Contemporary Reflections
Titanic! A Centennial Voyage of Exploration
Thinking about the past is sometimes a way of thinking about ourselves. This new series will focus on our collective memory by exploring epochal events, path-breaking moments, and extraordinary lives in context. The series opens in the spring of 2012 with five lectures that mark the centenary of the sinking of the Titanic on April 15, 1912.
Puzzled over by experts, analyzed by historians, and exploited by Hollywood, the Titanic disaster throws out challenging questions that still move and engage us. In this series, a panel will voyage into the past to explore the varied dimensions—human, social, and political—of this complex, ever-fascinating tragedy.
You may take courses in this series individually for $29 + HST each, or as a full series of five lectures for $138 + HST. To register for the full series, contact us at 778-782-8000.
Lecture 1: The Sinking and Afterward
AHCP116 | Saturday, Mar 3, 1:30–3:00 pm | Instructor: Robyn Woodward
Built to be the largest and most luxurious steamship in the world, the RMS Titanic was a technological marvel, combining the latest advances in ship design and engineering with the highest level of craftsmanship and grandeur. The opening lecture of this series will focus on the vessel design and construction, the history of the maiden voyage, and the dramatic events surrounding the sinking.
Lecture 2: The Titanic In Music, Literature, and Art
AHCP117 | Saturday, Mar 10, 1:30–3:00 pm | Instructor: John Stape
This lecture explores the art and writing–both kitschy and highly serious—inspired by the Titanic disaster, including poems by Thomas Hardy and E. J. Pratt, angry essays by Joseph Conrad, a novel by Beryl Bainbridge, a German opera, pop songs, paintings, and postcards.
Lecture 3: England in 1912: The Titanic’s Social Contexts
AHCP118 | Saturday, Mar 17, 1:30–3:00 pm | Instructor: Joy Dixon
In 1912, England was beginning to grapple with issues that defined the 20th century: the threat of war, imperial and class conflict, new technologies, conflicts between science and religion, and challenges to existing gender roles. This lecture explores these themes through the life and times of W. T. Stead, a journalist and editor who helped invent the tabloid and was one of the Titanic disaster’s victims.
Lecture 4: The Titanic Goes to Hollywood
AHCP119 | Saturday, Mar 24, 1:30–3:00 pm | Instructor: Mark Harris
This lecture will explore how Hollywood’s varying response to the Titanic affair is partly about it and partly about us. The disaster flick provides one model, and the technophilia of James Cameron’s 1997 film another. The lecture will focus on how scenes involving minor characters have a more authentic ring than superstar set pieces.
Lecture 5: A Night to Remember: Titanic and Us–A Panel
AHCP120 | Saturday, Mar 31, 1:30–3:00 pm | Panelists: James Gifford, Mark Harris, Robyn Woodward, and John Stape (moderator)
A century later, why do we still care about the Titanic disaster? What moves us about it? How does it ring true for us? This panel will seek to explore various approaches to the Titanic debate including how the discovery of the wreck challenges preconceived ideas.
| Section | Sessions | Dates | Time | Campus | Instructor(s) | Cost* | Registration |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AHCP116-VA1121 | 1-Sat | Mar 3 | 1:30–3:00 pm | Van | Robyn Woodward | $29+HST | Closed |
| AHCP117-VA1121 | 1-Sat | Mar 10 | 1:30–3:00 pm | Van | John Stape | $29+HST | Closed |
| AHCP118-VA1121 | 1-Sat | Mar 17 | 1:30–3:00 pm | Van | Joy Dixon | $29+HST | Closed |
| AHCP119-VA1121 | 1-Sat | Mar 24 | 1:30–3:00 pm | Van | Mark Harris | $29+HST | Closed |
| AHCP120-VA1121 | 1-Sat | Mar 31 | 1:30–3:00 pm | Van | Panelists: James Gifford, Mark Harris, Robyn Woodward, and John Stape (moderator) |
$29+HST | Register |
* $29 + HST ($32.48) individually, or $138 + HST ($154.55) for series of 5 lectures. Please contact us at 778-782-8000 to register for the full series.
How will I learn?
- Lectures
- Discussion (may vary from class to class)
Who should take this course?
This course is for anyone who is interested in learning more about the Titanic.
Textbooks and learning materials
Reading material (if applicable) will be available in class.