Life — November 27, 1913 — page 7: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "The Return of the Prodigal" This illustration depicts a man in dark clothing viewing a modest house with a "For Rent" and "Sale" sign, surrounded by an overgrown, neglected garden. The caption references the Biblical parable of the Prodigal Son. The satire appears to comment on economic hardship or property decline—likely depicting someone returning home after absence to find their residence abandoned, in disrepair, or sold. The juxtaposition with the Japanese proverb about Fortune calling at the "Smiling Gate" emphasizes irony: while the proverb promises eventual good fortune to those who remain patient and cheerful, this figure finds only decay and loss. The cartoon likely satirizes economic anxiety of early 20th-century America—unemployment, foreclosure, or homelessness—contrasting optimistic folk wisdom with harsh reality.