A Mirror of Social Reform --- The Relationships Between Masters and Servants in Downton Abbey_英语论文

摘要

热播英剧《唐顿庄园》讲述了20世纪初格兰瑟姆伯爵一家因财产继承问题而产生的一系列纠纷,从日常生活、社交礼仪、思想冲突等方面呈现了英国贵族及其仆人们在社会变迁中的百态人生。不同于一般的历史剧，《唐顿庄园》通过庄园里人物命运的变化，真实的反映了社会大环境的变迁，展示了历史情况的变化在个人身上的体现。主仆关系存在于各国文化当中，也是英国重要的社会关系之一。主仆关系随着社会的发展而不断变化，主仆关系发展到20世纪初，有其独特的特点。“主仆”，顾名思义是主人和仆人，然而《唐顿庄园》中所描述的不在是传统意义上的处于低等地位的仆人，而是一种简单的工业社会的雇佣关系，仆人们有自己的尊严和地位，而主人们在语言和行为上也表现了他们对仆人们的尊重。本文通过分析剧中主仆关系的变化和导致这种变化形成的原因，总结这一时期的主仆关系特点，并深入分析这种关系背后的社会背景和文化根源。

关键词: 《唐顿庄园》；英国主仆关系；变化及原因

Contents

IIntroduction1

1. A Brief Introduction of Downton Abbey2

1.1 The Background of Downton Abbey 2

1.2 The Main Storyline of Downton Abbey 3

1.3 The Main Characters of Downton Abbey 5

1.4 The Achievement of Downton Abbey 6

2. The Traditional Relationships between Masters and Servants in England7

2.1 The Close Relationships between Masters and Servants 7

2.2 Strict Hierarchy in England 8

3. The Changes of the Relationships between Masters and Servants in the Early 20th Century in Downton Abbey8

3.1 The Heritage of the Past---the Closer Relationships between Masters and Servants 9

3.1.1 Examples of Family Relationships between Masters and Servants 9

3.1.2 Examples of Unconditional Loyalties between Masters and Servants 10

3.2 The Changes of the Relationships between Masters and Servants 12

3.2.1 The Tolerance of Unconventional Matters 12

3.2.2 The Increasing Awareness of Servants of Pursuing Their Ideal Lives 13

4. The Causes of These Changes.15

4.1 The Shock of the First World War 15

4.2 The Recession of the English Aristocracy 16

4.3 The Influence of the Industrial Revolution in England 18

4.4 The Development of Feminism in England 19

Conclusion.20

References.22