Life — May 27, 1915 — page 7: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis This page from *Life* magazine presents a satirical dialogue titled "Filling an Order" featuring Aladdin and a slave. The narrative mocks wartime literary adaptation: a civilian asks Aladdin for something that "delights the eye and mind" while possessing "style, imagination, courage, fortitude, charm and practical ability." Aladdin promptly delivers "France"—represented in the classical allegorical illustration below. The satire targets authors who hastily rewrite novels as war stories for commercial success. The young author in "Last Resort" admits changing his hopeless novel into a war story to sell it. The page ridicules both the demand for patriotic content and authors' opportunistic compliance, suggesting France itself becomes a commodity product rather than genuine artistic subject matter.