Responses to 'Upstairs, Downstairs'

1) Is the representation of the Chauffeur portrayed from a biased point of view? If so why?

Yes the representation is bias as it shows that him becoming a black shirt is bad so is biased towards Britishness. This is probably due to the programme being made by the BBC which is a British company. Also, as this was made after the war, there is even more reason to portray Nazi radicalism in a negative way because we know now what the Nazi's did, compared to when the original was made and people were only just starting to understand this.

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

Theres clearly a divide between the staff and family. One obvious example is the fact that the family live upstairs while the staff live downstairs. The family don't really interact with the staff unless they need something and don't show a lot of respect towards them. The staff act as a unit and downstairs the decisions are made by them. For example, when the chaffeur has become a black shirt he is not welcome at the dinner table. Rachel, the jewish maid, was distraught at this and refused to eat dinner and the staff supported her. The young maid is quite disorganised and clumsy and represents the changing world as she is not a typical maid and provides something different for the family. Her personality is quite lively and chatty

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

She was sick of having upper class expectations and wanted to diverge from this by joining the black shirts. This is because the black shirts were offering a different way of life through extremism. This is completely different from the role she was playing in her family. The chauffeur also encourages her, and as she is rather fond of him, she is easily persuaded. She trying to break from tradition and feels the black shirts is a new way in life.

4) Can you find similarities between Lady Persephone and Jenny from An Education?

Both are very spoilt and have everything taken care of with their lives set out for them. For example, Jenny's dad has already chosen what university she is going to and what hobby's she will do. Lady Persephone's mother gave her an expensive gift and set her up for going to a ball. Both are trying to rebel, such as Jenny lieing to her parents about going to Oxford to get a book signed so she can go out. Lady Persephone chooses to become a black shirt. Both characters are unhappy with their current social status. Both of them are easily influenced and misleaded by men. Jenny is influenced and manipulated by David, and anything he says she does. Lady Persephone is influenced by the chauffeur and becomes a black shirt.

5) Whose British collective identity do you think is the strongest and why? The downstairs staff, upstairs family or the Black shirts (also known as the British Union of Fascists)

The strongest unit is the staff as they are more accepting of others, such as accepting a Jew, an Asian, a young maid and a posh guy. They act more as a family unit than the actual family. They are more close as they are all huddled in the small space downstairs. The maids are more closer together and act like sisters (sharing the same bed) compared to the actual sisters in the family. Not everyone in the upstairs family gets on, whereas the downstairs family act more like a family and represent a typical British family.