Life — March 21, 1918 — page 9: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis This page contains two main elements: **Left side:** A satirical story titled "Simple and Cheap" mocking Baltimore's working-class culture, specifically dialogue between a manager and an Irish immigrant worker named George about marriage and divorce. The humor relies on ethnic stereotyping and dialect humor common to early 20th-century magazines—portraying Irish immigrants as comically ignorant about marriage law. **Right side:** A Waterman's Ideal Fountain Pen advertisement featuring circular vignettes of different professional worlds (business, writing, fighting, social). The ad promotes the pen's universal utility across professions. **Bottom:** An unrelated article about New Jersey's Board of Health denying vivisection permissions to Rutgers College. The page reflects period attitudes toward immigration, class, and commercial aspiration typical of *Life* magazine's satirical brand.