Life — November 25, 1915 — page 35: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This 1919 *Life* magazine illustration satirizes marriage and male devotion. The scene shows a wealthy woman reclining while a formally dressed man stands attentively nearby—likely her husband or suitor in an interior setting. The caption's joke contrasts pre-marital and post-marital attitudes: before marriage, a man would eagerly perform any task for his beloved, even if she were "a centipede" (an absurd, undesirable creature). The implication is that after marriage, his willingness to help has sharply diminished—she's no longer deserving of such devoted service. This reflects early 20th-century satirical commentary on how romantic ardor cools after the wedding, and how men's gallantry toward women supposedly evaporates once they've married them. The exaggeration of the centipede comparison emphasizes the comedy of waning post-marital affection.