Life, 1920-04-22 · page 27 of 44
Life — April 22, 1920 — page 27: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains three satirical pieces: **"Jonah, Still at Home"** critiques Professor Richard Moulton's scholarly dismissal of the biblical Book of Jonah as "utterly devoid of truth." The piece mocks both the professor's extreme statement and the religious establishment's outrage over it. The satire suggests that whether or not Jonah is literally true is irrelevant—it will persist culturally regardless, just as people still believe in Santa Claus despite knowing better. The actual complaint about poor typography is humorously reframed as the real issue. **"At the Misogynists' Club"** is a brief joke about an engaged couple who cannot afford to marry because he spent too much courting her. The dark humor suggests the high cost of living inadvertently prevents marriage—presenting economic hardship as having an unexpected positive effect. **"The Eternal Spring Triangle"** cartoon satirizes theatrical melodrama, contrasting real human drama (erring husbands, jealous wives, seduction) with actors performing these same scenarios on stage. The joke critiques both theatrical artificiality and life's genuine emotional struggles. The top illustration depicts sailors discussing melancholy seasickness.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
LIFE- “THERE'S SOMETHIN’ AROUT TH’ SEA THAT MAKES \ FELLER SAD, Jor.” “YES Jonah, Still at Home P FESSOR RICHARDG MOULTON, Mod om fer's Bible and professor of editor of the literature in English in the University ago, has recently been getting self disliked among the orthodox < reported as having said that the of Jonah is “utterly devoid of truth,” and that “it is one of the worst printed hook This has aroused the resentment of er, the Life of Faith, whose editor remarks in the world.” a British pa \nd the pity is that when out- rugeous statements of this character male from the pulpit, the daily newspapers carry them into almost every home in the land.” The editor of the Presbyterian, of Philadelphia, however, ‘s inclined to be British seriously “While “knows the He reminds his take “too \merican extremists.” latory. lrother not. to these he continues, outcome of all this defiance and Dusphemy, let us pray and hope for repentant . t, after all, is Brother Moulton so had as these irate gentlemen are ready to make him out? Without being able ly quote him precisely, we believe that in places high and low.” what he meant, when he referred to the story of Jonah as being the worst orinted, was that the typographical ar- rangement is very poor. This is not such an unfair criticism, but one that Biblical scholars have often made. The other charge, that the story of Jonah is devoid of truth, vf course, more serious. But then, critical doubted Santa people have H's SBN THE WIND Ae Claus, and it has not seemed to make much difference. Jonah will be with us for some time yet At the Misogynists’ Club “BRAMBLE. spent so much money on the girl he is engaged to that now they can’t afford to get married.” “Well, I hate to admit it, but the high cost of living does do some good, after all.” WIN’ TH! FROTH OVER TH’ BAR.” Reality? HE street is the stage over which walk the real actors in the greatest drama of life And these sit inside « dingy theatre and watch with care-free amusement their imitators crawl across its impro- Vised stage. THE ETERNAL SPRING TRIANGLE THE ERRING HUSBAND, THE JEALOUS WIFE AND THE SEDUCTIVE SEED CATALOGUE comicbooks.com