Life — February 27, 1913 — page 12: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis of Life Magazine Page 412 This page contains two satirical pieces about American cities. The top illustration, "The Devil Hates Holy Water," depicts a demonic figure recoiling from a church, likely commenting on urban moral decay or religious hypocrisy in American cities. The main article, "Your United States" by an unsigned author, humorously compares American cities—particularly New York, Boston, Chicago, and Indianapolis. The author describes arriving in New York by ship (the *Lusitania*) and encountering culture shock, including mistaking a policeman for President Taft. The bottom cartoon shows two men at what appears to be a ship or dock, with one saying Yale looks better than Harvard—a lighthearted jab at Ivy League rivalry and American snobbery about prestigious institutions. The overall tone mocks American parochialism and urban pretension.