Life, 1917-12-06 · page 78 of 92
Life — December 6, 1917 — page 78: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page combines advertisements with one cartoon. The ads promote Christmas gifts (Belber luggage), a trouser-pressing device, and a novel called *Drowsy* by John Ames Mitchell. The cartoon at bottom right depicts a dog in military uniform speaking to a woman, with the caption: "Gee! What chance has a feller got these days without a uniform?" **The satire:** This appears to reference post-World War I social anxiety about civilian prospects. The joke conflates a dog's romantic/social prospects with broader concerns about whether non-uniformed men could compete or succeed in the postwar period—suggesting that wearing a military uniform had become a social asset or necessity for male status. The absurdity of asking a *dog* this question heightens the satirical commentary on society's apparent overvaluation of military credentials and uniform-wearing. It mocks both the desperation men felt and society's fixation on military identity as a marker of worth.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
For Christmas—a Belber bag or suitcase—made of Du Pont Fabri- koid, Crafisman Quality and fitted with beautiful Ivory Py-ra-lin. TUPONT ee ABRIKOD Itis the ultimate in Christmas gifts. Nothing could give more lasting pleasure or better convey the Christmas sentiment. At all good dealers and department stores. The Belber Trunk and Bag Co. Columbia Ave. PHILADELPHIA, PA. 681 F—Black 685 F—Brown Made in handsome small cross grain, Fited as illustrated, 20 inch si 22 inch si 24 inch size and Save Pressing Bills You cannot impress people with your success or prosperity untess you look the part and you can’t look prosperovs if your trousers are baggy and uncreased Well Pressed clothes area businessasset, they give you the api ing that go with aw You ean keep a brand new crease in your trousers and Have it fresh every morning swith the Ford Automatic Trousers Stretcher Takes the 1g out of the knees and restores th “3 & ice and the bear job. into its original shape. Invest in Prosperity Send $1.00 Today I send you one, pr Manufacturing Co. ve, Chicago, Hil. Prosperity Only Love is capable of beating Death at his time-old chess game. Love that is stronger than death and longing that is mightier than separa- tion are motive powers in DROWSY a story of conquest over space and matter. It’s the latest novel by JOHN AMES MITCHELL, editor of Lire and author of ‘“‘Amos Judd’’ and ‘‘ The Pines of Lory’’. On sale at all Bookshops. STOKES, Publisher Net $1.50 “Gre! WHAT CHANCE HAS A FELLER GOT THESE DAYS WITHOUT A UNIFORM?” comicbook E coim