Life — May 31, 1894 — page 9: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis This illustration shows two figures seated at a dining table with candles and place settings, depicting an intimate dinner scene. The dialogue below reveals the satire: **"Why don't you propose to some nice girl?"** **"I've done that twelve times already."** **"Well, why not once more?"** **"I'm superstitious about thirteens."** The joke plays on the superstition surrounding the number thirteen—the man has been rejected twelve times in marriage proposals and refuses to try a thirteenth time, fearing bad luck. The satire mocks male persistence in courtship and the absurdity of attributing repeated romantic failure to superstition rather than addressing actual character flaws or compatibility issues. It's a commentary on both courtship customs of the era and irrational reasoning masking deeper problems.