Life — October 7, 1920 — page 21: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This cartoon from *Life* magazine depicts a large crowd of dejected schoolchildren gathered outside a building with a "SCHOOL CLOSED" sign. The caption reads "SHOWING GLOOM CAUSED BY THE TEACHER'S RESIGNATION." The satire is straightforward: it mocks the idea that children would be genuinely upset about a teacher leaving their school. The exaggerated crowd size and expressions of grief suggest the cartoonist is being ironic—implying that most children would actually celebrate a teacher's departure rather than mourn it. The joke plays on the presumed antagonistic relationship between students and teachers, portraying children's typical indifference or joy at school closures as absurdly inverted to sadness.