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The Implications of Space and Mobility in James Cameronâ•Žs Titanic

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The Implications of Space and Mobility in James Cameronâ•Žs Titanic Florida State University Libraries Electronic Theses, Treatises and Dissertations The Graduate School 2013 The Implications of Space and Mobility in James Cameron's Titanic Cindy Stewart Follow this and additional works at the FSU Digital Library. For more information, please contact [email protected] FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF COMMUNICATION AND INFORMATION THE IMPLICATIONS OF SPACE AND MOBILITY IN JAMES CAMERON’S TITANIC By CINDY STEWART A Thesis submitted to the School of Communication in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts Degree Awarded: Fall Semester, 2013 Cindy Maria Stewart defended this thesis on October 14, 2013 The members of the supervisory committee were: Davis Houck Professor Directing Thesis Jennifer Proffitt Committee Member Michael Neal Committee Member Stephen McDowell Committee Member The Graduate School has verified and approved the above-named committee members, and certifies that the thesis has been approved in accordance with university requirements. ii To my mom, Maria: thank you so much for all your sacrifice so that I could earn a good education, and for guiding me to make the best choices possible in my life. Also, thank you for discussing the themes of Titanic with me. To my dad, Jim, and brother, Jose: thank you for ultimately acknowledging the relevance of the issues addressed in a “chick flick” like Titanic. iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to thank my thesis director, Professor Davis Houck, for his dedication to helping me think critically about my favorite movie, Titanic. I greatly appreciate the time he has taken to discuss my thesis topic with me, and continuously prompt me with questions and ideas that furthered the improvement of this project. It has been a long journey, and I am grateful for Professor Houck’s ongoing encouragement to consider Titanic’s meaning beyond its Hollywood pizazz—this project would not have come to fruition without Professor Houck’s guidance. I would also like to thank Professors Jeanette Castillo, Jennifer Proffitt, and Michael Neal for serving on my committee. They have provided many insightful perspectives on my thesis topic, and been a vibrant group to bring together. Also, thank you to Christine Willingham, Leah Hunter, and Wanda Fenimore for taking the time to give me feedback on an initial draft of one of my thesis chapters. Thank you to Professor Stephen McDowell for stepping in to serve on my committee when Professor Castillo could no longer do so. Many thanks to Ms. Natashia Hinson-Turner for helping me arrange the time and location of my defense. Thank you to Jeff Norcini for making sure my thesis manuscript was correctly formatted. Finally, thanks to Professor Mark Zeigler, who never ceased to give words of inspiration in regard to staying focused at the initial stages of this project. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES ..................................................................................................................... viii ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................................... xi CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION ..............................................................................................1 Literature Review ....................................................................................................................2 Practical Applications of the Film .................................................................................4 Economics and the Film.................................................................................................4 Appeal of the Film .........................................................................................................6 Mythic and Story Origins.............................................................................................12 Production and Distribution .........................................................................................21 Symbolism and Thematics in the Film ........................................................................23 Sentimentality in the Film ............................................................................................29 Issues of Gender ...........................................................................................................32 Issues of Class ..............................................................................................................33 Space and Mobility ......................................................................................................37 General Concepts on Space and Mobility ....................................................................39 Methodology ..........................................................................................................................42 Chapter Outlines ....................................................................................................................43 CHAPTER TWO: LIMITED SPACE AND MOBILITY .............................................................44 Unlimited Mobility…Or So Jack Believes ............................................................................45 Restrained Visions of Life .....................................................................................................46 Mobility with the Titanic .......................................................................................................48 Gender and Power at Lunch ..................................................................................................49 Stepping Out for Some Air ....................................................................................................52 The Only Escape ....................................................................................................................55 Conclusion .............................................................................................................................60 CHAPTER THREE: UNLIMITED SPACE AND MOBILITY ...................................................62 Anchor of Freedom and Restraint .........................................................................................63 Men Call the Shots ................................................................................................................64 “It’s Overwhelming” .............................................................................................................65 “Powerless to Stop It!” ..........................................................................................................67 Bonding on Deck ...................................................................................................................69 v First Class Dinner Party and a Third Class Philosophy ........................................................73 A Real Party ..........................................................................................................................80 A Threatening Breakfast ........................................................................................................82 Tightening the Corset of Rose’s Life ....................................................................................83 Religion as a First Class Privilege .........................................................................................84 Sneaky Stroll on First Class Deck—Rose, Follow Your Instincts!.......................................86 The Decision to Fly ...............................................................................................................87 “Will This Light Do?” ...........................................................................................................90 The Wild Getaway .................................................................................................................92 Conclusion .............................................................................................................................95 CHAPTER FOUR: NEW SPACE AND MOBILITY ...................................................................99 Cal’s Remaining Control .......................................................................................................99 Pondering the Situation .......................................................................................................101 Rose to the Rescue ...............................................................................................................103 A Swing of Freedom ...........................................................................................................108 Getting to a Lifeboat Round Two ........................................................................................108 “You Jump, I Jump, Right?” ...............................................................................................111 Escaping the Flood Waters ..................................................................................................114 An Unexpected Choice ........................................................................................................116 Religious Words of Immobility to Mobility ........................................................................116 The Ship Goes Down ...........................................................................................................119 Staying Afloat and Alive for the Lifeboats .........................................................................120 “I’ll Never Let Go” ..............................................................................................................123
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