The note Rose wrote to Cal read something like, "Now you can keep us both locked in your safe." Was she referring to the nude portrait and the diamond, or the diamond and Rose herself, figuratively? If the former, I assume that was her way of telling Cal she was leaving him.

-- Bob Gregorio (rgregori@pacbell.net), January 31, 1998

Answers

I sensed a little sarcasm in that line. I think she was a little mad when she found out about Cal's discovery of the artwork.

-- Jason Reina (jlr@inu.net), January 31, 1998.

Bob:

I think Rose felt that she and the necklace both were expensive trinkets to Cal; things to be "worn" to impress others, and then to be put back in the safe when he was done.

Cheers!

-- Kip Henry (kip-henry@ouhsc.edu), January 31, 1998.

Kip, I'm still puzzled about the portrait being in the safe. Why did Kate put it there? She did not do this out of haste, but before Lovejoy entered the room. I guess I'm still clinging to the idea that her note was referring to both the portrait (and maybe Rose herself) and the diamond, and that she was announcing the end of the relationship with this bold act.

-- Bob Gregorio (rgregori@pacbell.net), January 31, 1998.

I think Kip has the answer here. Rose was a "possession" just like the necklace. Cal felt that Rose was like the necklace, to be kept in a safe place, but to "show it off" whenever he felt like it. Remember just before the dinner scence (with Jack) when another gentleman came up to Cal and congratulated him on such a lovely creature, as if she were his "show horse" and he was parading her around for their viewing pleasure.

Leaving the portrait was her way of saying, "keep me (figuratively, to look at and maybe even "show off") along with your other valuable possessions"

-- Caron (bianchi@iserv.net), January 31, 1998.

I agree Rose was a posession to Cal, but nevertheless, I think he cared for her and wanted her to love him. Had she been a different woman, a social climber more like her mother, they might have had a happy life together. But Rose was out for more than a life of pampered luxury. She wanted to feel life as she lived it. And Jack showed her the way out.

-- Linda (Ashokan4@Yahoo.com), January 31, 1998.

Regarding leaving the picture in the safe. I think she made up her mind as she posed for Jack that she was not going to marry Cal. It must have been a very liberating experience for her to stand naked in front of Jack. She said it was the most erotic experience she had up until that time. Remember shortly after that they made love at her invitation to put his hands on her. Then she announced she was getting off the ship with Jack when they docked.

She probably made up her mind to leave the picture for Cal while she posed, knowing that leaving him was the right thing for her to do.

-- Linda (Ashokan4@Yahoo.com), January 31, 1998.

I agree with many comments posted here. Rose did enjoy very much the drawing, it was the first thing she wanted to see when the safe was rescued and brought up from Titanic. I think she did care about Cal, yet she could not open her heart to Cal. And this must have been so dissapointing for her. She put the drawing together with the necklace to show Cal the side of her he never knew and he would never know. She was a free spirit, a butterfly out of a cocoon. Although he invested so much money and time to have her, he never got her love. Remember his lines: "Open your heart for me", "I thought you would come to me last night", "I always win, Jack. In a way or another". And there he was, a rich guy realizing that love cannot be bought even with heavy money, but it can be obtained so easily by a young and broke artist. This realization made him mad, even beyond losing Rose as a possesion.

-- Dan Draghici (ddraghic@ccs.carleton.ca), January 31, 1998.

I agree with many here. She was referring to the drawing as how he had tried to keep her actualy person- locked away and for him only with no freedom. I also think it was meant to shock him as in the days the film was set it would have been scandalous! It was also a big slap in the face for Cal that she didn't take anything with her. The diamond had huge value, and she was clearly saying 'you may be able to afford this, but you will never own me'. Go Girl!!!

-- Roisin UK (roisin2uk@yahoo.co.uk), August 08, 2003.