Life, 1921-03-17 · page 14 of 40
Life — March 17, 1921 — page 14: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This satirical piece mocks a self-absorbed young woman of the 1920s who claims advanced, spiritual intellectualism while pursuing shallow materialism. The cartoon shows an older man (likely her father, given context about "Papa") confronting her about irresponsible behavior—specifically, a note reading "NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR MEALS LEFT OVER 30 DAYS." The satire targets the pretentious "Advanced Thinkers" who espouse causes like "World's Welfare" and "Cosmic Harmonies" while neglecting practical duties. Hermione dreams of a $300 hat and entertaining a leprechaun, embodying the contradiction between claimed spiritual awakening and actual frivolity. The piece ridicules 1920s young women who adopted intellectual affectations without genuine commitment.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
LIFE The Thoughts of Hermione The Modern Young Woman ALWAYS feel so exalted at Easter time, if you get what Imean . . exalted and, well, made over. A Little Group of Advanced Thinkers that I belong to have been taking up Easter in quite a serious way, lately. . . . Easter and its Symbolism, you know. The loveliest LR man talked to our little group about it; he had the most spiritual eyes—spiritual, and magnetic, too! Isn't Magnetism wonderful! Sacrifice, so he told us, . is the lesson of Easter. And we Advanced Thinkers know more about Sacrifice than any- one else . my life is just one long story of Sacrifice, Sacrifice, Sac- rifice! The things I give up, the Worldly Vanities, you know, in order to keep abreast of the Wider Social Move- ments, are well, their name is legion, as Emerson says some- where. Parties and balls and social gaicties, you know, and all that sort of thing, and extrava- gances—I_ have given them all up for the sake of devoting myself to the World's Welfare, and the Causes that Bring the age closer to Cosmic Harmony. We just loathe frivol- ity, our little group, and nobody could be frivol- ous and devote as much time as we do to Welfare Work, and Slumming Parties, and the City Beautiful Movements, and Psychoanalysis and the Elevation of the Drama, and Household Economics and Spiritism and and . . well, you know, all the latest Causes! If it were not for Little Groups of Advanced Thinkers like ours, how would the world keep in touch with the Cosmic Overtones ? Oh, the Cosmic Overtones! The Cosmic Overtones! Nearly every night before I go to bed I put myself through a little spiritual examination, and I ask myself: “Has my Sub- liminal Self moved in Perfect Harmony with the Cosmic Over- tones to-day, or has it failed?” This man—the one who talked to us about Easter, you know, had the most thrilling voice! How anyone could listen to him and then plunge into Worldliness and Frivolity is more than / can understand. I have the loveliest new gowns,and hats this Easter! dreams! Perfect Poor dear Papa is not always sympathetic towards NOT RESPONSIBLE For MEALS WAIT There was an old waiter named Lait, Who waited till quarter to eight, Then he waited some more On a man by the door Who tipped him a quarter to wait. all my Causes but he always “comes across,” as the horrid slang is, with the check. You see, it is my duty it is the duty of every Awakened Intellect and Every Sensitized Spirit, to take thought of adornment on Easter. My Easter clothes and hats aren’t merely frivolous, fashion- able clothes, you know . . . they are Symbols Symbols of the Inncr Meaning of the day. To dress in Symbolic Harmony with Spring, if you get me, is quite a different thing from vul- gar, fashionable ostenta- tion. One is a Spiritual Necessity, and the other is merely . . . well, common! Don’t you just hate anything common?’ I have a perfect dream of a hat which cost me $300. wit ex presses me, my Ego, if you follow me. And it would be not to express on if one could—all these Urges and things, you know, demand an outlet. I think all the Sacri- fices I have made are giving mea look of ... well, of 2 . .. reall there is only one word to express it . . . a look of Spirituality I looked in my mirror JAMES WoITGOMERY FLAC for an hour this morning, and I was certain that the look there was one of Spiritual Yearning! Isn't it interesting about Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and the fairies? So romantic, don’t you think? If there really are fairies, I suppdse the Advanced Thinkers will have to Adopt an Attitude towards them. Will the Best People take them up? The Best People finally took up Socialists, you know. And I suppose it would be the same way with gnomes and fairies and brownies. Isn't it thrilling! What a sensation I should create if I could get hold of a leprechaun, a real Irish leprechaun! And entertain him socially, you know! If this fairy thing is true, I must write my Irish friends to look out for a leprechaun for me! Some friends of mine entertained Lord Dunsany when he was in America, but I should be the very first to entertain a leprechaun! Well, I must be running along. I have a committee mecting the Society for Raising the Moral Standards of the Pure, you know. Don Marquis. comicbooks.com