Life — September 27, 1917 — page 3: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis This page is primarily **advertising** rather than political satire. The dominant content features a W.L. Douglas shoe advertisement with pricing ($3, $2.50, $4, $4.50, $5, $6, $7, $8) and a portrait of W.L. Douglas himself. The ad emphasizes value and factory-direct pricing. The left side contains a short humorous piece titled "The Death of Concentration" featuring fictional characters (the Lady, Highbrow, Tango, Movies, Phonograph, School Sister) claiming credit for killing "Concentration" through various distractions. This appears to be gentle social satire about modern life's diversions. Additional advertisements occupy the remainder: Fownes gloves (military-themed), The Wondrous Health Belt, and Cortez Cigars. The top illustration shows a covered wagon labeled "In 1866—The Boy Who Pegged Shoes decides to go West," apparently Douglas's origin story.