The RMS Titanic: How did the disaster impact ordinary civilians, families and communities? Essay: Started – 14.08.19 Completed – 01.03.20 On the night of the 14th April 1912, the sinking of the RMS Titanic became one of the largest marine disasters to ever be recorded. 1,500 passengers and members of crew died (Wikipedia), most of hypothermia, freezing in the bitter Atlantic waters. The story of this luxury cruise liners’ tragic maiden voyage is widely known, so much so that in 2012, the Smithsonian Museum in Washington declared ‘Titanic’ the third most recognised word in the world - after God and Coca Cola (Durkee, 2017). The Titanic is not just remembered today because it sank. It is also remembered for its intricate designs built on a colossal scale that still contribute to ship architecture. It is still today referred to as a ‘floating palace’ (Wilson, 2011) because of its grand interior features. Contemporary ships and hotels try to emulate the style that captured so many imaginations originally. My research has shown me that many historians don’t seem to consider the human side of the disaster, and the impact on families of their loved ones perishing at sea. Nor do they spend time looking at the psychological effect of the ordeal on the survivors. Often it is the disaster, beauty, design or scale of the ship that is concentrated on in many sources I have read. This essay shall focus on the different lives of the people on board and assess how the disaster impacted ordinary civilians, families and communities. I will explore in detail the lives of four passengers and one member of crew that were on board the night of the tragedy. Irene Wallach Harris (Renee) Irene Wallach Harris, otherwise known as Renee, was the wife of Henry Harris, a famous Broadway producer. The couple were travelling back from theatrical negotiations in London in a 1st class suite aboard the RMS Titanic to their home in New York. When the last launched lifeboat, collapsible Lifeboat D, was calling for final passengers, her husband helped find a place for her. Little did Renee know that this would be the last time she would see her husband alive (Wikipedia). At 2:05am, along with 44 other first, second and third class passengers, the lifeboat slowly rode into the night. Water had begun seeping through a small hole in the bottom of the boat, and the women on board wearing just thin stockings, nightwear and undergarments were at high risk of catching hypothermia (Wilson, 2011). At 7:15am on the morning of 15th April, the lifeboat was met by the RMS Carpathia; the ship that had received SOS messages from the Titanic’s wireless operators Jack Phillips and Harold Bride. It cannot be said that Renee was overjoyed to have found shelter and a safe place to rest – grief clouded her mind. She was in despair at the sights she saw on the Carpathia, which she found ‘much worse and more difficult to forget’ than the sinking itself (Wilson, 2011). ‘I believe as far as can be made out there are about 150 widows on board, some with children, some with none.’ reported another survivor, Mrs Paul Schabert, in a letter to her father (Wilson, 2011, pp.59). Renee had lost her husband, was alone on a ship full of mourning widows, and had lost most of her personal possessions in the space of eight hours. The Titanic had become the ship of widows. Widowed women like Renee had to be mentally and physically ready to face the realities of the Titanic sinking, particularly when their husbands or loved ones had died in the disaster. In Edwardian society, men were considered superior to women. Typically, men would sustain families by going to work. In contrast, women would produce heirs and look after houses and husbands. Arguably the sinking of the Titanic helped usher in the modern era of women’s rights. The social constraints on women in the Edwardian era began to change as widowed women had to find ways to make money to support themselves and their family. To help with this, the Titanic Relief Fund was formed, where poverty-stricken passengers could claim compensation money (Wilson, 2011, pp. 63). Henry Harris’s death had left Renee ‘penniless’ (Wilson, 2011, pp.63). Furthermore, after his death, Renee discovered a series of debts which left her in a precarious financial position. Renee adapted to the sudden change of circumstance by producing new plays and continuing the work her husband had begun at their Hudson Theatre. Through the tragedy, Renee had transformed herself into Broadway’s first female theatre producer – an example of female empowerment. The first play Renee produced was called ‘Damaged Goods’. It tackled the prevalence of syphilis in the Edwardian middle