Life — November 20, 1919 — page 9: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Life Magazine Page Analysis This page satirizes early 20th-century labor disputes and urban anxieties through three vignettes titled "Extremes Meet," "Threatened Scarcity," and "In Between." The left section mocks Brooklyn plumbers' wage demands (starting January 1st), quoting Charles Durley Warner's prediction that rising wages won't solve worker discontent. The satire suggests laborers complain perpetually regardless of pay increases. The center section ironically presents welfare concerns—the wealthy worry poverty will disappear, leaving insufficient poor people "to go around." The right section jokes about suburban flight, with someone asking "what is a suburb, anyhow?"—suggesting confusion among city dwellers about the emerging suburban lifestyle. "The Débutante" illustration (bottom) appears unrelated to the labor theme. Together, these pieces critique both labor unrest and class anxieties during an era of industrial change.