Life — December 25, 1913 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "Conscience" by George Carlson This December 1913 *Life* magazine cartoon depicts Santa Claus holding a book titled "LIST OF BAD BOYS" while standing at a chimney with a fire below. The work is titled "Conscience." The satire operates on multiple levels: Santa, traditionally a figure of generosity and moral judgment, clutches a ledger of misbehavior. The "bad boys" reference suggests the cartoon comments on childhood misbehavior and moral accountability, though the specific historical context remains unclear without additional information about 1913 current events. The image likely uses Santa's traditional role as moral arbiter—rewarding the good and punishing the bad—to satirize contemporary social or political judgment, though the exact target is ambiguous from the image alone.