Life — April 3, 1919 — page 41: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This is a satirical cartoon from *Life* magazine depicting a church interior scene. A man (identified as "Binks" in the caption) sits in a pew with his wife during what appears to be a religious service. The caption suggests Binks suspects his wife is praying not for spiritual matters, but rather for a diamond—implying she's using prayer for material gain. The satire targets two things: wealthy husbands' anxieties about wives' materialism, and the era's stereotype of women as primarily motivated by jewelry and luxury goods. The humor derives from the ironic situation of a woman feigning religious devotion while actually focused on acquiring expensive gifts. This reflects early 20th-century gender attitudes and middle-to-upper-class social dynamics regarding consumption and marriage.