Life — November 30, 1928 — page 5: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis The main cartoon depicts two women in conversation near a window, with the caption presenting a dialogue about divorce costs. One woman tells the other that a lawyer quoted her five dollars for a divorce, which she rejected as an insult—the cost being less than the value of her jewelry. This satirizes attitudes toward divorce and marriage in the early 20th century, mocking both the commodification of relationships and women's materialism. The joke relies on period assumptions about marriage as a financial transaction and women's concern with possessions. The surrounding text contains three separate pieces: "All-American" discusses collegiate football team lineups and ethnic names; "Hark to the hip-hurrahs" comments on cheering traditions; and "He Approved" briefly quotes someone's opinion on a theater movement. These appear to be typical magazine filler content and brief commentary rather than connected satirical pieces.