A book on what happened to the survivors of that cataclysmic event. A range of similar symptoms was telling behaviour now understood to be post traumatic stress disorder. There were suicides. And mental hospital stints.
Silent screen actress Dorothy Gibson reenacted her survival in a quickly dispatched film on the catastrophe but the realities came crashing back and she later turned her back on acting for the rest of her years.
The socialites Sir Cosmo Duff Gordon and his wife became pariahs after they escaped in a life boat of 12 that easily held 65 people. Blamed for failing to help save the lifes of some who perished.
The shadow of social stratification extended even to the collection of bodies of which first class corpses where brought back initially, while third class corpses received their burial at sea.
The much younger widow of John Jacob Astor, 19 year old Madeline lived a long and checkered life, she died mysterioulsy in 1940.
J. Bruce Ismay, Titanic's creator and author of the decision to short change the ship by 48 life boats that would have saved all who perished, he escaped on a life boat despite the gentleman's decree to save the women and children - he became a recluse hiding in stunned disbelief at the sinking of Titanic.
The wreck of Titanic overshadowed the lives of its 705 survivors.
The sinking of Titanic predicted the end of an opulent era of immense wealth and privilege ... the frst world war would soon follow to forever wipe away the wealth of many.
No comments:
Post a Comment