Life — September 29, 1921 — page 3: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Life Magazine Page Analysis This page satirizes modern youth and women's independence in the 1920s. The upper section praises "Miss Dolly Doll" for her multi-talented qualifications—athleticism (tennis, boxing, swimming), artistic skills (sketching, batik design), and intellectual pursuits (philosophy, languages, cooking). The tone is gently mocking the "New Woman" ideal of the era. The lower cartoon depicts three young people, with a girl named Aby (age ten) boasting she'll spend her savings on a permanent wave (a fashionable hairstyle treatment), while her brother George scornfully questions this frivolous expense. The joke satirizes youth consumerism and vanity—even children prioritizing trendy appearance over sensible financial planning. This reflects 1920s anxieties about changing social values and youth culture.