Unsinkable

Compare and contrast Alfie’s relationship with his father to how Juliana and Sophie interact with their parents. Include a discussion of The Impact of Class on Experiences and The Effect of Change on Relationships. Does wealth directly impact the parent-child relationships in these cases? Why or why not? Support your answer with evidence from the text.

Choose three choices made by the characters of the novel and explore how each lead to the Titanic’s demise. Could the tragedy have been prevented if these decisions were made differently? From your exploration, what do you think was the main reason for the tragedy? Support your answer with evidence from the text.

Compare and contrast how Paddy and Juliana view the luxury offered aboard the Titanic. What does each perspective suggest about the influence of wealth and status, as well as the effects of wealth and status on disadvantaged groups?

Based on historical data about the Titanic’s demise and the information given about the characters, explore how likely the four protagonists are to survive the Titanic’s sinking. What factors make some characters more or less likely to survive than others? Is the relationship between the children enough to save those with a less likely chance of survival? Why or why not?

Analyze Juliana’s willingness to blame Paddy for his place in society and the hardships that befall him as a result. How do the strictures of the upper class make Juliana believe that wealth and status make her better than other people? Why does it take Sophie calling out Juliana’s behavior for Juliana to realize that she’s wrong? Is there a link between wealth and empathy?

Using the ideas discussed in The Inevitability of Progress, explore the definition of progress. Are progress and change the same thing? If so, why? If not, where do progress and change diverge from one another?

What does the inclusion of chapters about the Titanic’s officials offer to the story? Do these chapters feel necessary to Unsinkable? Why or why not?

Explore the book’s messaging about the struggle that people like Paddy face trying to better their situation. How do the strictures of society work to keep the poor poor and the rich rich? What kind of change must people like Paddy experience to truly elevate their place in society, and why is such change so difficult to bring about?