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1. Representation of Class in the
Downton Abbey Christmas Special

2. Mise-en-scene
• The maid’s costume is scruffy and the colours are earthy which signifies that she
belongs to a low class, this is because earthy colours imply that the character
wearing them is closer to the ground, therefore lower down in status. The Lady
listening at the door however is wearing monochrome colours, which are more
classy than browns and creams.

3. Mise-en-scene
The mise-en-scene in these shots show people dressed in formal, dressy clothing
and in a classy setting. The woman in this shot is wearing a lot of jewellery and a
nice dress and the characters are dining at the Ritz. This supports the opinion of
upper/middle class people having a lot of money and suggests that the characters
are very wealthy.

4. Soundtrack
• Through the diegetic dialogue ‘Betty, be quiet, I’m trying to listen.’ it is made apparent that
the woman delivering this line belongs to a higher class than the maid as she is giving her
orders. By the lady referring to her as ‘Betty’ (which is a nickname), it also reveals that she
has little respect for her as although it is a formal situation, she is still calling her by her
nickname
• The diegetic dialogue reveals how the maids have a northern working-class accent and are
not as eloquent as the other characters. This conforms to the stereotypical representation of
working class people being less educated

5. Camerawork
• This medium shot is used to show the maids in their typical environment (the kitchen) which
suggests that cooking and cleaning are all they are capable of. This complies with the
stereotype that the lower class are unable to perform professional jobs and only have very
basic skills

6. Editing
• The use of shot reverse shot lets the audience see the characters' reactions to one
another. Here the woman is looking down her nose at the maid after she asks
‘what’s the point of a hair dryer?’. This facial expression signifies that she is
superior and the maid is inferior because even though the woman is physically
lower down than the maid (as she is sitting down) she still has the power to make
her feel inferior and less important