Life — April 10, 1913 — page 11: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Political Cartoon Analysis: "L'Enfant Terrible" This cartoon depicts a size-contrast joke between a large, well-dressed gentleman labeled "CANADA" and a tiny, mischievous child labeled "ENGLAND," with the caption: "Well, what do you want?" / "What do I want? Why, I want the whole thing." The satire comments on Britain's imperial ambitions and colonial appetite. The "terrible child" (enfant terrible) represents England's persistent demands for territorial expansion, portrayed as childish greed. Canada, rendered as an adult figure, confronts this unreasonable expectation. The adjacent text discusses government direction and social reform under "the New Freedom," suggesting this reflects early 20th-century debates about British imperialism versus emerging nationalist sentiments in dominions like Canada seeking greater autonomy.