Life — August 30, 1917 — page 11: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis of "Congress" by E.S.M. The large caricature on the left depicts **Congress personified as a bloated, rotund figure**, labeled "Congress," stuffed with money and self-interest. This visualizes the essay's central critique: that Congress has become too focused on business and profit rather than serving the public good. The text argues Congress functions like a **"school"** for training politicians rather than as a true governing body. The author critiques legislators for being either too conservative or too foolish, constantly reversing course based on public pressure rather than principle. The **war-time illustration** below shows aerial combat, supporting the essay's broader point about government managing crises poorly. Overall, the satire lambastes Congressional incompetence and corruption during what appears to be **WWI-era America**.