Life — January 16, 1908 — page 8: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "The Second Generation" Cartoon The illustration shows three figures—two adults and a child—in what appears to be a poor urban setting. The caption reads: "Well, my little man, using up your stocking Christmas?" / "Not on your life! What d'you suppose we keep servants for?" **The satire**: A working-class child is depicted parroting the dismissive attitudes of wealthy employers toward servants. The joke criticizes how economic inequality teaches even poor children to adopt the callous class prejudices of their "betters"—perpetuating a cycle of social contempt across generations. The child's shocking entitlement, despite obvious poverty, highlights the absurdity of lower classes imitating aristocratic disdain for service workers.