Life — September 25, 1919 — page 7: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "Debutante Dialogues" - The Innocent Bystander This satirical cartoon depicts a social conversation between two well-dressed figures, likely representing upper-class society members. The sketch shows what appears to be a woman and man in formal attire engaged in dialogue. The accompanying text titled "The Innocent Bystander" presents a sardonic exchange about labor strikes and the "High Cost of Living"—referencing early 20th-century economic anxieties. An "Honest Workingman" complains about strikes, but the "High Cost of Living" personified responds that strikes are necessary because workers' wages don't keep pace with inflation. The satire targets wealthy society's indifference to working-class economic struggles, suggesting the affluent remain detached from or unsympathetic to workers' legitimate grievances about poverty wages amid rising prices.