Life — October 29, 1914 — page 4: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis The main cartoon depicts an anthropomorphic cat family gathered around a Thanksgiving dinner table, with a large cat in formal dress addressing them. The caption reads: "My children, let us be thankful that one necessity has not gone up. Life still sells for ten cents." **The satire:** This is a commentary on post-World War I inflation. The joke acknowledges that prices for necessities have risen dramatically, yet Life magazine—the sponsor of this ad—has maintained its ten-cent cover price. The cartoon presents this as a genuine mercy worth giving thanks for. The lower text announces Life's Thanksgiving issue, celebrating American thankfulness "this year for being Americans." The page is essentially an advertisement disguised as editorial content, leveraging holiday sentiment to promote magazine subscriptions and the upcoming special issue.