Gender representati

on within Downton

AbbeyAnnabelle Parish

Downton Abbey Clip• https://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=nIZzgFhC3MU&index=1&list=PLwsnzFqqK7p6t6nivc-yAagdWUTX2a_OH

Where gender stereotypes are pushed

• Within the time of when downton Abbey is set, which is between 1912 and 1925 there were some very strictly followed gender roles which are shown throughout all of the six series of the show. Within the clip you have just watched there is evidence to show that as the time came more towards the modern year of 1925 that these gender roles were starting to develop.

Family Shot• This is is evident firstly from the very beginning of the clip when the butler leaves the house and there is a

shot of Lady Mary a daughter of the Lord of the house on a horse in riding gear, looking like she is about to go hunting appearing behind her father. Also included within the shot is her mother who is facing the edge of the shot looking up at someone who isn’t included within the shot. Within this shot there are the expected types of gender activities and the unexpected ones. This is because Lord Grantham is sitting on a horse waiting to go off hunting with his companions, whilst his wife is stood on the ground looking up to another rider as she waits for them to set off. The unexpected element within this shot is that Lady Mary who is placed in the background of the shot near the center is also on a horse event though she is a female ready to go hunting.

• The horse Lady Mary is on is white this can be looked at as though she was put on a white horse to still show her purity and feminine side, whilst going against the gender roles of the time. A noticable element that still segregates Mary from the male riders is that she is dressed in black and cream, where as all of the males are dressed in red and cream making them look more eye catching. This automatically gives the audience the impression that she isn’t very important and isn’t really meant to be their within this situation as she is not as noticable. Within this shot Lady Mary appears to have a more equal amount of power and status with her father than normal within the Downton Abbey world, as she is able to prove she can go hunting and do the more “manly” activities, which is confirmed mainly by her been on the pedestal that is her horse whereas, her mother is shwoing the opposite by only interacting with the riders from a lower level showing the audience that she doesn’t have the knowledge within the clip and isn’t controling how the coversation that is developing.

Increasing Numbers • Within the clip there is evidence that the genders are starting to become more and

more equal within this time setting, as there is actually more than one female rider within the large group going hunting. This insinuates that as more and more time goes on, and as more and more women want to adapt what activities they take part in the numbers of male to female riders will become more equal.

• By having these women on the platform caused by the horses it clearly shows the audience that women are starting to gain more and more knowledge and power, as within one of the shots the second female rider within the group is emulating the actions previously shown within the clip which are performed by males. These actions include the lady looking down from her horses view to Lord Grantham’s wife. At this point it is eveident she has more power within the interaction because she is seen to be nodding and controlling the conversation, whilst Lord Grantham’s wife is at a safe distance away from the horse again looking up to the more powerful individuals at the time showing respect as well as look after her own safety.

Lord and Lady Grantham

• Included in the clip is a small number of shots showing an interaction between Lord Grantham and his wife. The setup for this interaction is made up of lord Grantham sat on his horse ready to go riding whilst talking and looking down on his wife. At this time we switch to a shot of her looking up at him, shouting in reply so that she can definitely be heard. Especially when she is talking about an event that he should attend but he doesn’t want to. This set up is showing an example of the more common gender roles that would apply at that time.

• Within this interaction it would be automatically assumed by many that Lord Grantham would have all of the power within the communication. This thought can be assisted by the different camera angles used on the characters. The one for Lord Grantham is slightly angled up to instigate that he has knowledge and control, where as his wife’s is an eye-level shot at all time. But this interaction actually has the opposite showing that even with his appearance causing him to look like he has more power it is actually his wife that has all of the knowledge within the interaction. This automatically gives her the power within this interaction, because she is already expecting the reply from her husband that she gets even though she is reminding him of the event he is missing.

Lord Grantham and Lady Mary

At the end of the clip there is evidence of gender boundaries attempting to be put back to normal and to have power levels return to males having more. This is done by Lord Grantham asking his daughter is she is comfortable sitting with a leg on either side of her horse instead of side saddle. This causes the gender boundaries to start to shift again but she soon stops them returning them to normal, when she replies very confidently and purposefully that it is much more dangerous to sit sidesaddle, evidently showing that she has the knowledge within the interaction because she has the confidence to state her answer to her father which is something she must have been very passionate at the time about to talk to father in that way.