Life, 1904-11-03 · page 19 of 40
Life — November 3, 1904 — page 19: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page combines a satirical illustration with a letter-to-the-editor commentary on American marriage and marital satisfaction. **The Cartoon:** Shows an ornately dressed Chinese figure (likely a mandarin or emperor) in an elaborate carriage pulled by a dragon, being whipped along by attendants. The caption reads "MY DRAGON DRIVES WELL WITH SUCH A LEADER"—a joke about control and dominance. **The Letter's Argument:** A spinster named "Miss Ann Thrope" (a pun on "misanthrope") responds to Life magazine's question about whether American wives are disappointed in their husbands. She argues that most married women *should* be disappointed but aren't—because they have such low expectations of men that they're easily satisfied by minimal effort. She claims wives are blinded by "bandaged-eyed-love" and simply admire their husbands out of resignation. **The Satire's Point:** This critiques both masculine superiority (husbands viewed as natural "leaders") and female acceptance of subordination in marriage. The dragon imagery suggests wives are beasts of burden, driven by domineering husbands—presented here as inevitable rather than problematic.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
dices, pleased by the same illusions, disappointed by the same disillusions. Three men out of five want some other fellow’s job; and I reckon three Amer- ican women out of five are disappointed with their (own) husbands; but, un less the press prevaricates, they are not disappointed with the — other woman's husband. No. 11. Y DEAR LIFE: I wonder if. you realize what a terribly embarrass- ing question you have propounded, or how limited is the number that is qualified to answer it with any degree of truthfulness. The marricd women themselves are handicapped as witnesses, of course; theirtestimony would be of too personal a character, and, in any case, fear of discovery would prevent their being perfectly honest in expressing them- selves. To the men we can scarcely look, cither, for an unprejudiced and dis- passionate reply to your query. It is only natural that they should be biased in favor of themselves, and as long as the spirit of masculine superiority pre- vails, we cannot hope to witness the edifying spectacle of the majority of husbands .in our country presenting themselves to the publicas “Disappoint- ments"’ in the domestic drama, It is then out of the mouths of old maids and spinsters only, women of untrammeled liberty of thought and speech, that any real information can issue on this cubject. With some complacency I confess I am such an one, and as such feel that my opinion should receive some atten- tion (if not a check) After many illuminating experiences with married specimens of the opposite sex, and in spite of daily disillusioniz- ing discoveries made in regard to other women’s husbands, I find, after ¢lose observation and skillfully conducted cross-examinations of these same wom- en, that I can affirm positively and without reservation that the majority of American married women—pcoor dears—are nof disappointed in their husbands but they ought to be. Their contentment is a beautiful illustration of bandaged-eyed-love; an edition de luxe of conjugal felicity. In defense of satisfied wives, it must be said, however, that disappointment, whether it be great or small, imp]! previous expectations—and the th out of every five women who marry expect so little from the men to whom they attach themselves that they are in but little danger of suffering from defeated hopes, which probably ac- counts for the majority of our married women being pleased with—nay, even admiring—those whom they fatuously term—their better half. Hoping that I may hear from you, Tam yours in Lire, Miss Ann Thrope. Butt-1n-vViLLe, Busysurc Co comicbooks.com