Life — July 10, 1913 — page 5: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "The Husband" - Life Magazine Satire This page satirizes traditional husband behavior through two sections: **Main Article:** "The Husband" describes husbands as hardy animals adapted to all climates, noting their ingrained habits of billing/cooing during courtship, then reading one-syllable newspaper words to their wives. The satire mocks how American husbands divide into two classes: those married to their wives, and widowers—implying wives find married life unbearable. **The Circular Illustration:** Shows a well-dressed couple in domestic interaction, likely depicting the "courtship phase" behavior the text describes. **Caption:** "Every Monday somebody hangs things out here for me to play with"—depicting laundry, sarcastically suggesting husbands view household tasks as trivial play rather than serious domestic responsibility. The satire targets early 20th-century gender dynamics and male domestic indifference.