Life — April 6, 1916 — page 26: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This cartoon depicts a man lying in bed at night, surrounded by demonic or grotesque figures—likely representing his own guilt and anxious thoughts. Each figure speaks a different accusation or worry: - Lost your temper - Nearly broke again - Dodged church - You're a lightweight - Nobody loves you - You were mean to your wife - That note is almost due - Business is bad The satire targets male anxiety and insomnia, humorously suggesting that a man's sleeplessness stems from accumulated personal failures and regrets—moral lapses, financial troubles, marital discord, and professional problems. Rather than depicting insomnia as a medical condition, Life satirizes it as the natural consequence of a guilty conscience. The demons visualize how his own mind torments him through the night, making the abstract anxiety concrete and darkly comedic.