Life — March 29, 1917 — page 22: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This is a darkly satirical cartoon depicting a row of luxury automobiles driving past bodies of the dead and dying on the ground. Signs advertise consumer goods: "COAL," "SHOES," and "GAS." The cartoon critiques materialism and inequality during what appears to be a period of economic hardship or crisis—the contrast between the well-dressed motorists enjoying modern conveniences and the corpses beneath their wheels suggests the callousness of the wealthy toward human suffering. The cartoonist appears to be attacking consumerism and the indifference of the affluent to mass poverty or death. The illustration style and satirical approach are characteristic of *Life* magazine's social commentary. Without a visible date, the specific historical context remains unclear, though the economic disparity theme was relevant across multiple American crises.