Life — August 31, 1911 — page 21: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This illustration depicts an early automobile on a treacherous mountain road, with three men in period dress (likely early 1900s) navigating the vehicle. The title "Straight and Narrow Way" is a biblical reference meaning the path of virtue and morality. The satire appears to comment on the dangers and challenges of early motorcar driving—a new, precarious technology. The winding, narrow mountain road with visible hazards (steep drop-offs, rough terrain) contrasts ironically with the "straight and narrow" moral metaphor, suggesting that driving these newfangled machines requires constant vigilance and puts one's safety in jeopardy. The joke likely critiques either the recklessness of early automobile enthusiasts or society's anxieties about this emerging technology.