Puck — September 24, 1879 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Political Cartoon Analysis: "Les Enfants Terribles" (The Terrible Children) This September 1879 *Puck* cartoon satirizes two ambitious political figures as childish competitors. The caption "I want to be President!" and "I Want to be Governor!" depicts them as squabbling children rather than serious statesmen. The title "Les Enfants Terribles" (French for "terrible children") reinforces the mockery—suggesting these politicians are behaving immaturely and petulantly over offices they desire. The caricatured figures appear exaggerated and grotesque, a common *Puck* technique to demean political rivals. Without additional context, the specific identities remain unclear, but the satire's point is evident: the magazine criticized these aspirants as insufficiently serious or dignified for high office, reducing their ambitions to childish squabbling over toys or positions.