Life — May 16, 1901 — page 5: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis This satirical cartoon titled "In These Days of Weddings" comments on marriage costs and parental attitudes. The scene shows a seated woman (likely the bride or her mother) reviewing wedding expenses/documents with three men standing behind her—probably representing the father, a vendor, or wedding planner. The caption's joke contrasts parental perspectives: the mother says "she'll elope," while the father responds "let her do it. it's cheaper"—mocking how expensive weddings have become. The ornate chair and papers suggest discussion of substantial financial obligations. The cartoon satirizes early 20th-century anxieties about wedding inflation and the economic burden on families, particularly fathers expected to finance elaborate ceremonies. It's humorous commentary on the tension between social expectations and financial reality.