Birds

A flock of birds, having traveled too far from land, drop dead of exhaustion in and around Lifeboat 14. The birds become a meal for the survivors, and bird meat is set out to dry for later consumption. The birds are taken by the occupants of 14 as both a symbol of hope and an ill-omen. Birds symbolize flight and freedom—the ability to fly away and survive. Thus, some see them as a symbol of survival indicating that the passengers on 14 will survive. Others see their deaths as proof they are too far away from land to survive, as are the occupants of 14. The death of the birds are therefore reflective of the deaths that the people in the boat will die.

Marconi Machine

A Marconi machine is used to send wireless telegraphed messages from the Empress Alexandra to New York, London, and other ships. The Alexandra...