Responses to 'Upstairs, Downstairs'

1. Is the representation of the chauffeur portrayed from a biased point of view? If so why?

The chauffeur is shown as being a facist as he is a supporter of Hitler, the audience has sympothy for the jewish woman who is obviously upset and frightend as she believed she escaped the nazi's by coming to england, but she didnt! The key scene that shows this view strongly is where the chauffeur comes in and sits down at the dinner table with evreryone wearing the distinctive facist uniform. This ties in with strykers theory, by the audience idenity with the facist movement as evil, and that people that support it are. Through this the  audience develop an collective idenity and not and indivual identity.

2. In what ways could you say the upstairs family and downstairs staff are clinging to tradition in a changing world?

The family in upstairs down stairs are clinging to traditional living through mainly keeping the service staff and the family mainly seperate. Also having living quaters in different areas of the house. However when this tv series was made the British soceity was changing and people started to have equal rights. Also the views of the upstairs family are the same as most of the society which is against hitler.

3.Why do you think Lady Persephone wants to join the black (navy) shirts?

Lady Persephone seems like a upper class woman stuck in the society and has a desiere to break out from that society. She has to listen to what her family tell her to do and act in a way which is proper for that class. Lady Persephone is shown to be in a social prison.