Life — August 2, 1928 — page 11: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Political Cartoon Analysis The top cartoon depicts a car driver stopping a passenger from exiting onto a dangerous street. The sign reads "Danger," but the passenger insists "It's all right for me, ma'am. I can't read." This satirizes **illiteracy in early 20th-century America**—a social problem the accompanying article addresses. The joke's dark humor comes from the passenger's casual acceptance of danger due to inability to read warning signs, implying illiteracy made people vulnerable to harm. The lower cartoon shows two men discussing "Lumbago" and "moderne furniture," likely mocking pretentious adoption of modern design terminology among the upper classes. Both cartoons exemplify *Life* magazine's approach: using humor to critique social problems and class affectation of the era.