner. This likely reflects contemporary concerns about urban or suburban pest problems, presenting the absurd scenario where unwanted animals claim dominion over human property. The "resting question" sarcastically asks whose space this actually is.