Life, 1921-02-03 · page 15 of 46
Life — February 3, 1921 — page 15: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page satirizes American snobbery about ancestry. Dr. Samuel A. Elliot of Boston asserts that Mayflower descendants are "very ordinary village people" — essentially plebeian, not aristocratic. The satire mocks the pretension of claiming superiority based on Mayflower ancestry, suggesting such genealogical status is overrated. The lower illustration, drawn by Kerr Eby, depicts a poor girl visiting Washington Market with her mother for the first time. Her caption reads "Mama, is this heaven?" — satirizing the wonder and amazement of ordinary working-class people experiencing abundance. The cartoon contrasts sharply with the upper article's critique of elite ancestry-worship, highlighting the genuine value of everyday life over inherited status.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Don’t Knock 'Em! R. SAMUEL A. ELLIOT, of Boston, asserts that the Mayflower Pilgrims were “very ordinary village people,” illiterate and essentially plebeian. Shock- ing as this accusation is, it is of no per- manent importance. Mayflower ancestry Drawn by Kerr Eby is Mayflower ancestry. It is a matter settled by genealogists, not by grammar- ians. You've either got it or you haven't got it. If yousare descended from the Mayflower, you belong. Isn't it a great thing to belong? Well, rather. What dif- ference does it make whether your special Mayflower forbear could read and write or not? You've got his name and num- ber and you need it in your business as an American exclusive. Enough said. "Rah for the Mayflowers—literate or illiterate ! in haste, repent in lei- Poor little girl (visiting Washington Market with her mother for the first time) : MAMA, IS THIS HEAVEN? comicbooks.com