Life — October 1, 1903 — page 7: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "Life" Magazine Page 307: "She Is It" This is a satirical illustration titled "She Is It," depicting a woman as the central figure of "Life" itself. She is flanked by two circular vignettes representing different aspects of existence: on the left, "Arts" (showing a man engaged in artistic or creative pursuits), and on the right, "Literature" (showing a man at a desk, presumably writing). The cartoon satirizes early 20th-century attitudes about women and culture. The central female figure embodies "Life" while the male figures represent formal cultural achievements—suggesting that women represented vitality and living experience, while men monopolized the serious pursuits of arts and literature. The caption "She Is It" implies women are the essence of life itself, though likely with ironic undertones about gender roles and cultural authority of the era.