Life — June 3, 1915 — page 7: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "How to Manage a Husband" - Life Magazine Satire This page satirizes early 20th-century marital advice through ironic "tips" for wives. The text offers absurdly manipulative strategies: feed him poorly for "health," never ask for money, be dishonest ("perfectly frank and open"), suppress independence, and save money secretly. The final warning—"Don't leave anything for his second wife"—reveals the satire's dark edge. The photograph below, captioned "The Goose That Laid the Golden Egg," depicts a woman displayed among well-dressed men examining her like property, visualizing the economic transaction marriage represented. Together, the text and image mock both the period's controlling marital dynamics and the patronizing advice literature aimed at women, exposing how wives were expected to manipulate husbands while surrendering autonomy and rights.