Dowton Abbey

               Dowton Abbey is a dramatic series, which in making a cultural comparison to Marxism shows how intertwined the relationships of people who are employed on the estate and the family who possibly may lose title to the Abbey.  The British drama’s first episode takes place after the sinking of the RMS Titanic and the death of the heir apparent.  

               The Marxist idea of Base or the productive forces in the relationships of all involved clearly defines how the lives of the staff are dedicated to the care of the Abbey and the Crawley family.  The Base also found in the Earl’s family relationship to the Abbey whose care and love of the Estate has brought it from financial ruin. Marx’s claims that it is the Base and the Superstructure that creates the consciousness and is defined by the work produced.  In a particular scene, the Butler and Housekeeper talk of a life without the Abbey, possibly working in a factory and having a family.  Too old to change paths their lives have been defined by the Abbey and the care of its residents.

               Marxist Superstructure or the ideology of a particular culture, with the loss of the heir apparent, the law of early 20^th Century England has confined the rights to the estate to a male heir.  The pending loss of the estate and Lady Crawley’s fortune shows the moral conflict between the laws and the apparent caretakers of Dowton Abbey.  The cultural impact is apparent between the staff whose employment depends on the Abbey residents and the stability of those residents to maintain their social titles.

               With Marx, the worker defines the environment; ideally, the work should define the worker.  In a capitalist structure as seen in Downton Abbey, the staff are defined by the care of the estate as well as the Crawley Family who’s titles, social and economic benefits are defined from the Abbey.