Life — September 3, 1914 — page 9: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Page Analysis This *Life* magazine page contains two satirical pieces mocking consumer excess and travel clichés. **Top image** ("When Her Love Grew Cold"): A beach scene showing a woman leaving a man in the water while socialites observe—likely depicting romantic disappointment or infidelity. **Bottom section** ("Superfluous Things"): Lists items Americans wastefully spend money on—candy shops, drugstores, periodicals, restaurant orchestras, hair tonics, etc. The satire criticizes consumer culture's frivolous spending habits. **"Revised Version"** mocks the famous travel motto "See Paris and die" by rewriting it as "See Europe and starve to death"—suggesting European travel is economically ruinous, likely referencing post-WWI economic hardship or the cost of leisure travel for Americans. The lower cartoon ("So Mother to Guide Her") depicts socialites at leisure, reinforcing themes of idle wealth and modern women's independence from parental oversight.