Life — December 14, 1916 — page 9: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Political Cartoon Analysis: "Waiter! See What De Gents'll Have" This cartoon satirizes wealthy, upper-class men dining together while a small child labeled "Common People" stands excluded outside. The diners wear hats labeled with various interests (one reads "Food Baron"), suggesting they represent powerful economic or political elites. The accompanying text discusses Kansas as a state model, critiquing its ordinary character while defending it against eastern dismissal. The satire appears to be about **class division and economic inequality**: the privileged few feast together while ordinary people remain marginalized observers. The waiter's question ("See what de gents'll have") emphasizes their exclusive access to resources and power, contrasting sharply with the child's exclusion from the table.