This show would probably not be at all interesting, despite the aforementioned hotness of Sybil and Matthew, without the equal attention devoted to the house staff. We see not only how the division works between upper and lower class people, but we see how each division operates within itself, and the systems of class that exist even among the servants. It’s a culture dictated largely by family, duty, and propriety. In other words, power and class.
This becomes more interesting thanks to the specific period of time in which the show is set. At the beginning of the first series, 20th century changes are beginning to reach Downton, but they’re really shaken up when the First World War arrives. Things become really interesting on a historical level at this point because it marks a shift in perceptions of the class system, and this is made apparent through the story of these characters. War brings with it a strange leveling of the playing field, with the servants fighting alongside the aristocrats in the trenches, women serving a vital function in providing medical care, and private mansions operating as public hospices for the injured. When the war ends, many assume that life will return to “normal,” with the previous classes and norms being put back in place, but at this point, there is no return. It makes for some interesting historical context to exciting developments with the characters. And maybe it explains why Robert is just angry all the time as the show goes on.
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