Life — December 9, 1920 — page 12: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis This page contains three separate pieces: 1. **"Simple"** (top): A cartoon mocking motorist Johnny Dwyer, who claims overheating ("It's hot, or else I am a liar!") and blames his vehicle rather than admit poor driving. The joke satirizes early automobile owners who made excuses for mechanical problems. 2. **"Passing of an Old Friend"** (right): A sentimental short story about a gray squirrel hunted for its coat. It contrasts the squirrel's positive contributions to nature and children's joy against commercial exploitation. This reflects early conservation concerns. 3. **"Advertisement"** (center-left): A pompous self-advertisement where someone boasts of universal superiority and eventual dominance, with a dialogue between Browne and Towne questioning whether officeholders serve the people or themselves—typical political commentary on bureaucratic self-interest.