Life — April 28, 1910 — page 15: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This single-panel cartoon depicts a classroom examination scene. A thin, stern-looking teacher stands at a blackboard covered with difficult questions: "What is Whiskey? How high is Meat? What's Coffee?" and similar queries about everyday consumer goods and commodities, along with questions about tariffs, finance, and economics. A rotund student sits struggling with the test. The caption asks "Will he pass?" The satire appears to target either: - Educational inadequacy regarding practical economic knowledge, or - Political/economic policy debates (possibly about tariffs or trade) where leaders or citizens are tested on complex commercial questions The exaggerated contrast between the teacher's severity and the student's bewilderment suggests the questions themselves may be unreasonably difficult or the educational system fundamentally flawed. Without clearer historical context or visible date, the specific political event referenced remains unclear.