She Was Fine When She Left Here: Polysemy, Patriarchy, and Personification in Brand Titanic's Birthplace

Personification, according to MacKay, is the prototypical metaphor we live by. It is also inescapably gendered. This paper examines the gendering of one of the biggest brands on earth: the Titanic . In the century since the steamship's sinking, “she” has been enshrined in many female stereotypes from virtuous virgin to malevolent man‐eater. Although many might regard these representations as regressive and reprehensible, it is arguable that Titanic 's polysemous pulchritude is what makes “her” an outstanding brand. For the inhabitants of the icon's “birthplace” at least.