Women workers in the early twentieth century as depicted in Downton Abbey. The ambivalence of costume dramas

Abstract

The ITV drama Downton Abbey depicts women workers in the early twentieth century in a seemingly progressive and modern way. However, the programme represents a conservative and sanitised version of the past. The present thesis will explore the history of women workers at that time to show how Downton only displays a simplistic and idealised past. Then, the complexity of costume dramas will be analysed through the history of the heritage film and its ambivalence as it portrays both a conservative Englishness and a progressive narrative. This thesis will show however that Downton Abbey has a conservative narrative, which is not transgressive nor challenging as in other heritage productions. This will be shown in the analysis of four characters, all women workers in the series. The audience is therefore duped by an apparently progressive narrative, which pushes a hidden conservative agenda.