Life — November 20, 1919 — page 13: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This is a single satirical illustration from *Life* magazine (page 855) depicting a domestic scene. A well-dressed man and woman sit facing each other in a doorway, with children visible in the background and a winter tree visible through the window. The caption reads: "I suppose you will train your son to carry on your business." / "I shall not. I intend to have him join the bricklayers' union." The satire mocks class pretensions and labor politics of the early 20th century. The father—apparently a businessman of means—expects his son to inherit the family enterprise. Instead, he plans for the boy to join the bricklayers' union, a working-class trade. The joke satirizes either the father's misplaced priorities or critiques contemporary attitudes about labor unions and class mobility, likely reflecting debates about industrialization and labor organization during this era.