Life — January 3, 1918 — page 15: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This political cartoon depicts a woman in mourning clothes standing at a military cemetery, viewing rows of crosses marking graves. The stark, sorrowful imagery—with the barren tree and scattered military markers—conveys grief over battlefield deaths. The caption reads "OF SONS," suggesting the full title references mothers losing their sons in war. This appears to be anti-war satire, likely from World War I era (based on the illustration style and comicbooks.com source dating), criticizing the human cost of military conflict. The cartoon uses emotional impact rather than caricature or named figures. It targets war itself as the subject of satire—specifically the devastating toll on families and mothers left behind. The simple, powerful composition emphasizes loss and mourning as commentary on warfare's consequences.