Life — June 30, 1921 — page 13: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page of illustrations by Robert L. Dickey depicts small dogs (appears to be Pekingese or similar lap breeds) in various scenes with mice. The title "The Cave Man" suggests a humorous parallel between primitive human behavior and dog behavior. The satire likely mocks either: 1. Contemporary men behaving like "cave men" (crude, aggressive) 2. The fashion for lap dogs among wealthy urbanites, contrasting refined society ladies' pets with "primitive" hunting instincts The repeated scenarios of dogs chasing or interacting with mice humorously reduce civilized pet ownership to base predatory instinct. The cartoonist suggests these pampered, bow-adorned companion animals retain ancestral hunting drives despite their domesticated, decorative role in upper-class homes. The joke plays on the gap between appearance (refined lap dog) and nature (hunter).