logo

49 pages 1 hour read

Jennifer A. Nielsen

Iceberg

Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 2004

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Important Quotes

Quotation Mark Icon

“The Titanic was everything the papers had described: as powerful as the Titans of mythology, and as elegant as if it were a floating castle. It did not respect the might of this world because it was the might of this world.”


(Chapter 2, Page 4)

These two similes convey the power and majesty of the Titanic. The fanfare and excitement surrounding the ship is profound. Additionally, these lines contain a subtle clue foreshadowing the Titanic’s eventual fate since its lack of “respect” for the natural world is what ultimately leads to its downfall.

Quotation Mark Icon

“My adventure was beginning, and we had not yet even left port.”


(Chapter 3, Page 16)

The spectacle of the ship’s imminent departure on its first voyage creates an atmosphere of electric anticipation, and Hazel has already met two of the people that become her dear friends on the voyage. Her boldness leads her to accept Charlie’s offer to take her up to the first-class deck even though she isn’t supposed to be there. Hazel’s first steps into forbidden territory also mark the thematic beginnings of Friendship and Overcoming Class Divisions.

Quotation Mark Icon

“I was at the back of the ship, and I thought it must be the finest view possible. Because here, the people sat and looked at where they had come from: poverty, hunger, every struggle to survive. And now they were leaving it all behind.”


(Chapter 7, Page 38)

Hazel notices how the first-class passengers have a view of the front of the ship, the second-class passengers have a view from the side, and the third-class passengers look out the back. On board are hundreds of people who dream of a better life, and many in third class sold everything they owned just for a chance to go to the US. The ship itself is a microcosm of class divisions, thematically reflecting Friendship and Overcoming Class Divisions.

Quotation Mark Icon

“Eventually, I’d learned that doing was more important than wishing. So I’d begun to work hard and to sacrifice what I wanted for what my family needed. I’d learned to be bold and to take risks when necessary. That’s what had kept my family going for the past two years. It’s how I would help them now.”


(Chapter 8, Page 45)

Hazel’s values are thematically grounded in Sacrifice, Hope, and Living for Others, which is why she’s on her way to the US to earn money for her family. She’s mature beyond her years as a result of being the eldest child in her family and because of the loss of her father. Her sense of resolve and determination later helps her (and Charlie) survive the ship’s sinking.

Quotation Mark Icon

“The day I left home, Mum warned me that third-class passengers were treated more like cattle than good people.”


(Chapter 9, Page 51)

Foreshadowing the locking of the gates that trap hundreds of third-class passengers on the lower decks, Hazel reflects on the starkly contrasting treatment of passengers based on their class. Third-class passengers are totally forbidden from entering the other areas, but this doesn’t stop Hazel.

Quotation Mark Icon

“Glancing downward from the top, I could look over the rail and see the stairs descend through several decks, or gaze upward at a dome of glass and iron. I doubted even the finest chapels in Europe could compete with this.”


(Chapter 12, Page 72)

Before the ship even departs, Hazel has the opportunity to explore first class, and she marvels at the detailed and pristine architecture of this part of the ship. The strong imagery in this scene reflects Hazel’s first glimpse of this type of life.

Quotation Mark Icon

“I would rather be curious than wealthy, for a girl with a mind full of questions is more valuable than a girl with jewels on her empty head.”


(Chapter 14, Page 94)

Hazel notes the dichotomy between those raised in wealth, who never had to take care of themselves or worry about their future, and those who survive with their intelligence. This thematically highlights Hazel’s belief in The Importance of Truth and Questions: She has never been one to simply accept what’s presented to her without interrogating its accuracy or authenticity.

Quotation Mark Icon

“I wasn’t sure I even wanted to fit in with most of the people there, but that didn’t seem to matter. I had agreed to come for tea.”


(Chapter 16, Page 109)

Hazel struggles between wanting to make a new friend in Sylvia and knowing that no one else on the first-class level will accept her there. Hazel has never had a desire to be part of elite society, which makes her reluctant to attend Sylvia’s invitation. Sylvia and Hazel’s friendship stretches beyond the classes they each come from, illustrating the theme of Friendship and Overcoming Class Divisions, and their shared struggle to survive later seals their bond.

Quotation Mark Icon

“Suddenly, all I could picture in my mind was water flowing across the long corridor on E Deck, from one end of the ship to the other. I thought of what I would do if I was in my cabin and saw water seeping in below the doorway, and how I’d react if I heard other passengers scrambling for higher ground. I could imagine that so well that I could practically hear the sound of an iceberg scraping along a metal hull of a ship.”


(Chapter 17, Page 119)

Hazel has the gift of foresight and can predict what’s likely to happen based on the questions she asks and the logical ways in which she puts information together. This characteristic thematically emphasizes her preoccupation with The Importance of Truth and Questions. She begins to fear that the Titanic could sink in a certain scenario, and the more that she learns about the ship and about icebergs, the more certain she is that this is a likely conclusion to the ship’s journey.

Quotation Mark Icon

“You have seen refraction many times, even if you didn’t know the word for it. For example, if you looked into a pond and saw a fish, what would happen if you reached down to grab it?”


(Chapter 19, Page 131)

Mrs. Abelman explains the concept of refraction to Hazel, using the example of trying to catch a fish in water. Like many scientific concepts, refraction is something that people witness often but pay little attention to. The more aware people are of visual illusions, the less likely they’ll be at risk of serious accidents.

Quotation Mark Icon

“A girl who comes from poverty should know better than to have such a big dream.”


(Chapter 22, Page 155)

Miss Gruber is a dynamic character who, at first, comes across as totally prejudiced against people with less wealth and tries to keep Sylvia away from Hazel. Miss Gruber’s disbelief doesn’t affect Hazel, but she later finds out the source of it: As a girl, Miss Gruber was told that she should give up her dreams, and she now projects that pain onto Hazel.

