Life, 1906-07-26 · page 7 of 20
Life — July 26, 1906 — page 7: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page presents a dialogue between a young woman (Josephine Reed) and a man (Mr. Kent) debating gender equality and respect in relationships. The text satirizes traditional male attitudes toward women: men speak candidly with other men but hide their true feelings from women, whom they treat as delicate creatures rather than equals. The woman challenges this as cowardice masquerading as chivalry. The two cartoon illustrations depict domestic scenes—one showing what appears to be a devil-figure teaching a child, the other illustrating the ongoing conversation. The satire targets early 20th-century gender dynamics, mocking men's patronizing "protection" of women while advocating for honest, respectful treatment of women as intellectual and moral equals—a progressive stance for the era.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
"LPPE* “AS MAN TO MAN” Yj, | WISH.” she said, “that men would say Mui, Uy, boon what they mean to women.” rn] “Don’t they?” he asked innocently. @ She readjusted the college fraternity pin at her throat. ‘No,’ she replied. “Certainly not.” He was beginning to gather her meaning. “But,” he said gently, e “the kind of a woman to whom a man can say what he wants is the kind he doesn’t care for.” b “TI don’t believe it. That's only a man’s way of admitting that he is a coward.” “A coward!” “Yes, About women he is timid. He tells her only those things that she will not resent.” “Would you call this cowardice? Isn’t it in reality only self-defense?” She looked at him sharply. This young girl was bright and enthusiastic. ‘‘Now!” she exclaimed emphatically, ‘‘you are doing with me precisely what I detest—you are treating me like a woman.” 2 as “Good gracious! Am I? Forgive me!” ss “There you go again.” She rose decisively. “I'll have no MEASURES OF CONEY LAND ~ more of you,” she said. ‘‘I simply cannot stand your mental <5 q ( ‘Seow ew WE HAVE SEEN ‘CREATION’ AND ‘THE END OF THE WORLD,’ NOW LET'S Co TO ‘THE INTERNAL REGIONS.’ ” patronage. Yes, that’s exactly what it is. It’s the attitude which men almost universally assume toward women, and I, for one, will not permit it.” His tone changed instantly. ‘‘Please don’t go yet,” he pleaded in the most serious manner. ‘Forgive me if I appeared in such a discourteous light. Let us discuss it— well, as man to man!” She smiled. ‘You couldn’t!” she said. ‘You'd forget yourself.” “Then you shall correct me. But I’ll try my level best to, to—well, just what do you wish me to do?” “I wish you to treat me as if I were a man, and not a mere creature in a shirt-waist, who contains no other possi than a flirtation. I want you to respect me for my mind, and not for my sex. I don’t ask you even to tolerate me, if I am wrong. Just treat me like another man—that’s all T ask.” He paused, in thought. ‘‘That’s not quite so easy as it seems,” he said, “especially as you are in reality an attractive girl—I’m speaking now as man to man—and I might forget myself. Still, there is justice in what you say. Don’t let us consider whose fault it is, whether it is that of the men, for treating women as if they didn’t know anything, or of the women, for letting them do it. It is a fact, and we must fight it. Let’s see, Miss Reed—your name is Jose- phine?” . “Yes,” ou, ss i ‘ r or tiie, Aso ne wants wo wow tw voute ae so nia wo ewe “The permit me to call you Joe? It will help.” OUT IN THE YARD AND STICK YOUR MEAD THROUGH THE MOLE IN THE She looked at him doubtfully. “You're not backsliding, TENCE WHILE HE DRIVES PAST A FEW Thurs ?” Mr. Kent?” comicbooks.com