Life — September 9, 1897 — page 11: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis This cartoon depicts a social interaction between two men and appears to illustrate employer-employee dynamics, as indicated by the caption "AN EMPLOYER." The figure on the left wears a hat and formal attire suggesting middle-class or working-class status, while the man on the right—identified as the employer—wears a suit and holds what appears to be a hat or document. A woman in the background observes the interaction. The satire likely comments on the power imbalance between employers and workers during the early 20th century. The specific nature of their conversation remains unclear from the image alone, but the composition suggests commentary on workplace authority, labor relations, or employment conditions—common themes in *Life* magazine's social criticism of this era.