Life — November 4, 1920 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "The Pessimist" - Life Magazine, November 4, 1920 This cartoon depicts a couple dining together on Thanksgiving. The caption reads: "Jack Sprat could eat no lean, far his wife could eat no fat, And so betwixt them you see they licked the platter clean." The joke plays on the nursery rhyme "Jack Sprat" to satirize marital compromise and domestic economy. The reference to "licking the platter clean" likely comments on post-WWI food conservation or household budgeting concerns of the era. The title "The Pessimist" suggests the cartoon critiques a negative outlook—either the husband's dietary limitations or broader wartime/postwar scarcity mentality. The dog beneath the table emphasizes that even pets benefit from this frugal arrangement. The satire mocks restrictive eating habits or financial constraints affecting American households.