Life, 1910-08-11 · page 27 of 40
Life — August 11, 1910 — page 27: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a satirical short story by R.W. Sneddon depicting a dystopian future where gender roles are reversed. The narrative presents a society where women hold institutional power through a "Civic Marriage Director" and state marriage board, while men are assigned as "husband-slaves" to women based on bureaucratic examination. The satire targets early-20th-century feminist movements by imagining an exaggerated, inverted world: women control marriage licensing, conduct financial interrogations, and maintain authority over men's activities (including censoring newspapers and restricting music choices). The protagonist—a "Marriageable Bachelor"—is forcibly assigned to Miss Grikurst and subjected to inspection and domestic servitude. The joke relies on contemporary anxieties about women's suffrage and changing gender relations. By presenting female authority as absurdly totalitarian, the piece mocks contemporary fears that granting women voting rights would lead to female domination. It's anti-feminist satire using hyperbolic role reversal as its comedic mechanism.
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o | Leal pl en) 2199 The Revolt of 1959 A Novel of the Times BY R. (AU dramatic rights r I T JERE was a peremptory knocking at my door. t hastily and seeing who it was turned pale. I opened Marriageable Bachelor No. 4,286,572,"" said the Civic Marriage Director, looking at her notebook and then at me n almost humen regard, “You have been appointed L-slave to Miss Grikurst, of 425 Eighteenth Avenue ill, after submission to the board, take up your duties week from date or become a shirt-waist worker.”’ .”” L began feebly, “my studies, my our duties to Woman come first,"” said Her Excellency strode from the room, and as I heard her escort clatter he street I recognized that I had heard my doom II Vhat is your income? '" asked the s for the Marriage Board. ifty dollars a week," I said. Jo you find it sufficient to live on?" she State Examiner of said with a No! By no means.” Produce your list of expenses. Ah! I think by knock- items of tobacco, liquor, old books, theatre tickets, hewspapers and magazines, tips and postage stamps, ‘do.”” ched the rail of the dock convulsively and tried to v dry lips to speak. A deafening shout of “ Silence! * forty women on the jury unnerved me and I nodded You may go now, and be Some day I must make Next, please.”’ me and number. sou are allowed to do so. of some of you creatures. rite ire sure you are quite ready?" said the two thank you,’? I answered feebly. follow us. We have visits to make his ind at present there is a scarcity of visiting vas." ced not handcuff me,’’ I said with a vain att mpt g myself, “1 will go quietly.” IV drew up outside the door of the mansion at 425 i Avenue there was a c it the Iorred windows of the van. A “Vors for Ment’? followed. 2” T asked apprehensively much,’ said one of the guards patting “only some poor suffragce forgetting himself.” emerged from the van there was no sign of any- 1 disturbance of the dust, a dog chain and whip, shreds of cloth lying on the ground. My two guards cach other, but said nothing, and going up the steps 1 the door. several h and several stones hi disturbed shouting of ision ope I was in her presence. Ab, what beauty and su- igeable Bachelor No. 4,286,572," said one of my SNEDDON erved) She turned and looked at me with a stern smile. “Stand up. Keep still. "H’m! You'll do, though I was promised something good," she said after a scrutiny.“ Wh. are your accomplishments? Can you sew or knit? What d you know about the ethics of gossip? “I'm afraid very little,” I said, holding myself rigidly. Her figure seemed to stiffen with majesty “ We'll soon remedy that,” she said. this modern craze of Votes for Men is leading you creatures to. That will do, guards. I suppose his certificate is all in You will find something to drink in the dining-room I was alone with her and my heart What was going to happen? “You must be tired,” she said. “I crackers and water.”’ I don’t know what order. beat tremulously will order Vill Yesterday. Ab! The joy of it L was sitting in the drawing-roon: idly strumming the piano to fill in the after noon till Beatrix came home from business. All at once | heard some one come into the room. Continuing my playing which by law 45370-37 was confined to classical music, popular music being only permitted 10 our superiors—I cast a glance into the mirror which reflected the whole room. I could scarcely believe the evidence of my eyes. Beatrix was regarding me with a strange look. Before I could say any- thing she had vanish It was after an thought that I recognized where I had such : on the covers of the magazines in the They only evening's look. called seen museum —let me see—Love. IX “Husband 538,034," Beatrix thought I told you that the reading of forbidden Bring me the whip. It will be the first and I hope the last time I have to use it.”* “ Lady-mistress," I said, rising up and t paper, “I'l be dashed if T do.” “Oh!'? she said, with an unwonted note of anger in her voice, “then you must be punished.’ She pressed the messenger-guard’s bell magic two guards appeared and I was conveyed to the House of Correction. “One week, said sternly, “I newspapers was owing down 1 Almost as if by said the judgess. x “What are you in for. old man with the eye of a visionary “ Bad language and insubordination,” ing a wary eye on the warders who were patrolling t of the exercise yard. “Can you keep a secret? expectantly, Thank God they have left us that birthright,’’ “but be quick. They may be watching us.’” He leaned over and whispered in my ear I started and looked at him. I thought a moment. “Tam with you, comrade,”’ I said asked a lean, ill-fed I whispered, keep- he asked hoarsely, watching me I said, comicbooks.com