Life — October 6, 1921 — page 5: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "Song for the First of the Month" - Life Magazine This page combines a poem by Dorothy Parker with a satirical cartoon about poverty and class struggle. Parker's poem mocks the wealthy's assumption that money solves all problems—"Money cannot fill our needs" and "Make the grocer think that way!" The verses argue that contentment and simple pleasures matter more than wealth. The illustration below depicts working-class men on an outing, apparently roughing it outdoors. The caption reveals the satire: "Host: I know we are roughing it, Henry, but domestic caviar—that's going too far." This mocks wealthy people's attempts to seem relatable by "slumming" while maintaining their luxuries, contrasting sharply with Parker's message about money's actual limitations.