Life — June 14, 1917 — page 11: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis The main cartoon depicts a domestic dispute where a pacifist (labeled "The Pacifist") restrains a woman from violent retaliation, advising "patience" and non-violence instead of resort to force. The men in suits appear to be observers or mediators. The surrounding text critiques excessive telephone use by women. "Injustice to Woman" argues that women monopolize telephones without regard for others' rights, calling it a "disease." The piece suggests women talk too much on the phone compared to men, framing this as a social problem requiring restraint. "End of a Perfect Day" is a humorous exchange between two doctors about their busy day performing vaccinations. The page satirizes early 20th-century gender anxieties—women's increasing independence (phone access, assertiveness) presented as problems requiring male correction or restraint.