Life, 1896-08-13 · page 6 of 18
Life — August 13, 1896 — page 6: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis This page from *Life* magazine contains literary criticism rather than political cartoons. The main article, "A Depressing Season for Humanity," reviews H.G. Wells's *The Island of Doctor Moreau*, criticizing Wells for creating grotesque, morally unjustifiable creatures without proper literary purpose. The author argues that unlike Swift or Rabelais, Wells hasn't earned the right to depict such horrors through satire. The page also includes a brief humor piece about a judge questioning why a plaintiff can't appear in court due to a black eye—a simple joke about domestic violence presented as comedy, reflecting period attitudes. The photograph shows "At Life's Farm. The Tent"—appears to be a recreational facility or fair, unrelated to the text above it.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
116 OUR FRESH AIR FUND. VERY three dollars sends a child to Lire’s Farm fora two weeks’ outing Previously acknowled “ We offer it in pleasure's name, the Fresh Air Club's only aim" Marie Brewer... Jr. Proceeds of a kindersymphonie given at Bound Brook Meadowbrook E. B. H.. H. K. O. A. Paes C., Belmont, Mass. B.D. S UDGE: You say your husband J gave you that black eye. Then why isn't he in court to answer to the charge? THE PLAINTIFF: Sure, your honor, he can’t se: or walk. A DEPRESSING SEASON FOR HUMANITY. T takes a very big man to write a repulsive satire on humanity that shall make its point keenly, and appeal to the intellect as just in spite of what is gross or repellant. ft and Rabe- is did it, but Mr. H. G. Wells has not done it in ‘‘ The Island of Doctor Mor- cau” (Stone & Kimball). To make ani- mals into men by vivisection, and then show the first glimmerings of the reli- gious instinct in them in their fear of the man who constructed them, is a very clumsy way to preach a sermon. Probably the author rather had in mind a literary tour de force, like “Dr. Jekyll” or ** Frankenstein.” To create the effect of what is horrible and weird is, no doubt, a legitimate object of lit- erary art, as Poe has abundantly proved, But Dr. Moreau is not the man to con- vince us that he has any artistic justifi- cation, He and his creatures are as disgusting as the shambles. That sort of thing was very much better done in ‘‘ The Curse of Intellect published about a year ago and ascribed to Lord Salisbury’s daughter. * . * Satire of a very different kind per- vades Mrs. Roy Devereux's ‘* The As- cent of Woman” (Roberts Bros.), She evidently believes that Woman can be emancipated with epigrams. The Spectator recently pointed out that Beaconsfield and Bryan were both a political force—comparing the former's ‘* Peace with Honour” with the latter's ‘t Cross of Gold.” We have a suspicion that Mrs. Dever- cux's epigrams may do as much for free love as Mr. Bryan's for free silver. Here are a few of them: believers in the epigram a The woman of culture is always reluctant to give any man a lien on her soul. In the house of life there is only an attic now for Cupid instead of a great wide room. Taste is a gift of the gods, like violet eyes and a good accent. * * . ISS LILIAN BELL is also more or less dissatisfied with the way things are in this present world. She At Lire’s Farm, THE TENT.