Life, 1893-07-06 · page 12 of 18
Life — July 6, 1893 — page 12: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Life Magazine Satire Analysis This page contains two separate satirical pieces mocking upper-middle-class social pretensions of the era. **Top cartoon ("Rather One Sided"):** A woman questions why her fiancé George was surprised when he proposed, claiming "everybody else was." The joke satirizes shallow courtship—she's apparently so socially prominent and sought-after that his proposal should have been expected, yet his surprise suggests he knows something about her character that makes the engagement itself surprising to others. **Bottom story and cartoon:** A tramp complains to a little girl about being served only chicken and asparagus at wealthy summer homes where he's begged. He yearns for simple food like beef or salad. This mocks the pretentiousness of affluent vacation destinations (Bar Harbor, Asbury Park—mentioned above) where even charity food follows fashionable menus rather than providing genuine nourishment. The satire targets both the giddiness of wealthy women seeking "awfully swell places" and the artificial refinement that characterizes their leisure pursuits, contrasted with real human need.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
* WEREN'T YOU SURPRISED WHEN HE PROPOSED?” ‘EVERYBODY ELSE Was,” 0. WHY SHOULD I BE?” RATHER ONE SIDED. HEN you leave Brooklyn for the summer you should go to some quiet little place, where you n have a good long re: said George Holdington to his fiancée. “Oh, I don’t want to rest; pouted Esther. “Haven't you had fun enough this winter? I’m sure you n't we belonged to the Clas- son Avenue German, and the Hanson Place Bowling Club ? I want to have some fun;” must be nearly worn out. Hz And we've gone to the theatre once a week, and then we've had our choir rehearsal, and every Wednesday night you had at the Young Women's Christian Associa- ides all the Progr your sewing ¢ tion, bi reading and lectures we ‘ve been to. essive Euchre parties and Authors’ 1 should think that was enough for any girl.” “Pooh!” observed Esther. “Those things were wel! enough while they lasted, but I’m going in for a really good time now. I want to go to some awfully swell place, lik Bar Harbor or Asbury Park.” “I'm afraid you are a little inclined to be giddy ;" Tramp: LITTLE GIRL, 18 THERE ANY COTTAGE AROUND HERE WHERE [CAN GET A PLATEFUL OF ANYTHING BESIDE CHICKEN AND ASPARKOWGRASS 2? FOR THE LAST WEEK I'VE HAD NOTHIN’ BUT ASPARROWGRASS AN’ CHICKEN ; CHICKEN AN’ ASPARROWGRASS. IF YOU COULD ONLY TELL ME WHERE I COULD STRIKE A PLATE OF GOOD, OLD FASHIONED BEEF, OR EVEN A SIMPLE SALAD, UD BLESS you! comicbooks.com