Life — November 1935 — page 11: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis of "Some of the People—Our Country" Page This satirical page critiques American government inefficiency and political hypocrisy during the New Deal era. The header cartoon depicts chaos and disorder, setting a mocking tone. The left column lists absurd government facts: a zoo director's call to import gumbo to stop storks, Texas prison escapes, the Supreme Court building's single bathtub, and Capitol janitors struggling with vermin—all highlighting bureaucratic incompetence and waste. The "Prayers for Approaching Thanksgiving" section parodies both parties: Democrats praise FDR's social legislation while Republicans mock Democratic dogma and urge faith in a future Republican leader. "The Voters" cynically portrays citizens as bees merely surviving, grateful simply to be alive—suggesting widespread political apathy and resignation rather than engaged citizenship.