Life — June 17, 1915 — page 26: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page presents two contrasting illustrations referencing Aesop's fable "The Ant and the Grasshopper." **Left ("The Grasshopper"):** A well-dressed couple enjoys a lavish party with decorative drapes and balcony spectators—depicting carefree leisure and pleasure-seeking. **Right ("The Ant"):** A figure works diligently at a desk with lamp, clock, and papers—depicting industrious labor and responsibility. The caption "Some Call It Luck" suggests satirical commentary on wealth disparity and life outcomes. The cartoon implies that one person's success versus another's struggle isn't purely merit-based ("luck"), but rather reflects different choices between indulgence and hard work. This reflects early 20th-century American anxieties about class mobility, work ethic, and whether prosperity was earned or fortunate. The fable's moral—industriousness rewarded, idleness punished—is invoked to comment on contemporary social divisions.