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.