Beyond the Shipwreck

    Above the ship's surface tells the timeless tale of the love story of Rose DeWitt Bukater and Jack Dawson. And as it voyages across the North Atlantic Ocean a century ago, it also sails through the story of a series of unfortunate events underprivileged people had to face in the film — to wrap it all up, classism. Throughout the realistic fictional film, Jack represented what it felt to be looked down upon. The bigger picture that is being overlooked, moreover, is that the reservation of the extravagant accomodation to the upper class is already a classist representation itself. As someone who has had not entirely experienced such systematic oppression, I barely relate; so I opt to bring into discussion what my father had endured (to show as an example) from the classist treatment he had to receive from his relatives and churchmates because of being unemployed due to medical reasons.

    It is bothering to bring the view that poor people are "insects which must be squashed" into life, and that becomes the situation my father had to experience, more vexing as it comes from his very own relatives and churchmates. Starting from his relatives, I've not heard that much from them. But when I've learned that he was treated just like an "insect" by every moment he seeks help from them; they all lead comfortable lives, and as they act like that, I promised myself not to hear from them anymore in the future. Furthermore, in his church, it happened likewise. There was this one time that he was segregated to an organizing team for a church event by the amount of monetary donations he can offer, and I despised that religion for that. Though he cooperated, the systematic view already set on him will no longer change the fact that their system is unfair and, for me, infuriating. They say that they are for the poor, and they initiate charities for the poor, but when it comes to my father, they do not practice what they preach. It is already years ago, and I've learned to believe to hate the sin and not the sinner; it's not the religion I must place my hatred on, but its people.

    In this day and age when social class is the biggest deal and that if you can't afford somebody's lifestyle, you are tagged as the lowest. This has to be the reality that is a pill so hard to swallow as society continues to divide people of their decks of the ship based on their socioeconomic status. With this reality, I see this not only as a problem, but a call for action for everyone to believe that if only life does not deprive people of equal opportunities and not make comfortability as a privilege, then maybe we could live the "Ship of Dreams" we would always wanted to live. All in all, Titanic taught me not to look on the surface of the ship, but beyond the shipwreck.

This is the personal essay of Sesinand Julius A. Estabillo. He is a Grade 12 - HUMSS student at Saint Augustine School - Tanza.