Unsinkable

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

“‘Go away. We have just seen our husbands drown.’

The young seaman bit his tongue. She would probably take no comfort in knowing that, of the 1,517 passengers and crew lost in this tragedy, very few lives had been snuffed out by drowning.”

These lines from the Prologue reveal the tragedy of the Titanic’s demise through both the few survivors and the number of victims. The speaker here is a woman, and her words reflect the real-life data that show that younger women had the best chance of survival because of societal norms that called to protect women and children first. The seaman’s thoughts about how the passengers died reflect the horror of the disaster. Following this quotation, the narrative goes on to explain that most people died from sudden hypothermia, a faster but far more painful death than drowning.

“The two had an informal agreement never to make a victim of a poor man—even though they themselves were always much, much poorer. Their unfortunate situation forced them to live by their wits and steal to survive. But there was a line they would not cross, knowing that they weren’t the only hungry youngsters in Belfast.”

These lines come while Paddy and Danny seek out someone else to pickpocket. When Paddy points out a potential mark, Danny vetoes the man because it is clear that he is struggling financially. Though Paddy and Danny are struggling more, their mindset here shows that they refuse to make life worse for someone else who is struggling. Further, this reveals that, while they commit crimes to survive, they are not heartless criminals and only steal from those who can afford to lose. While this does not outright justify theft, it does highlight the failures of society to take care of its own, forcing children like Paddy and Danny into difficult decisions.