Life — March 29, 1923 — page 9: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "Buttons—II" Analysis This is a humorous illustrated sequence depicting bedtime chaos between parents and young children. The cartoon shows a escalating series of scenes: a parent attempting to put a child to bed, the child resisting with increasing energy, multiple children joining the bedtime "battle," and the situation devolving into physical comedy with tangled bodies and complete disorder. The title "Buttons—II" (suggesting a sequel) likely refers to children's clothing, though the joke is universal—the exhausting difficulty of getting energetic kids to sleep. The satire targets parental struggles with bedtime routines, a relatable domestic situation. The artist is Gluyas Williams, known for depicting everyday family life humor in Life magazine during the early-to-mid twentieth century.