Life — April 21, 1921 — page 6: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis of "The Thoughts of Hermione" This page satirizes the "Modern Young Woman" of the 1920s. The main article presents Hermione's arguments for embracing Dada and Bahaism—avant-garde artistic and spiritual movements of the era—while rejecting traditional motherhood and marriage. The cartoon depicts a "Receiving Teller" at what appears to be a bank, with a caption about putting a dollar in. This likely mocks the commercialization of modern movements and fads. The satire targets young women who adopted radical intellectual positions (Dada, rejection of "Child Culture") while remaining financially dependent. Hermione's mother represents conventional wisdom, arguing such poses are impractical affectation. The piece ridicules both the earnest embrace of avant-garde movements and young women's attempts at sophistication detached from practical realities.