Life, 1900-03-22 · page 6 of 20
Life — March 22, 1900 — page 6: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of Life Magazine Page 226 This page satirizes **Oliver Cromwell**, the 17th-century English military and political leader. The top illustration shows Stoker-on-Bent, where Cromwell was allegedly jailed as a boy for fighting a neighbor. The main article presents Cromwell's first-person voice, where he claims he'll do "anything"—break laws, read seditious material, even become Vice-President—to achieve his goals. He defends his youthful fighting and justifies his actions as necessary. The large illustration below depicts Cromwell addressing Parliament, labeled "This was not the long Parliament," showing him as a forceful, commanding figure dominating the chamber. The satire likely critiques Cromwell's authoritarianism and moral flexibility, using historical commentary to comment on contemporary political ambition and power-seeking behavior.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
~ ABLE Bop: ABLE Bopiey MEN STOKER-ON-SENT, SMALL JAIL TO LEFT OF PICTURE 18 WIKRE TEDDY CROMWELL WAS INCARCERATED AS A PUBLIC NUISANCE WHEN A BOY FOR FIGHTING WITH 1118 NI “Me” AND OLIVER CROMWELL, A Strenuous History, By Teddy Rosendlust, EFORE treating of the subject on which I have been asked to write, 1 would like to bave it understood that 1 will not accept the Vice-Presidency. I merely mention this, because 1 don’t want anything which I may write to be misconstrued {nto an acceptancy of this office, Ratherthan be Vice-President OIL <> HnoRs, I will do anything. I will break stone, take out ancther insurance policy, read the World, wait on the Syndicate table and pass the oil and sugar. Yes, I will even be President; but Vice-President, Never! Now thut this is understood we will take up our subject. I did not want to write about Ollie at first, because I bad an idea that he put me in the shade, but the more I have studied our two lives, the more I am convinced of my error. Ab, weil, we all make mistakes, Ollie was a great fighter. Previous to the day that, armed right to my molars and bicuspids, I plunged up San Juan hill, by 9 i oe, MS We