Life — December 13, 1917 — page 17: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This cartoon from *Life* magazine depicts two men in formal attire having a street encounter. The shorter, working-class figure on the left (identifiable by his worn clothing and posture) asks the taller, well-dressed gentleman on the right for a match—a common panhandling request of the era. The satire likely plays on class contrasts: the wealthy man's superior bearing and fine clothes versus the poorer man's shabby appearance and desperation. The title suggests the beggar's indirect request for charity. The cartoon satirizes either indifference to poverty, the social gap between classes, or possibly the absurdity of a desperate man addressing a stranger with such a polite, indirect appeal. The background sketches suggest an urban street setting.