Life — December 24, 1903 — page 7: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Page 647 of Life Magazine - Analysis This page features "The Brave Sir Mark," a woodcut-style portrait labeled "A Yankee Writer at King Arthur's Court." The image depicts a man in medieval armor with period costume, likely referencing Mark Twain's novel *A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court* (1889), which satirizes medieval society through a modern American's perspective. The accompanying article "Great Men" discusses whether great men are born or made, noting that magazine architecture now depicts peasant homes with modern plumbing—suggesting society's advancement. Below is "A Touching Appeal," a humorous letter from G. Whitney asking for Thanksgiving turkey donations, and "Maxims for an Up-to-Date Republic," political satire by Tom Masson criticizing government corruption and inequality. A small cartoon shows "Christmas Dinner at the Boarding-House."