Representation of Class and Status - Downton Abbey

There are many ways in which class and status are represented to the audience in the Downton Abbey clip. The first noticeable representation is the use of music to show the differences between upper and working class people. The music begins as quite dramatic and fast in the very first scene, as the paper boy is cycling up to the house, however, when the woman in the bedroom is shown, the music softens and slows down slightly, to show that her life is more calm, whereas his life is quite busy and work-inducing.

This soft music continues, until the upper class woman reaches over to ring the bell. The fact that a simple bell has been used, and the resultant reaction of this bell ringing from downstairs, shows that a simple movement from an upper class person can cause chaos for working class people. When the working class are shown, the music speeds up and once again, becomes dramatic. This, as well as the shakiness of the camera, shows that the working class are rushing to meet to the expectations of the upper class.

However, even among the working class, there are people with higher status than the other. A man is shown ironing a newspaper, with a man (wearing a significantly more mature and smarter suit than him) telling him what newspaper he should iron first, even if it was all for the sake of the upper class man. Another example of people within the working class with different status is when the paper boy is not on time, and the older man, who evidently works in Downton Abbey, reprimands him for his lateness.

This is also shown within the upper class family. The women of the family hesitate to look up at the man of the family (obviously the one with the most power and significance, as shown by a variety of low camera angles), when he receives a telegram. This is because they do not want to interfere with his business, for fear of being reprimanded. They also stand either side of him to show this inferiority.

When the upper class man is first shown, a low angle is shown of him walking down a staircase. This low angle was used to portray his authority and status within the home. The music during this scene was also very soothing and calm, which contrasts, yet again, to the chaotic music playing during the scene in which the working class people are rushing around under the instruction of the upper class residents. The working class man with high status is at the bottom of the stairs, waiting for him, and greets him politely. These signs of respect allow the audience to see who is the person with more authority in the situation.

The use of dialogue within the scenes also manages to convey the opinions of both classes, and how they feel about each other. In a conversation with the working class man with high status about the sinking of the Titanic, the upper class man asks what happened to the passengers. The working class man replies, stating that some of them were saved, particularly the women. The upper class man responds, in what could be described as a regrettable tone "You mean the ladies in first class?", to which the working class man doesn't reply, but looks quite sad. The upper class man says "God help the poor devils below deck". This small piece of dialogue allows the audience to understand that the upper class in this television show do feel sorry for the working class, and how they are treated in society somewhat.

This is shown again when the woman in bed has received the news about the Titanic deaths, and the servant woman from the kitchens is keeping very silent, and trying very hard to not interfere with their conversation. The woman in bed actually stops talking to the man to acknowledge the fact that she is thankful towards this member of the working class, which could be linked to the idea that the upper class are actually appreciative of the working class, and do not like to completely ignore their existence.