Life — July 26, 1917 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis This *Life* magazine cover from July 26, 1917 illustrates a quote from Shakespeare's *Othello*: "She loved me for the dangers I had pass'd, / And I loved her that she did pity them." The image depicts a romantic scene between a young woman holding a doll and a soldier in military uniform, seated together beneath a tree with falling leaves. A small dog is present at their feet. The satire appears to target wartime romance—specifically the sentimental attachment women supposedly developed toward soldiers based on their military service and perceived bravery. The juxtaposition of the woman's childlike doll with the soldier suggests commentary on naive or superficial romantic attraction during WWI, when America had recently entered the conflict. The Shakespeare reference adds literary irony to the domestic scene.