Life — November 27, 1913 — page 21: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This appears to be a political cartoon from *Life* magazine titled "Panama." The image shows a skeletal or demonic figure holding a trident (suggesting Neptune or death) overlooking what appears to be the Panama Canal region, depicted as a nude female form in white. The cartoon likely critiques American imperial ambitions regarding Panama and the Canal. The classical imagery—the mythological trident, the feminized landscape—sarcastically casts the region as vulnerable and subject to foreign (American) dominance and exploitation. The partial caption "SS YOU, MY CHILDREN" suggests a possessive or patronizing attitude toward Panama, reinforcing themes of colonialism and power. The artist is Stroughton (visible signature). Without knowing the exact publication date, the specific historical moment remains unclear, though the Canal was a major geopolitical focus for decades.