Outsider versus Polite Society

Rowland's repeated collision with the assumptions and cruelties of class-bound society.

increasingBearing stren­gth in each eventdecreasing

The Disgraced Officer as Common Sailor

The Disgraced Officer as Common Sailor The Moment Rowland, a graduate of Annapolis, works as a common sailor on the Titan. He is bronzed, ragged, and marked by dissipation, unrecognizable as the officer he once was. Why It Matters The class system has swallowed him. He is beneath the notice of the passengers, except as a possible threat. This is the social position from which he will have to climb.

Mrs. Selfridge's Horror

Mrs. Selfridge's Horror The Moment Myra Selfridge sees Rowland and recoils. She tells her husband he is fallen, dirty, dissipated, and tainted by atheism. Why It Matters Polite society judges Rowland by his appearance and reputation, not by his actions. The woman who once loved him now sees him as unclean. This social rejection feeds the false accusation that follows.

The Captain's Contempt

The Captain's Contempt The Moment Captain Bryce dismisses Rowland as a "broken-down wreck with a temporarily active conscience." The captain believes Rowland can be bought, drugged, or ignored. Why It Matters The institutional world sees Rowland only as a problem to be disposed of. His status as a former officer gives him knowledge, but his status as a sailor gives him no power. The conflict is between the man's worth and the world's estimate of him.

The Lawyer's Snub

The Lawyer's Snub The Moment In Mr. Meyer's office, the attorney for the steamship company is introduced as a shrewd-looking person but not introduced by name, because, the narrator notes, of the English system of caste. Why It Matters The class system also pervades the legal world, yet Rowland is the one who understands admiralty law. His knowledge is his only protection. This is a small but telling sign of how society organizes itself around rank.

The Policeman's Club

The Policeman's Club The Moment A New York policeman sees Rowland, ragged and one-armed, with a well-dressed child, and immediately assumes kidnap. He raps Rowland on the head with his club and drags him to the station. Why It Matters In the New World as in the Old, appearances outweigh evidence. Rowland, who fought a polar bear, is treated as a common criminal. This is the final humiliation of the outsider before the truth appears in court.

aboard the Titan, early April

first morning at sea

after the child incident

at Lloyds, before the meeting

on Broadway, after arrival in New York