Life — August 24, 1922 — page 3: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "Birth of a Feather" Cartoon Analysis This cartoon illustrates a social satire about hypocrisy and moral compromise. Two men in period dress converse on a street; the older man gives something to the younger while saying "I am going to give you something, in spite of my convictions." The younger man replies: "Oh, don't worry about them, sir. I was convicted twice, myself." The joke plays on the double meaning of "convicted"—the older man means moral/ethical convictions, while the younger man interprets it as criminal convictions. This reveals the cartoon's point: that both men lack genuine principles. The younger man's casual reference to actual legal convictions (implying a criminal record) suggests they're equally unprincipled, making the older man's sanctimonious statement absurd.