Life, 1921-01-27 · page 33 of 36
Life — January 27, 1921 — page 33: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This three-panel visual gag satirizes melodramatic romance fiction. The sequence shows a woman in emotional turmoil—abandoned, heartbroken, desperately hoping for her lover's return. The dramatic buildup ("Would she open it upon the dawn of a new happiness?") mimics overwrought pulp fiction tropes. The punchline reveals the absurdity: the man at the door is merely a plumber, come to fix her bathtub. The title "The Force of Gravity" appears to refer to how reality comes crashing down on her romantic fantasies—literal gravity (illustrated by the couple tumbling off furniture in panels 2-3) deflates her emotional idealism. The cartoon mocks both sentimental fiction conventions and women's supposed susceptibility to melodrama, presenting the gap between romantic expectation and mundane domestic reality as inherently comic.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
THE FORCE OF GRAVITY WHEN IT HAPPENS. The Wonder of It All! GHE Aung herself upon her bed, her heart dull with despair. Why was he so cruel, so deaf to her pleading? Only an hour |cfore she had stood before him begging—yes, begging— him to come to her. Oh, the shame of it! And she needed him somuch, The children . . . Mercy? He had none! She could still see the cruel smile on his face. He was deaf to her pleas, blind to her radiant beauty. Oh, why had she ever put herself in his power? Suddenly the sharp ring of the bell arrested the thoughts that surged through her tortured brain. A wild hope flamed in her heart. Dare she hope that he had come? She ran to the door and paused a moment. Would she open it upon the dawn of a new happiness? . . . Suddenly she flung it open. He had come! “Well, lady, I'm ready to fix that bathtub,” said the plumber. The Ex-Soldier The Busy Man The Thoughtful Woman Enjoy THE LIVING AGE Through Its Pages They Follow the World’s Affairs Week by Week Easily—Quickly—Reliably In Size—It Can Be Slipped Into the Coat Pocket In Scope—It Encircles the Globe The Ex-Soldier Keeps Ever Fresh His Knowledge of European Affairs The Busy Man Learns Quickly Each Week Events of International Importance in All Countries The Living Age publishes whole, live, gripping accounts of actual conditions in other countries— not mere extracts and allusions. These articles are written by citizens of those countries—they are not the opinions of American travelers. An additional note of interest is contributed, occasionally, by the publication of European and Oriental views on America. These kaleidoscopic pen-portraits are peculiarly illuminating and thought-provoking. Many pages also are devoted to Life, Letters, and the Arts, keeping one abreast of the world’s ad- vance in these fields. Under the Same Management as The Atlantic Monthly SPECIAL OFFER Two or More Subscriptions on Same Order— $5.00 Each, per Year (Sample Copy Sent Free on Request) Regular Rate $1.50—3 Months $3.00—6 Months $6.00—One Year Foreign Postage $1.50 per Year Extra, Canadian 50c. THE LIVING AGE COMPANY, 8 Arlington Street, Boston, 17, Mass. Gentlemen: Enclosed find® $..........for subseripions, for term of (Issued each Saturday) © Foreign Posage $1.50 per Year Exwra, Canadian 50c, comicbooks.com