Unsinkable

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

The Titanic is the main setting of the novel, and it symbolizes The Impact of Class on Experiences. The Titanic accommodated three levels of travel—first, second, and steerage (third)—and these three categories were sectioned off within different areas of the ship. First-class passengers enjoyed the uppermost floors with the best views of the sky and ocean. In addition, the first-class parts of the ship had the largest rooms, the plushest carpets, and the richest variety of amenities to choose from. By contrast, second class still offered many of the luxuries as first class but on a far less opulent scale, as seen when Paddy takes refuge in the second-class barbershop. Steerage passengers were afforded cramped, dark rooms on the lower levels of the passenger floors. Steerage passengers were not given space to store objects in the cargo hold—a service offered primarily to first-class passengers and, as space allowed, to second class. As seen by Paddy’s exploration of the cargo hold, first-class passengers brought all manner of objects, from several trunks full of clothes to a fancy motorcar. This division of space, amenities, and storage represents how wealth is used as a measure to keep people of different societal statuses apart.