Rare News Desk
The world is an ugly place – probably uglier than it’s ever been, and getting uglier. Oftentimes the only remedy for the aesthetically aware among us is to escape to a bygone age through literature or film.
Videos by Rare
One balm that will assuredly not alleviate such pangs of sentiment is Downton Abbey – the fifth season of which will arrive in the U.S. this winter. The celebrated drama series shows us with excruciating vividness how grand our world once was (not all that long ago), and how startlingly far we’ve strayed from that lofty standard.
There are several programs similarly endowed with the beauty and values of the past – but the fact that Downton is being brought to life for us now with contemporary actors in a current and real setting seems to make it all the bittersweet.
Modernists like to claim that life is “easier” now. It may be more convenient to travel from Yorkshire to London, but just because modern technology makes everyday tasks more efficient doesn’t mean life has become any more pleasant.
Let’s really consider the Downton lifestyle: Imagine living in that glorious house (or abbey, I should say) and having those extensive, impeccably manicured grounds at your disposal. Imagine never having to worry about calling the electric company to set up new service when you move, or checking your credit score, or remembering to get the oil changed in your car, or a thousand other little stressful details of life that wear away on the modern person.
Imagine having three exquisite meals a day prepared for you and served on delicate china and with richly embellished silver serving ware. And tea! Let us not forget about afternoon tea – a happy occasion breaking up the day with a comforting cup and conversation.
Consider commuting comfortably from one place to another in a handsomely appointed train car with a chauffeur ready to meet you and take care of your luggage when you reach your destination (and imagine never having to pack or unpack!). Imagine having a summer “house” (the Crawleys’ summer retreat is really something of a castle) and a townhome in the city.
And of course it isn’t just the material luxuries of that are desirable. Think of the company. Think of the educations people received back then, and of the manners and noble breeding. The buttoned-up reserve that critics view as “snobbery” is in fact an intense respect for other people’s privacy. People engaged in civil, intelligent conversation, rather than abbreviated, 160 character missives that fade as quickly from thought as they do from view.
Even the insults (at least where the Dowager Countess is concerned) are flung with such eloquent flair that one if left smiling rather than smarting.
Of course I speak of Downton from the wealthy elites’ point of view (a girl can dream!), but life was simpler for everyone, at least practically speaking. The natural division of labor was established and strictly adhered to.
Mrs. Patmore, for instance, prepares all the meals, and Anna, a lady’s maid, never has to worry about cooking, just as Mrs. Patmore is relieved of the worry of bringing in wood to light her kitchen stove. Similarly, Carson, the head butler, takes care of ordering the wine and oversees the management of the staff. He doesn’t need to concern himself with making sure the car is in good working order, as that is the chauffeur’s job.
The servants had their duties to perform and that was that. Today we must be servants to ourselves, our families, and our homes (cooking, cleaning, running errands, dressing ourselves – gasp!) and manage our social and financial affairs on a daily basis.
Moreover, none of the downstairs staff agonizes about a living situation or other practical matters that make modern life a struggle. Though not glamorous by any means, their living arrangements, like their meals, are provided for.
I, for one, would rather live comfortably as a lady’s maid surrounded by and in contact with the marvelous, rich world of the aristocracy than stash myself away in a sterile office cubicle all day. A lady’s maid would have the opportunity to develop a real and lasting friendship with her lady, or in the very least absorb some tantalizing gossip.
Sigh.
Of course the world of Downton isn’t perfect. But I wouldn’t mind living in a slower-paced society, even if it meant the sacrifice of some modern conveniences. I couldn’t do without modern medicine or sanitation, but I could very well do without the hustle and bustle of modern living that makes everything slapdash and unceremonious. I believe the multiple pleasantries of the past would offset many of its hardships.
Isn’t it funny how even so-called “progressives” promote old-fashioned methods of locally sourced products and limited production items, while at the same time wanting to be moving the world forward at a faster and faster pace?
The longer things take and the harder they’re got, the more likely they are to be appreciated. A trip to town, for example, took a lot longer a hundred years ago, sure, and that’s a pain, but because there was time to spare, there was also time to put forth some effort and attention to the details that really make life enjoyable.
I don’t think I’m alone in my nostalgia. Downtown is one of the most popular shows on television. So if we’re all longing for a gentler, more polite and ordered society, why don’t we do something about it?
