Life, 1921-05-19 · page 5 of 36
Life — May 19, 1921 — page 5: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This satirical piece by R.B. Tuthill critiques an idealized husband through ironic inversion. The narrator lists his numerous faults—he writes books but shows no real intelligence, laughs at her interests, never compliments her, lacks romantic passion, makes dismissive comments about aging, and engages in flirtations—yet she "forgives" each transgression. The satire's bitter punch: by forgiving *everything*, she's made it "possible for me to stop loving him." The joke exposes how women of this era were culturally pressured to accept male indifference and infidelity as normal, normalizing emotional neglect through endless feminine forgiveness. The illustration shows four women gossiping, with a caption about "Forty" joking regarding marriage prospects—likely reinforcing themes about women's limited romantic options.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
The Perfectly Possible Husband WRITE books. He never reads them, but shows an almost n intelligence concerning the royalties. e him. I love golf, and he laughs at it. i ve him, He never remembers to tell me I am beautiful. Kissing me is easier and more satisfactory—for him. I forgive him. When I try to explain that a woman wants a lover, not just a husband, he yawns and asks me how I get that way. I forgive him. He never has had a big affair with another woman, but fre- quently indulges in harmless flirtations that cheapen me and make people think I cannot keep him. I forgive him. When he takes me out to din..er, he never bothers to make himself interesting. I, talk and he eats. And I forgive him. When I talk to him in terms of youth, he suggests that it is time for me to adopt the language of middle age. Even that, I forgive him! But by reason of all these things, he has made it possible for me to stop loving him. And this 1 can't forgive him! R. B. Tuthill. G | “gy RNS WO sy es OVERHEARD BY “FORTY” “WHY DON'T YOU MARRY JIMMIE, Liz?” “GEE, GIRLIE, 1 DON'T WANT A CRANDFATHER. WHY, HE MUST BE ALMOST THIRTY!” comicbooks.com