Life — August 24, 1916 — page 19: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This pen-and-ink cartoon depicts a young woman standing on a rock in shallow water, gazing wistfully seaward while cradling what appears to be a small submarine in her arms. The title's wordplay suggests romantic sentiment—she cradles the submarine as one might hold a beloved object or person. The satire likely comments on World War I-era anxieties about submarines. Given the sentimental pose and the woman's romantic demeanor, the cartoon probably mocks either wartime sentimentality about military technology, or satirizes the public's emotional attachment to submarines as weapons. The juxtaposition of the delicate, romantic scene with the deadly military vessel creates ironic commentary on how civilians romanticized warfare or military hardware during the conflict.