Life — March 18, 1920 — page 34: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This essay satirizes front doors as having distinct personalities, like humans. The accompanying illustrations show doors as social gatekeepers—one depicts prehistoric cave dwellers with animal-shaped doors, humorously suggesting doors have always defined civilization and social status. The lower illustration shows a domestic scene where visitors arrive at a front door, likely commenting on the social rituals surrounding formal entry into homes. The text humorously describes how front doors reveal character: whether ornate or plain, they signal class status, hospitality, and personality. The satire gently mocks Victorian social pretension—how much weight people place on appearances, including their literal doorways, as markers of respectability and refinement. It's a lighthearted commentary on conspicuous display and social climbing through domestic decoration.