Chivalry or not?

Everyone is familiar with the tragic story of the Titanic. Of course those of upperclass had the upper hand of escaping death, but mainly upperclass women. It may be hard to picture in today's time, but back then men did not question whether women should be saved first or not, it was fact. 86% of the saved were women were as conversely only 14% were men.

This article from the New York Times, describes a man's wonder of how his grandfather was able to survive the wreck. In his summary of the story, Nicholas Wade describes that his grandfather was watching lifeboats board all the women on the ship when there was an announcement that men will be rescued on the other side of the ship. Of course, the entire crowd of men made there way to the other side but only his grandfather, Lawrence Beesly, and a few other men stayed. After the next lifeboat was boarded there was still a few seats and the crew called up to Beesly asking if there were anymore women on his side of the ship. He informed them that there was not and the crew member replied with, "Then you better jump."

Beesly later wrote a book after his survival of the Titanic and explained that he did not know if it was an unconscious or conscious decision to stay on that side of the boat when all the other men left. Wade describes his grandfather as being the great science lover that he was but he also had strong religious beliefs as well. In conclusion Wade is disappointed that he never talked to his grandfather directly about the decision to get out of him if he thinks that it could have been something scientific like and unconscious foreshadow or if he had put his religion aside and decided that he had a better chance of being rescued on the side of the boat that all the men were not crowded on.