Life — February 23, 1922 — page 10: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis of "The Liars" Page This page from *Life* magazine contains two satirical pieces about social pretense among wealthy New Yorkers. **"The Liars"** (left column) mocks the excuses wealthy people make to avoid responsibilities—claiming inability to find maids, refusing to hire drivers, inventing social obligations. The narrator exposes these as transparent lies masking unwillingness to spend money or effort. **"Fiction à la Mode"** (right) begins a story about Mary's dots/dashes, appearing to parody overwrought literary writing. **The cartoon** below depicts two children observing a stuck horse/cart, with one saying they'd be "stuck about a mile up" and unable to get down—seemingly illustrating how poor planning or pretense can trap people in bad situations, connecting to the broader theme of self-deception among the upper classes.