Life, 1915-11-25 · page 28 of 44
Life — November 25, 1915 — page 28: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page presents a cynical Q&A about Thanksgiving dinner that mocks the holiday's sentimental mythology. The accompanying illustration shows an elderly man carving turkey while a dog waits—depicting the supposed "joy" of family reunion. The satire targets the forced sentimentality of Thanksgiving: families pretend affection while actually disliking each other, distant relatives attend out of obligation, a wealthy aunt is tolerated only for her money, and relatives scheme to inherit the homestead. The grandmother alone finds genuine satisfaction—her chance to play nurse the morning after when everyone is ill. The final jab critiques magazine covers depicting idealized Thanksgiving scenes. These images feature artists and models playing roles, not authentic families. Real people without money or "proper" relatives can't appear in such propaganda. The piece exposes the gap between Thanksgiving's marketed image and actual family dynamics—hypocrisy dressed as tradition.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
1012 Thanksgiving Baked Meats WHAT is tis? It is a Thanksgiving dinner. Why does every one look so un- happy? Because it is a family reunion. Is it so? Yes. They come back to the old manse to feast on the home-fed tur- keys and cranberries grown on the farm. Which is the host? The wretched-looking old man flour- ishing the carving-knife. He is sup- posed to have money and is known to have made no will. Why do they look so? They are relations. What does that mean? It means persons with blood ties who cordially hate each other. What is wrong with the couple crouching behind the celery? They are distant cousins who have come all the way from the city on a sleeping-car and return immediately after dinner. Why did they do it? Because they have always done so. Who is the old girl with the mega- phone? That is not a megaphone. ear-trumpet. Why do they shout so cheerfully into it? She is a rich aunt without child or chick, Do they love to have her in their midst? No—but they must. She is a widow who lives in a hotel and likes home cooking. So? They fill her up with food and sit her by the fire to simmer after dinner. She thinks she is having a splendid time. Who is the old lady with the cap and spectacles? That is dear old grandmother. Why does she smile? Because to-morrow is the one day when she seems to be part of the Big Scheme. It is the morning after Thanksgiving. Where does she come in? They are all ill and she cooks up Tt is an “LIPE: old-fashioned remedies on the kitchen stove, bs Why does she not let them pass away? Because this is the one joy she has in life. Does no one stay at home? It would not be showing the right Thanksgiving spirit. What is that? It is something folks are supposed to display on this holiday. It is like having to be good on Sundays. It is not real, then? No; in actual life relatives are not thankful to be together. They avoid each other and figure how they can do each other out of their share in the old homestead. The Thanksgiving reunion isn’t all it looks on the magazine covers, then? It isn’t being done at all. People go to the table d’hétes to avoid home cooking and four kinds of pic. And they are thankful? For what they have left undone and for their courage. Why are they not put on a magazine cover? Because they are left-overs who have no relations to visit, no Pilgrim fathers to revere, no bank accounts, no repu- tations. Who are they? The artists who draw the magazine covers. Kate Masterson. Onto Him RESIDENT CHURCHILL of the Board of Education, whom the Mayor stumps to resign, is the same Mr. Churchill whose appointment. by the Mayor, in spite of objection, was so earnestly deprecated by many friends. But the Mayor, it seems, can learn, and when he does he is ready to act on acquired knowledge. ALSO SERVE WHO ONLY STAND AND WAIT” comicbooks.com