Life — May 10, 1917 — page 21: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This satirical comic strip depicts what modern chivalry might look like if gentlemen still practiced elaborate courtship rituals on city streets. The sequence shows: 1. **The Setup**: A man interrupts a woman's walk with an exaggerated formal challenge 2. **The Contest**: Escalating physical combat between the suitor and woman, watched by crowds 3. **The Outcome**: The man "wins" through martial prowess rather than charm The satire mocks outdated notions of chivalry and masculine courtship by literalizing medieval "conquest" metaphors. By showing a violent street duel as acceptable romance, the cartoon critiques both romanticized chivalry and the aggressive male behavior it normalized. The title "If Chivalry Obtained To-Day" suggests this is how absurdly anachronistic such courtship would appear to modern (early 20th-century) audiences.