Life — December 14, 1893 — page 9: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis This is a satirical illustration from *Life* magazine titled "Who Worry Oldish Millionaires" with a subtitle about wives entertaining their husbands. The cartoon depicts a wealthy, middle-aged man in formal attire (black suit and bow tie) sitting in what appears to be a study or library, reading. The detailed cross-hatching and interior setting suggest affluence and leisure. The satire targets wealthy older men and their wives. The humor appears to rest on the idea that wives of rich men must devise entertainments to occupy their husbands' time — mocking both the idle leisure of the wealthy class and suggesting that even marriage cannot hold such men's attention without deliberate effort from their spouses. The title's deliberate misspelling ("Worry" instead of "Wary") is characteristic of *Life*'s satirical wordplay.