Life, 1919-10-09 · page 28 of 48
Life — October 9, 1919 — page 28: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
**The Main Cartoon:** Shows a woman standing on a chair, speaking animatedly while a man (presumably her husband Mr. Jones) is being summoned home. The caption satirizes the social pretension of literary women in the early 20th century. **The Satire:** The article "Literary" mocks a woman who has achieved social status as a celebrated "woman writer" without anyone—including herself—actually knowing what she writes. When finally challenged to produce her work, she reveals she won third prize ($2.50) in a magazine contest for a 75-word letter answering "What would you do if you found another woman's hairpin in your husband's pocket?" **The Point:** This is social satire targeting the gap between literary *prestige* and actual literary achievement. The woman's status derives entirely from reputation and club invitations rather than substantive creative work. The cartoon illustrates her presumably holding forth at home, with the caption emphasizing she demands her husband's immediate attention—suggesting her self-importance exceeds her actual accomplishments. The humor relies on early 20th-century anxiety about women's intellectual and social advancement.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
rs x at \ i p “YES, TELI. MR. JONES TO COME RIGHT HOME THE MINUTE HE RETURNS Literary SHE was literary. it, After years of well-bred effort she had attained the market. She was invited to tell the local Thursday Club about it. Then other clubs invited her Her success became a tradition, The society editor of the Willowhurst Gu- sete habitually referred to her of our leading women writers.” organized a Penwomen’s Guild cultivated prestige. Then a persistent questioner came to town. (Persistent questioners should be abolished.) “What does she write? Fiction? Drama? Poetry? Perhaps s libre, then?” the questioner charitably added Nobody knew. lenged, she indignantly copy of her works. She had won the third prize—two dollars and fifty cents At last, openly chal- produced a She did not deny —in Everylady’s Monthly contest for a word letter on “What would you do if you found another woman’s hairpin in) your pocket?” The French Babies IFE has received for the seventy-five hushand's relief of the French orphans, in all, $354,163.70, from which mitted to Paris 2,047, We gratefully acknowle of the following amounts : Granay, Elizabeth, Jim. Cecy and Rird Towa City, Ia., for Baby Jove $7 <. Charles F. Jenkins. Ger Philadelphia, Pa., Edith nto, Canad war we have o francs. the receipt . Winnett! BARY NUMBER Mrealy acknowledged... 1, F, Zee, Tacoma, Wash.. pat's vi Philosophical Billy-Goat HAVE IMPORTANT” UAD PLACE IT IN THE FIRS comicbooks.com