and lower classes, a taboo subject in the early 20th century (Tress, 2009). Despite her success, she could not raise enough money to save her theatre. She was eventually forced to sell it, an action she was ashamed of and deeply regretted. The loss of her theatre deeply affected the local community as well. After it was sold, it became a sex picture house (Wilson, 2011). Renee Harris died in 1969, aged 93. Despite her hard work and ambition, she died in poverty living off an ‘actor’s benevolence fund’ (Wilson, 2011, pp. 77). I think this woman was no ‘victim’ of Titanic. Instead of giving up to the terrible things she had seen, she tried to live life to the fullest. A true survivor. Michel and Edmond Navratil Another account of survival I have been studying are the dramatic events of the ‘Navratil Orphans’; Michel Jn. and Edmond Navratil. They were travelling in a 2nd class cabin with their father, Michel Sn. These two small young French boys born in Nice were aged just two and four during the voyage. Not long after their birth, the boy’s parents made the decision to divorce, with their mother being awarded full custody of her children. Their father was furious at this, and decided to abduct Michel and Edmond during the Easter holidays. Between 1880 and 1920, America was becoming the cultural, financial and industrial centre of the world. This encouraged more than 20 million immigrants from Europe to seek fresh opportunities in ‘the New World’ (History.com Editors, 2009). Michel Sn. felt like this was a good chance to build a new life with his children. Whilst Marcelle Navratil desperately searched for her sons, they were boarding the Titanic, waving to the crowd that stood in awe at the sheer size of the largest moving object on Earth. Marcelle contacted the French police, supplying names and evidence but Michel Sn. had bought tickets for his children under the names of Louis and Lola (Dimuro, 2017). The journey across the Atlantic was going smoothly. Michel Jn. later recorded that ‘my brother and I played on the forward deck and were thrilled to be there’. However, when the Titanic struck the iceberg, the ‘unsinkable’ ship was swamped with water. The small family returned to the deck and looked for a lifeboat. When the final lifeboat, collapsible Lifeboat D, was being launched, their father placed them inside it amongst other passengers including Renee Harris. Michel remembered “My brother and I were put in a boat that was already almost full of passengers. My father charged me to give my mother his affection and he left us. I did not know I would not see him again.” (Masters, 2019). In his memoirs, Michel shows how terrifying and exciting it must have been for a young child to have experienced the sinking. He wrote: "I remember the moment the lifeboat was lowered from the Titanic. The noise when it fell in the water. And the moment when it started to move away from the ship. I remember waking up in the boat after I fell asleep. The sea was whitish, almost livid and there was a ship in the distance." (Masters, 2019) After being rescued by the Carpathia, the two boys were cared for by a fellow 1st class survivor - Mrs George Tyler (Wilson, 2011, pp. 285). Whilst in her care, many newspapers and journalists published their photographs, trying to find any living relatives. Their story quickly spread to Europe. ‘The Orphans of The Deep’ (Wilson, 2011) were reunited with their mother Marcelle in May 1912, after she saw her sons’ photograph in a magazine. They travelled back on the Oceanic to France where they lived the rest of their lives. Both boys had lived happy lives cared for by their mother. Both married and had children with well- established jobs. Edmond became an interior designer and Michel Jn. became a teacher of Philosophy (France-Presse, 2001). The success of their lives is believed to be due to their mother’s strength and determination - that ‘they had had enough experience of fame’ (Wilson, 2011, pp. 287). She wanted them to have some normality in their childhood. I think this shows the maturity and perseverance of Marcelle, who was only 21 at the time of her divorce and the abduction and disaster. She understood what Edmond and Michel Jn. needed, putting their needs and requirements before the curiosity of the press who were hungry for every dramatic detail of the disaster and survivors. For me, Marcelle is as much a survivor as her sons. She persisted to give them a safe, stable life where they could flourish as people – not just as passengers of the Titanic. The disaster severely impacted the family from the death of the children’s father, however they never let it show, determined to continue with life.