Will the lifeboats be seated according to class?

 

There are some great perks that come with working in the radio industry.  One of them is having access to tickets to advanced movie screenings before their actual release date.  I can remember being at a Showcase Cinema in December, 1997 and my Top-40 radio station had secured six theatres for advanced screenings of Titanic.  Like most people in attendance, our expectations were simply that we were going to watch a movie about the boat that sank in April, 1912.  Looking back, I don’t think I even knew, or cared, that Leonardo DiCaprio was part of the cast.  What I do remember clearly about that night was how emotionally moved I was.  Yes, I was one of the many in the theatre that couldn’t get out of my seat because I was crying so hard at the end.  Did I not know the ship was going to sink?  Of course I did, but did I know that Jack and Rose would form such a bond in just a few short days that had me in love with their love?  Absolutely not.

 

Seeing the movie centered around a cruise ship, there was no surprise to see different classes.  Modern-day ships have clear distinctions of wealth.  Balcony cabins vs inside state rooms, and even options for suites on most cruise lines.  However, I didn’t realize the examples of the Marxist perspective until properly analyzing it through study.  One of my all-time favorite quotes that exemplifies Marxist theory is when Ruth asks if the lifeboats will be seated according to class and Rose responds with, “Oh Mother, shut up!  Don’t you understand?  The water is freezing and there aren’t enough boats.  Not enough by half.  Half the people on this ship are going to die”.  The nail in the coffin regarding “class” comes when Cal pipes in and says “Not the better half.”. 

 

So, when I travel on my next cruise and I’m sitting on my private balcony, reading a book or enjoying my morning coffee that was delivered by room service, should I be thinking about the wide range of classes that are on the ship?  From the kitchen staff to stateroom stewards to those with inside cabins on Deck Two, should I concern myself with thoughts of social and economical class struggles and differences?