Beneath the Iceberg: Delving into the Depiction of Social Strata in 'Titanic' Film (Critique Paper)

Beneath the Iceberg:

 Delving into the Depiction of Social Strata in 'Titanic' Film

Released in 1997, James Cameron depicted the timelessness of the tale of love and tragedy between a man from the lower class (Jack Dawson) and a woman from the upper class (Rose DeWitt Bukater) which made the film receive widespread appreciation for its storytelling, as long as critical viewpoints for its different perspectives in gender, ethnical, and socioeconomic inequalities. In examining the film "Titanic" through a Marxist lens, this critique paper seeks to unveil the underlying socioeconomic disparities and power dynamics that shape the love story, shedding light on how class struggle is intricately woven into the narrative, ultimately revealing the film's portrayal of a world divided by privilege and oppression.

    One of the central themes in Titanic is the division between the upper and lower classes aboard the ship, where the first-class passengers enjoy opulent luxuries. In contrast, the third-class passengers are relegated to cramped and crowded conditions. This presents the broader capitalist society of the early 20th century, where wealth and privilege were concentrated in the hands of a few. The wealthy elite, represented by characters like Rose's family, are depicted as morally bankrupt, exploiting the labor and suffering of the lower classes to maintain their extravagant lifestyles. This portrayal reinforces the Marxist view that capitalism inherently creates and perpetuates class divisions and exploitation.


    The availability of extravagant accommodation to rich people compared to the rather enough one for the underprivileged people is one of the reasons contributing to why the film is an eye-opener to elitism.  From dividing the decks - upper deck for the upper class and lower deck for the lower class - to Jack facing prejudice from Rose's relatives, there is already a highlighting of the stark class division. Taking Jack as an epitome of the "insect which must be squashed," the film also reveals what it feels like to be looked down on. Being the gentleman that needed more practice, it was indeed a social class discrimination being cleared up.

    Furthermore, when the ship sank, it was witnessed that the wealthy elite people were taken into priority over the less fortunate passengers. It can be realized that the allocation of life-saving opportunities - which are lifeboats that can only be used by the portion of the ship capacity - is only reserved for the upper class. With that being said, the capitalist society subtly represented by the film perpetuates inequalities to the lower class as they grant preferential treatment to the rich.

    Portraying class division is one of the other perspectives shown in the film, aside from the representation of love and tragedy. With this approach, Titanic can be reviewed, covering topics involving unfair treatment and views against the poor. In this film, we were able to expose the central yet overlooked themes related to the discrimination against the poor rooted in unbridled capitalism - a divided world setting a room for privilege and oppression.

This is the compiled critique paper of our group.

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