The Titanic Still Captivates

Almost 103 years later and we can still find news surrounding the Titanic. The latest is an article titled Indignant Letter from Aristocratic Titanic Survivor up for Auction by Jane Walsh. It is a short, though interesting article regarding a letter written a month after the tragedy. Over the years hundreds of artifacts have turned up on the auction block for a multitude of collectors. So what is it about this disaster that people still find intriguing?

I was around ten or eleven years old the first time I’d heard about the Titanic and since then it has always fascinated me. Perhaps it’s because it was a tragedy that could have been prevented or maybe it’s because of the date. The Titanic sank on April 15, which also happens to be my birthday.

I have seen the 1997 Titanic movie; visited the Maritime Museum in Nova Scotia which holds many of its artifacts; and have visited the gravesites of its passengers. Each left me feeling a little sentimental. I can’t say the same for Krista in Promised Soul, her Titanic exhibit experience left her shaken.

Misfortune, unfortunately, is a part of life. There were tragedies before the Titanic and tragedies after. There will undoubtedly be tragedies to come. As humans, we are captivated by the sorrow, pity, and fear that catastrophes evoke. Yet at the same time tragedy brings people closer and makes us grateful. Twenty, fifty or a hundred years from now, will we still see Titanic memorabilia being auctioned or will something else take its place?