Life — July 17, 1919 — page 12: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis of Life Magazine Page 108 This page satirizes definitions of "civilization" through two cartoons mocking Victorian-era social pretensions. The **top cartoon** shows a shabby man being evicted by an elegant gentleman, with the caption about lacking room. The joke ridicules how "civilized" people value superficial etiquette (standing room, proper dress) over basic human compassion. The **bottom cartoon** depicts a mother refusing to kiss her son goodbye ("If she wants to kiss me good-by, Pa, you'll sick up me, won't ye?"), illustrating how rigid Victorian propriety suppresses natural human affection—parents avoiding physical contact with children to maintain "civilized" decorum. Both cartoons mock how contemporary society equates civilization with artificial constraints and emotional coldness, rather than genuine kindness or human connection. The accompanying text supports this critique of Methodist and other cultural standards.