‘Titanic’: The 3 Most Insane Theories Fans Have About Jack’s Identity
Titanic was released in 1997 and quickly became one of the most iconic movies of 1990s. It won countless awards and is still loved by many people today.
Throughout the years, fans have also thought deeply about different aspects of Titanic. One thing that a lot of people seem to have theories about is Jack Dawson’s (Leonardo DiCaprio) identity. While Jack’s story line seems straightforward at first, some fans think there might be something else going on. Here are some of the wildest theories about who Jack could be.
Jack is just a figment of Rose’s imagination
In the movie, Jack is shown to be a poor man who got a ticket to board the Titanic out of luck. He, then, meets Rose DeWitt Bukater (Kate Winslet), an upper class woman trapped in a loveless engagement. After Jack saves Rose from dying, the two strikes up a friendship that eventually turns into a passionate romance.
However, according to Buzzfeed, there is a fan theory that says Jack never existed in the first place. A big evidence that supports this theory is the conversation 101-year-old Rose has with the people exploring the Titanic. Rose is told that there is no record of anyone named Jack on the Titanic, and she responds with, “No, there wouldn’t be, would there? He exists now only in my memory.”
Some fans believe Jack is a figment of Rose’s imagination, manifested by her subconscious to help her break free of the life she is trapped in.
Jack is a ghost when Rose last interacts with him
Another theory believes that Jack is a real person who did board the Titanic. However, during his last interaction with Rose, he might have been a ghost.
According to one Reddit user, Jack actually dies right after the ship sinks. Yet, his ghost finds Rose and keeps her safe on the broken door until a lifeboat arrives.
“Perhaps it was the ghost of Jack that Rose saw and his unfinished business was to get her to safety. This would explain why Jack was able to find a floating bit of debris and then find Rose so quickly in such a huge crowd of panicking people and be so calm in getting her to safety,” the Reddit user wrote. “It would also explain why he made little or no attempt to join her on debris, he was already dead and wanted to save Rose one last time.”
The person also pointed out that, before he falls down from into the water, he tells Rose to keep on living and later die as an old lady in her bed. Both of these predictions end up coming true for Rose, which could be a sign that Jack is a ghost who can see the future.
Jack is a time traveler
In another theory, Jack is not a figment of Rose’s imagination or a ghost. Rather, he is a time traveler.
According to this article from Twenty Two Words, Jack makes many references to things that did not exist in 1912. For example, he talks about at Lake Wissota, which is a manmade lake built in 1917. He also mentions rollercoasters at Santa Monica Pier, except Santa Monica Pier did not have rollercoasters until 1916. Additionally, Jack’s hairstyle, cigarettes, and backpack don’t fit into what people commonly had in 1912 either.
The theory goes that Jack had to go back in time to keep Rose from taking her life. This is because if Rose dies, the people on the ship would have to look for her, which would cause a butterfly effect of keeping it from crashing into the iceberg, altering the course of history forever.
However, there is no concrete explanation for why Jack had to only save Rose and not the other passengers on the Titanic.
