Life — March 7, 1907 — page 19: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This satirical cartoon depicts a marriage negotiation scene. A prospective bridegroom asks how much the bride's family will charge for marriage; the answer is twenty-five dollars. When the minister expresses moral concern—questioning whether kissing the bride is appropriate given the transaction's mercenary nature—he's told the charge in that case will only be five dollars. The satire mocks the commercialization of marriage, suggesting that by reducing matrimony to a financial transaction, even its romantic or sacred elements become commodified and priced. The joke undercuts both the bridegroom's haggling and the family's willingness to monetize every aspect of the union, including physical affection, exposing the crass materialism behind what should be a spiritual or emotional commitment.