Life, 1900-11-22 · page 1 of 20
Life — November 22, 1900 — page 1: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# "A Tragedy" - Life Magazine, November 22, 1900 This cartoon satirizes a marriage proposal dilemma. The illustration shows a man presenting a marriage proposal to a woman, who appears dismayed. The caption reads: "She: If you had no idea when we could get married, why did you propose to me? He: To tell the truth, darling, I had no idea you would accept me." The joke mocks the man's presumption—he proposed without seriously expecting acceptance, perhaps assuming rejection would spare him from commitment. The woman's disappointment stems from his lack of genuine intention. This satirizes both courtship customs of the era and male attitudes toward marriage proposals, suggesting some men proposed carelessly without true commitment or understanding of consequences.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
VOLUME XXXVI. NEW YORK, NOV. 22, 1900. Entered at the New York Post Office as Second-Ciaas Mail Matter, Copyright, 1900, by Liv PUBLISHING ComPAxT. A TRAGEDY. She: iF You MAD XO IDEA WHEN WE COULD GET MARRIED, WHY DID YoU PROTOSE TO ME? “TO TELL THE TRUTH, DARLING, I HAD NO IDEA YOU WOULD ACCEPT ME.”