Life — March 20, 1924 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis of Life Magazine Cover, March 20, 1921 This is a "War Prize Contest" cover depicting a multi-tiered pyramid structure labeled "Big Business Number." The illustration shows figures climbing upward, with one character holding a sign reading "course in will power" on an intermediate level, while a larger figure sits atop the structure. Below, smaller characters (appearing to include caricatures suggesting different nationalities or groups) struggle at the base. The satire critiques post-WWI capitalism and wealth inequality: the "will power" sign mocks the bootstrap mythology that anyone can succeed through determination alone, while the pyramid structure suggests the actual barriers to upward mobility. The "man-master in the making" subtitle appears ironic—only the privileged few at the top truly gain power, while others remain trapped below regardless of effort.