Life, 1896-12-24 · page 17 of 20
Life — December 24, 1896 — page 17: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This cartoon satirizes British colonial occupation of Egypt. Two figures stand in a desert setting with palm trees: a robed Egyptian man demands his house back in the name of Allah, while a British soldier (identifiable by his pith helmet and uniform) refuses, claiming he'll "always occupy it to protect it for you." The satire targets the paternalistic justification British imperialism used for occupying Egypt—the claim that occupation was for the natives' own protection and benefit, not exploitation or conquest. The cartoon mocks this rhetoric by showing the absurdity: the Egyptian's legitimate property claim is dismissed with a patronizing assertion of permanent occupation disguised as guardianship. The attribution to *Petit Journal pour Rire* (a French satirical publication) suggests this reflects wider European criticism of British imperialism during a period of active colonial tensions.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
*LIFE- ARMOUR'S EXTRACT OF BEEF- INSTANTANEOUS \ “I'm so glad you remembered to bring a jar of 5 CHOCOLATE. ‘aste, 9, og fe Extract o BEEF . We're sure ‘to want it wherever we go.” ? (Overheard on “the Limited.”) ‘ Pre-eminently tho best Pianos mado; ex- ported to and sold in all art centres of tho globe, and endorsed and preferred for private and public use by tho greatest artiste and ectentista. Illustrated Catalogues mailed free upon application. STEINWAY & SONS, 107-111 E. 14th St, NEW YORK. UPHELD BY BEAUTIFUL WOM EVERYWHERE eiicie “hertamea. and Pureat Tolle Soap maa Facturea. Always ask for and Insist upon having“*No.4711"" « WHITE ROSE GLYCERINE SOAP. NewYork.U.S.Arents INCOMPARABLE FOR ITS GREAT. CREAMY LUXURIOUS LATHER ON THE BORDERS OF THE NILE. “IN THE NAME OF ALLAH, GIVE ME BACK MY HOUSE!” ‘fOH, NOL 1 SHALL ALWAYS OCCUPY IT TO PROTECT IT FOR You.” —Petit Journal pour Rire. comicbooks.com