Jack Dawson is a fictional character in the Titanic film. Jack Dawson is an artist aboard the Titanic. Some would have thought he spend all his time painting all the landscapes possible, morning, afternoon and night from the ship’s deck, but instead, he spent a lot of his time with a first-class girl, Rose DeWitt Bukater. A girl he was totally and completely in love with. Third-class or not, he was going to marry this girl... or was he? Jack Dawson, the artist.
On the ship, Jack met with Rose, a rich young lady who also wanted to go to America with her mother and her fiancée. Later, Jack became in love with Rose and he needed to know Rose further.
Jack was a talented artist. He usually drew anything around him, especially a human life. He could see people in his own way and he described it into his pictures. The pictures really amazed Rose when she saw it for the first time. Afterwards, Jack told Rose a lot about his life and they became closer after that.
Jack didn’t feel shy to Rose even just a bit because of the difference of the social status between them. Even when people from the lower deck held some party in the night, Jack asked Rose to go there. Rose agreed and they both danced and laughed all night long.
But the most important thing that makes Jack different from the other guy is his sincerity to his true love, Rose. Jack always tried to make Rose happy. He also did his utmost to make Rose safe and far from danger. Jack saved Rose in every way that a woman can be saved, when the Titanic is going to sink. Even Jack finally sacrificed his life to Rose when he let his body petrified because of the coldness of the sea water.
Biography[]
Jack was born near Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin in 1892. It is unknown who his parents were, but he would remember ice-fishing with his father in Lake Wissota (which in real life would not be formed until after 1912).
His parents died when he was 15 in a fire, which resulted in him having to begin living on his own and later travel the world. At some point, he met Fabrizio De Rossi, in most likely Italy, who would become his best friend, leading them traveling together. While growing up, he went to Monterey and worked on a squid boat, then in the pier of Santa Monica, Los Angeles, where he drew portraits for 10 cents a piece which back then would be a night out, and he also spent some time in Paris.
Apparently, he was sleeping under a bridge the day before he boarded Titanic, most likely with Fabrizio..
Personality and Traits[]
Jack is spontaneous, living in the present and observant of his surroundings. He pays attention to little things in his environment and can use them to his advantage at the spur of the moment. He says he wants to make each day count, not the future, not the past -- each day. He jumps into action quickly, acting to save Rose’s life and slipping into first-class dining halls last minute. He is a visual person, an artist in fact (but sadly doesn’t actually know anything about Monet). He is able to figure out quick, obvious solutions to problems that are often overlooked by others, such as getting to the back of the boat rather than running random directions and screaming. Jack defies limitations and demands freedom. He doesn’t care about social restrictions so much as getting what he wants (a girl). He connects almost instantly to Rose’s pain and is able to understand her, in ways, that other people have refused to do (the benefits of a relationship). He reacts emotionally to most situations -- especially those involving morals and injustice (such as him being falsely accused of stealing jewels) but doesn’t necessarily feel bad for stealing in the first place. He lives according to his own, rather simple moral code and doesn’t appreciate it when other people try to interfere in his ethics. He can change his behavior to make other people more comfortable and does so quite visibly.
Though Jack is highly emotional, he can be quite logical when he really has to. He’s able to get out of scrapes quickly and has a ready hand at cards. However, Jack doesn’t just think about solutions, he puts them into action as soon as a chance presents itself.
Jack usually has a pretty good guess as to how things will pan out in the future. He can predict not only that Rose will be unhappy marrying Cal, but that Titanic will go down a certain way. He can tell when people are lying to him and can easily determine who a person is underneath.
Life on Titanic[]
TBA
Skills and Abilities[]
- Artistic: Jack was a skilled artist, able to draw pictures of various women with promise detail; one of which included Rose; despite his relatively poor background. He essentially made a living off of it. Jack also had skill at poker, able to win Fabrizio and himself tickets on to Titanic.
- Skilled Swimmer: He was also a strong swimmer, able to assist Rose to a door frame despite the temperature, and didn't need the assistance of a lifebelt to stay afloat. He was also a good liar, able to convince Rose he would survive the sinking, though believed he wasn't as good as Cal.
- Skilled Hand-To-Hand Combatant: Jack was also skilled in hand-to-hand combat, successfully overpowering Lovejoy during their fight in the dining hall (deleted scene). He even knocked out a man while both were under water with just a few punches. He wasn't always as confident in his fighting capabilities, wincing when threatened by Sven in the beginning.
- Expert Thief: Despite not stealing the Heart of the Ocean, Jack was a good theif, able to steal a coat from a fellow inmate. He was also stealthy, managing to avoid detection from Cal and Ruth when trying to speak to Rose.
He was also a skilled speaker and a likable man despite his financial situation, able to win over a group of first class passengers with a speech about "making everyday count", and was helped by Molly Brown and acknowledged by Thomas Andrews when saying hello. He also became fast friends with Tommy Ryan. He was also very persuasive, successfully convincing Rose to not commit suicide.
Behind the scenes[]
James Cameron said he needed the cast to feel they were really on the Titanic, to relive its liveliness, and "to take that energy and give it to Jack, ... an artist who is able to have his heart soar".[1] Jack is portrayed as an itinerant, poor orphan from Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, who has travelled the world, including Paris. He wins two third-class tickets for the Titanic in a poker game and travels with his friend Fabrizio. He is attracted to Rose at first sight. Her fiancé's invitation to dine with them the next evening enables Jack to mix with the first-class passengers for a night. Though established actors like Matthew McConaughey, Chris O'Donnell, Billy Crudup, and Stephen Dorff were considered, Cameron felt they were too old for the part of a 20-year-old.[2][3] Tom Cruise was interested, but his asking price was too high.[3] Cameron considered Jared Leto for the role, but Leto refused to audition.[4] Jeremy Sisto did a series of screen tests with Winslet and three other actresses vying for the role of Rose.[5] DiCaprio, 21 years old at the time, was brought to Cameron's attention by casting director Mali Finn.[2] Initially, he did not want the role and refused to read his first romantic scene (see below). Cameron said, "He read it once, then started goofing around, and I could never get him to focus on it again. But for one split second, a shaft of light came down from the heavens and lit up the forest." Cameron strongly believed in DiCaprio's acting ability and told him, "Look, I'm not going to make this guy brooding and neurotic. I'm not going to give him a tic and a limp and all the things you want." Cameron envisioned the character as a James Stewart type.[2] Although Jack Dawson was a fictional character, in Fairview Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia, where 121 victims are buried, there is a grave labeled "J. Dawson". The real J. Dawson was Joseph Dawson, a trimmer in the engine room. "It wasn't until after the movie came out that we found out that there was a J. Dawson gravestone," said the film's producer, Jon Landau, in an interview.[6]
References[]
- ↑ "Heart of the Ocean: The Making of Titanic. THE BEST OF.", 1997–1998.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Titanic. Man overboard! After a production as lavish and pricey as the doomed ship itself, James Cameron finally unveils his epic film. But will it be unsinkable?", Entertainment Weekly, November 7, 1997, pp. 1–7.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "James Cameron's Titanic". Media Awareness Network.
- ↑ "Leonardo DiCaprio or Kate Winslet: Which 'Titanic' Star Has the Better Career?". The Newsweek Daily Beast Company (April 4, 2012).
- ↑ "'Clueless' Actor: I Was "Heartbroken" After Losing 'Titanic' Role to Leonardo DiCaprio", The Hollywood Reporter. (in en-US)
- ↑ "Titanic: Visiting The Grave Of The Real J. Dawson In Halifax", Huffington Post, April 4, 2012.