Life — December 18, 1919 — page 33: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This Life magazine page contains two satirical pieces critiquing American life circa early 20th century. **"Deported, But Not Departed"** (main illustration): A tall figure with a butterfly net stands atop a wooden stump, catching flying figures—likely immigrants or undesirable people—suggesting failed deportation policies. The phrase implies people targeted for removal remain present regardless. **"All the Comforts"**: Mocks the false "homelike" appeal of vacation boarding houses, where guests endure bathroom monopolization, rude servants, and mocking—ironic "comforts." **"The System"**: Satirizes agricultural inefficiency. A farmer grows eggs but cannot sell them directly to consumers. Instead, eggs pass through a chain: farmer → commission agent → jobber → city wholesaler → country grocer → back to the farmer himself. This criticizes middlemen profiteering and circular, wasteful distribution systems that inflated costs while producers received minimal benefit. The page targets institutional dysfunction, immigration policy, and capitalist inefficiency.