We all cried at the end of Titanic when Rose uttered those famous words “I’ll never let go” as Jack froze to death in the ocean, but what if Jack never existed in the first place?
A new conspiracy theory that’s been making its way around social media alleges that the hunky, lower deck passenger was a figment of Rose’s imagination to help her cope with depression.
Let’s look at the facts.
Rose’s Depression
Rose was depressed. She was pushed into a loveless marriage by her mother. The theory alleges that the state of her life and relationships lead her to develop psychosis. Think about when she meets Jack — he literally talks her out of committing suicide. Could he be anything other than an imaginary coping mechanism? The brain does work in mysterious ways.
Jack understands Rose and Cal doesn’t.
Jack understood Rose in the way her nasty fiance never did which is why she fell in love with him. He understands her so well because he was created by her mind. No one knows you better than yourself.
Jack’s Foreshadowing
There’s also the major foreshadowing. Jack says “If you don’t break free, you’re gonna die.” Of course, he’s talking about her relationship with Cal. When she finally does fall head-over-heels for Jack and sets herself free from the prospect of a terrible, loveless marriage, the ship crashes into an iceberg. Rose and Jack share that famous moment where she tells him she’ll never let go then pushes him off the door into the cold, frozen sea. This is a metaphor for Rose taking control of her life. She has set herself free from Cal and her mother’s expectations and no longer needs the imaginary Jack to cope.
There are no records of Jack.
Curiously, there is no record of Jack ever being on the boat. When Rose was an old lady, she was asked about the fact that there was no record of her long, lost love. She said, “No, there wouldn’t be, would there?” It’s like she knew he was a figment of her imagination (or at least that he won the ticket in a poker game, so it wasn’t technically his ticket).
If this theory is to be believed, this kind of changes their entire love story. The sweet, romantic scene where Jack holds up Rose on the nose of ship and she feels like she’s flying seems like a total psychotic episode. Yikes.
Do you think there’s any truth to this theory?
