Life, 1906-08-16 · page 11 of 24
Life — August 16, 1906 — page 11: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page satirizes gender roles and marital dynamics of the early 20th century. The main article "Man's Rights" argues ironically that men deserve equality—complaining women control household finances and that men must provide income while lacking authority. The two cartoon panels titled "Why They Married" mock the pretenses surrounding marriage. The left panel depicts a couple marrying for superficial reasons (intuition, deduction, observation). The right panel shows a man marrying a woman specifically because she's well-connected socially—he gains access to "the finest families in town" through her telephone network ("hello-girl"). The satire critiques both genders: women's financial power within marriage and men's mercenary motivations for marrying into social status. The humor relies on depicting marriage as transactional rather than romantic.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Man's Rights I ALL the stress and straining after, Woman’s Rights—her privileges being already too numerous to men- tion—those of Man seem at times to be lost sight of, if not completely lost. Every now and then we read in the papers that a young woman has picked her husband's pockets while he slept, that the judge not only acquits but com- mends her, at the same time administer- ing a scathing rebuke to the husband. Poorman! If he would but understand his position once and for all, how much annoyance he would bespared. Clearly, it is Man’s duty to provide Woman with all the luxuries of the day, to give her the entire contents of his purse and the full extent of his credit. These failing, as they sometimes do, it is up to him to provide income from another INTUITION, DEDUCTION, OBSERVATION AS WELL, AND A MASTERFUL KNOWLEDGE OF LIVE, ALL FIGURE AS NAUGHT OUR EFFORTS TO FIND WHY THES PAIR BECAME HUSBAND AND WIFE! ‘LIVE source. For of what use is Man unless he be a provider? For what other pur- pose should he have the unquestioned right of leaving the house at eight o’clock in the morning not to return until six at night? From Woman's viewpoint, Man’s life is a round of pleasure with a little work thrown in. If, by chance, he is a salaried man, then the often unpleas- ant task of working for others is fully offset by the lack of responsibility; but if, on the other hand, he is at the head of affairs, then are all his cares and anxieties more than balanced by the fact that he is his own master. And there is always the pleasure of the chase. If Man were not so utterly stupid, if it were possible for him to meet Woman on her own ground, armed with a weapon as potent as her tears, there might seem to be some chance for him. But as it is, why will he continually put himself in the wrong? Why try to evade his duty with that old, old query, ‘What did you do with the last ten dollars I gave you?” WHY THEY MARRIED 183 Had he the least reason to suppose that it had been spent wisely and well, there were no need for the question. Since it is a reproach, Woman resents it as such, promptly weeps, and Man beats a re- treat, feeling himself to be all the more of a brute in that she has been canny enough to refrain from calling him one. And Woms again. O Man! Hasten the day when Woman shall have her Rights, for then possibly, possibly, she may be willing to accord you a few of her privileges. Sarah F, Waters. ASHAWAY: Did you have a hard time winning Miss Summit ? CLEvERTON: I should say I did. Why, when our engagement was announced in the papers, I had it put among the sport- ing news. Tee are hothouse thoughts—beau- tiful, but tasteless. AL HIGGINS THOUGHT IY MARRIED WELL WHEN HE COT SALLY BROWN, YOR VERY WELL CONNECTED WAS HIS “POIL"; CONNECTED, TOO, WITH ALL THE FINEST YAMILIES IN THE TOWN— BY TELEPHONE: SHE WAS A “HELLO-comL.”” comicbooks.com