Unsinkable

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of death.

The main characters of Unsinkable come from different walks of life. As a result, each child experiences the world of the Titanic differently, and their societal class dictates the experiences they have, as well as the options available for dealing with those experiences. As a stowaway aboard the ship who comes from a life on the streets, Paddy experiences the Titanic through a different lens from first-class passengers like Juliana and Sophie. From the moment he first finds himself in the first-class area of the ship, Paddy almost can’t believe the level of luxury that exists because it is so different from anything he’s ever experienced. In Chapter 8, Paddy is mystified by the steam rooms where people can just relax, and he also makes note of “every hatch, closet, nook, and cranny that might serve as a hiding place, should the need arise” (53). The necessity for Paddy to seek out hiding places among the finery shows how his social standing puts him at risk, particularly among the first-class passengers. Far from enjoying or even understanding these luxuries, Paddy sees first-class areas as places where wealthy passengers could realize that he’s a stowaway and have him tossed in the brig. Thus, Paddy’s character arc symbolizes the struggles of belonging to a lower class, as well as the ease of power in a higher class. His view of the ship as a symbol of both opportunity and threat illustrates how class can shape even the most basic sense of safety.

While Paddy’s story reveals how systems of wealth and privilege leave lower-class individuals exposed and unprotected, Juliana’s character arc explores the hardening effect of money and influence on empathy. As the daughter of an earl—a prominent member of England’s upper class—Juliana has lived in luxury her entire life. Rather than as people with individual lives and struggles, she views her family’s servants as objects who are there to provide a specific function for her. As a result, Juliana is removed from any sense of the hardship experienced by those without her privilege, and she believes that simply following the rules of society would enable anyone to achieve her family’s level of wealth and prestige. Juliana believes in rule and order and naively assumes that observing these binaries will advance disadvantaged individuals. When Juliana first meets Paddy, her entire worldview is upended. She has never seen such poverty, and she cannot fathom his decision to break the law and stow away aboard the Titanic to get away from the gangsters chasing him. In keeping with her upbringing, she blames Paddy for everything that’s befallen him, not understanding that being born into a lower class has given Paddy little agency. Her inability to understand is a direct result of how society has coddled her. Thus, Juliana shows how the mindset inherent in social privilege smothers empathy for those without similar privilege. Her eventual transformation becomes a testament to how proximity to others’ lived realities can unravel long-held prejudices.

Juliana’s relationship with Paddy reveals how class influences both characters’ views of the world. However, similar social class is not indicative of similar understanding, as seen through the differences between Juliana and Sophie. While both girls are traveling first class, their views of the world and of the lower classes mark how their experiences of high class and privilege are very different. Juliana’s isolation from the struggles of the lower classes has smothered her empathy toward them. By contrast, Sophie has gained an appreciation for how class treats people differently through watching her mother fight for women’s rights. While the actions of her mother sometimes aggravate her, Sophie cannot deny that men are afforded privileges that women are not, such as the right to vote. When Sophie meets Paddy, she transfers this understanding to his situation, which allows her to recognize and empathize with how his societal status disadvantages him. Further, Sophie’s ability to see this also allows her to influence Juliana to see how privilege has insulated her. For Juliana, simply observing Paddy’s hardship isn’t enough. She needs a cue from Sophie (someone of a similar social class) to realize that society treats people differently based on class. In this way, Sophie’s privilege becomes a catalyst for change, showing how privilege itself is not strictly negative. Instead, it becomes a responsibility that, when wielded with awareness, can drive social growth and compassion.