Life — October 25, 1917 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Life Magazine, October 25, 1917 - Cartoon Analysis This cartoon depicts two early automobiles positioned side-by-side against a dark background, with the caption "They toil not, neither do they spin." The caption is a biblical reference (Matthew 6:28) about lilies of the field—things that exist without labor. The joke appears to satirize automobiles (or perhaps their owners) as idle luxuries that serve no productive purpose, merely consuming resources. Given the October 1917 date—during America's World War I involvement—this likely critiques automobile ownership as wasteful consumption during wartime, when resources should be directed toward military production and national sacrifice. The cartoon mocks the frivolity of maintaining personal vehicles while the nation mobilizes for war.