Life, 1921-03-10 · page 7 of 36
Life — March 10, 1921 — page 7: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page presents a humorous essay titled "What Is Love?" that offers satirical definitions from various social archetypes—the Flapper, Bigamist, Cynic, Playwright, Statistician, Philosopher, Middle Aged Gentleman, and Obedient Wife. Each perspective parodies that character type's worldview. The accompanying cartoon depicts a police sergeant questioning a small girl about a lost kitten with yellow eyes named Mary. The humor operates on multiple levels: the sergeant treats the mundane lost-pet situation with bureaucratic formality, while the girl's casual response contrasts with his serious demeanor. This satirizes both police procedure and childhood innocence, typical of Life magazine's gentle social comedy from the early 20th century.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
OVE (says the Flapper) means a dia- L ond and platinum engagement ring just like Mabel’s. (says the Statistician) is a very yrtant factor in increasing the popu- lation of the country. Love (says the Playwright) is an indis- pensable element in dramatic motivation, Love (says the Puritan) is a Duty the Obedient Wife owes to her Spouse. What Is Love? Love (says the Bigamist) is the light that leads me on and on, from wife to wife, in my search for the Ideal Woman. Love (says the Cynic) is what fills the almshouses with the children of fools who married and tried to live on bread and cheese and kisses. Love (says the Middle Aged Gentle- man) is a series of mistakes that I would gladly make again. Love (says the Philosopher) is all fool- ishness, and God grant that I may be a fool once more! Love (said the Lover) Yes! (said the other Lov we know! From which we deduce that Love is something that cannot be defined by the only people who really know what it is. Don Marquis. ‘ Yes! )lknow... Byer aoe Little Girl: Police Sergeant: Lost A KITTEN? WHAT KIND OF A KITTEN? IT’S GOT YELLOW EYES AN’ ITS NAME IS MARY, comicbooks.com