Life — November 20, 1924 — page 9: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis This is a satirical cartoon from *Life* magazine mocking Puritan social attitudes. The scene shows a woman in a long cape striking a dramatic pose on a snowy street, observed by three men in coats and hats. The joke, explained in the caption, contrasts two Puritan perspectives: the first wonders "what does prudence think she's doing?" while the second guesses she's "posing for one of those Thanksgiving magazine covers." The satire targets how Puritans—associated with strict morality and religiosity—were nonetheless willing to embrace theatrical, attention-seeking poses for popular media. The cartoon implies hypocrisy: the woman's dramatic stance contradicts the modesty Puritanism supposedly demands, yet she performs it for commercial purposes (magazine covers). This mocks the gap between Puritan values and their actual behavior in modern consumer culture.