The sinking of the Titanic has often been inaccurately portrayed in popular culture. This is because the Titanic’s appeal in popular culture is largely based upon fictionalised or exaggerated depictions of historic events. Despite this, the sinking of the Titanic has left an undeniable imprint upon the public consciousness and has generated countless novels and films aimed at entertaining the general public through dramatised depictions of the mass sinking. The historical event is one of human interest due to factors that surround it; the hubris surrounding the ship prior to launch, the impact of social class juxtaposed with chances of survival and the fictional characterisation of historical personages on board. It is this contrast between
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This portrayal has its origins within the contemporary media representations of the Titanic, the initial mass publication and hype of the ship in 1912 and the influence of religious thought at the time. The White Star Line continually boasted about the size and stamina of the ship; as it was one of the largest passenger steamships of its time, with statements such as H.G Thorley’s, the Toronto agent of the White Star Line “.. I can hardly credit the idea of the Titanic being in a sinking condition. She is the most completely equipped with water-tight compartments and the most strongly built liner on the high seas.” Due to this conflict between the representation of the ship as unsinkable and the epitome of luxury the contrasting depiction of its disastrous fate created at the time of 1912, a metaphor for divine judgment. The Titanic was seen as representative of the greed, pride and luxury of man; and this perspective of the ship only furthered the story-tale like depictions of it. James Cameron’s 1997 Titanic is align with this view; as whilst the Titanic is sinking ( and lower class passengers are dying ), Cameron contrasts this with shot of gluttonous wealth: chandeliers and diamonds, symbolic of the consequences of wasteful extravagance. Cameron also emphasises the irony of the ship; as the characters comment upon their futures and its status as ‘the most strongly built liner on the high seas’. The audience has the discomfort of knowing of the ill-faired destiny of the ship; and this knowledge enhances Titanic to be seen as the epitome of ‘…. man’s arrogance in equating size with security; his pride in intellectual mastery, his superstitious faith in materialism and
This portrayal has its origins within the contemporary media representations of the Titanic, the initial mass publication and hype of the ship in 1912 and the influence of religious thought at the time. The White Star Line continually boasted about the size and stamina of the ship; as it was one of the largest passenger steamships of its time, with statements such as H.G Thorley’s, the Toronto agent of the White Star Line “.. I can hardly credit the idea of the Titanic being in a sinking condition. She is the most completely equipped with water-tight compartments and the most strongly built liner on the high seas.” Due to this conflict between the representation of the ship as unsinkable and the epitome of luxury the contrasting depiction of its disastrous fate created at the time of 1912, a metaphor for divine judgment. The Titanic was seen as representative of the greed, pride and luxury of man; and this perspective of the ship only furthered the story-tale like depictions of it. James Cameron’s 1997 Titanic is align with this view; as whilst the Titanic is sinking ( and lower class passengers are dying ), Cameron contrasts this with shot of gluttonous wealth: chandeliers and diamonds, symbolic of the consequences of wasteful extravagance. Cameron also emphasises the irony of the ship; as the characters comment upon their futures and its status as ‘the most strongly built liner on the high seas’. The audience has the discomfort of knowing of the ill-faired destiny of the ship; and this knowledge enhances Titanic to be seen as the epitome of ‘…. man’s arrogance in equating size with security; his pride in intellectual mastery, his superstitious faith in materialism and