Quotation Mark Icon

“If your story could save lives one day, then you have to write it.”


(Chapter 24, Page 169)

Charlie changes his mind about Hazel’s story. Initially, he wanted her to write only about the positive aspects of the ship, but now he understands that the truth can save lives, thematically supporting The Importance of Truth and Questions, and realizes that pointing out the ship’s flaws can help prevent future disasters.

Quotation Mark Icon

“I need you as my friend. That will always be enough for me.”


(Chapter 25, Page 180)

Hazel’s friendship with Mrs. Abelman is an important relationship that forms over the course of a couple of days. Hazel, who is alone and in need of adult support, reminds Mrs. Abelman of her daughter. She and Mrs. Abelman connect over their shared tragic pasts and love of curiosity. In addition, they share similar values: Both revere helping others as giving life purpose, and both reflect a disregard for class. Their relationship therefore exemplifies the theme of Friendship and Overcoming Class Divisions.

Quotation Mark Icon

“Overnight, expect still winds and calm seas with a possible low-lying haze. Lookouts are warned that potential hazards will be more difficult to spot, as they will not create ripples upon the water.”


(Chapter 25, Page 181)

This weather forecast is included at the end of Chapter 25, foreshadowing the circumstances that lead to the disaster. Despite ample warnings, the ship hits an iceberg and sinks. A suspenseful and apprehensive mood develops as the story approaches that moment.

Quotation Mark Icon

“Who was I to write anything at all?”


(Chapter 26, Page 183)

Feeling small among a massive world, Hazel starts to wonder if she’s the right person to write a story about the Titanic. Through the encouragement of her friends, however, Hazel renews her dream to become a journalist and tell the truth about the ship, thematically reflecting Sacrifice, Hope, and Living for Others.

Quotation Mark Icon

“There is no moon out yet, and the ocean is as calm as glass.”


(Chapter 30, Page 218)

Hazel observes the eerie darkness around her and the typical calm that comes before disaster strikes. The simile of the ocean being like glass emphasizes how still the water is, which means that the lookout crew can’t easily identify icebergs by observing the water crashing against them.

Quotation Mark Icon

“Mrs. Mollison laughed so hard it sounded like the bray of a donkey.”


(Chapter 31, Page 221)

In this unflattering simile, Hazel appropriately compares Mrs. Mollison’s laugh to the sound a donkey makes. Hazel’s dislike of Mrs. Mollison is particularly evident here, as is Mrs. Mollison’s brash and impolite behavior.

Quotation Mark Icon

“A minister was in front of them and at his cue, everyone began singing. I recognized the tune from the song ‘For Those in Peril on the Sea.’”


(Chapter 31, Page 226)

Foreshadowing the impending peril to the ship and its passengers, Hazel hears a group of churchgoers singing a hymn that laments those whose lives are lost at sea. Little do they know that their fate is about to turn in the same direction and that many of their own lives will be lost.

Quotation Mark Icon

“The tips of my fingers were already aching with numbness.”


(Chapter 32, Page 231)

Hazel starts to feel the chill of the north Atlantic air long before she ever sits in a lifeboat. The night becomes grimly cold, and many of those who attempt to survive the sinking by jumping in the water freeze to death minutes later.

Quotation Mark Icon

“Mrs. Abelman had talked about listening to my gut feelings. I was finally beginning to understand exactly what that meant.”


(Chapter 32, Page 238)

Hazel has always had premonitions about the future and knows when something is about to go wrong. Although she’s powerless to stop the ship’s sinking, she has the power to save Sylvia before it’s too late.

Quotation Mark Icon

“There are moments in life when time moves with its own will, not bound by any timekeeper’s measure.”


(Chapter 35, Page 257)

In the moment that the Titanic hits the iceberg, time seems to stand still, as if the collision is occurring in slow motion. Afterward, time speeds up, and every second matters as Hazel tries to save those she loves from dying on the ship.

Quotation Mark Icon

“There are times in life when we each must live for something greater than ourselves.”


(Chapter 40, Page 297)

Hazel realizes that the lifeboats won’t have enough space for most of the crew, and Charlie already understands that he’s unlikely to survive. Both he and Hazel share the values inherent in the theme of Sacrifice, Hope, and Living for Others, and Charlie sees helping the passengers as an honorable duty as a member of the ship’s crew.

Quotation Mark Icon

“You have so many questions. Now go and find all of your answers. The questions are the best part of you, for they will guide you into a future better than you can possibly imagine right now.”


(Chapter 43, Pages 323-324)

Hazel has no choice but to leave Mrs. Abelman on the lower decks since she insists on staying behind to help other passengers. Thematically, Mrs. Abelman leaves Hazel a final message about The Importance of Truth and Questions, hoping that she’ll survive to tell the story of the Titanic and its passengers.

Quotation Mark Icon

“We were all mourners, and all survivors.”


(Chapter 44, Page 328)

On the Carpathia, survivors sit without their possessions and without many of their loved ones. Everyone is in shock, and a deep sense of sorrow and relief fills the air. Thematically illustrating Friendship and Overcoming Class Divisions, Hazel notes that class divisions disappear in this moment because everyone is sharing the same experience together.

Quotation Mark Icon

“The Titanic foundered with fifteen hundred souls on board, good people who deserved better than what fate gave them. They would have stories too, of lost dreams and promises. Of the greatness that might have been theirs.”


(Chapter 46, Page 334)

Hazel thinks about those who died when the Titanic sank and how their stories were lost along with their lives. She hopes that she can do them justice by telling a story that encapsulates the many perspectives and experiences of being on the ship, from the crew to the first-class passengers.

blurred text
blurred text
blurred text
blurred text