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Throughout Biel’s second part titled “Memories” I was particularly struck by the idea of recovery. While I believe in many of the narratives about Titanic fascination, something about the 1985 recovery effort seemed disturbing. In the past twenty years, the rediscovery of the Titanic has drastically altered public perception. Instead of remembering the tragedy, society seems to have depersonalized the loss of so many lives.
Living relatively close to Woods Hole, I find it very hard to imagine the entire world focusing on this small Massachusetts town. Robert Ballard represented the frontier of man, venturing into the unknown. The symbolic nature made this small town and researcher much more than they intended. Yet, should Ballard be elevated as an explorer, frontiersman, or simply an opportunist? Biel even makes Ballard out to be someone is troubled by his prolific success. The idea of using someone else’s tragedy into profit seems almost dirty and wrong. Nevertheless, society remains addicted to the Titanic. Based on the references to Titanic buffs, Titanic memorabilia, and even the recreation attempts today, we are drawn to it despite the catastrophic nature. The Titanic even has a permanent exhibit at the Luxor in Las Vegas, right next to the Jabbawockeez and Carrot Top. The Titanic has a cultural draw. Nevertheless, my fascination with the world’s obsession makes me wonder what is next. Are we drawn because of the length of time it took us to uncover the artifacts, the fact that we know so little about the ocean depths (more about space than the ocean floor), the popular appeal through the media (movies, plays, and books) or because it is the biggest failure of modern technology. As AJ notes Biel brings in every detail for metaphoric comparison. The promotion of the Titanic has historically been for significant promotion of policy change. However is it possible that our society sees tragedy and just tragedy and revels in uncertainty? There seems to be an eerie comparison between the mysteries surrounding the Titanic and the search efforts for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370. Certainly it seems that the uncertainty about location and the troubles can be related to the Titanic. The longer the mystery, the more interest grows. Similar to what Biel implies, maybe only when technology uncovers technology’s failures will we accept what happened.
On a side note, I thought Biel’s afterword about modern phrases about Titanic usage was very well thought out. Considering the word alone has “become a facile, all-purpose reference point for negligence, incompetence, obviousness, or futility” has Titanic fever spread because of the word or the tragedy. Had the Titanic been named something else, something more original and not a common adjective, would the word still live in infamy? The word has not changed definition, but through the negative connotations, now the word has a new meaning. Politicians, students, and professionals use the word often only as a negative word for size. Nevertheless, the word still has the same definition. Does this help with the memory of this tragedy or diminish the meaning? By only using the word “titanic” as a metaphor colossal failure, we not only ruin the word but disrespect the event.
Research Update:
As an extension of my blog post, I will update the progress of my final paper. After reviewing several primary and secondary sources, I was surprised at how accurate the preliminary damage reports were for the Great New England Hurricane. Nevertheless, my general thesis stands unchanged. Essentially, while the US Weather Bureau and the media overlooked this storm, ultimately nothing could have changed the destruction. The Storm was unlike anything that has ever hit the area and, in reality, nothing could have prevent the coastal destruction.