Saturday, August 2, 2008

Realities of 1905


Last night, Allyson and I watched almost six straight hours of the PBS show Manor House .

We love watching shows like 1900 House and Frontier House, where 21st-Century people "travel back in time" to live, work, and play as people did years ago.

(the servants)

Manor House was set in Edwardian-era England. The targeted time was from about 1905-1911, the Turn of the Century. The house, Manderston, was in the English countryside near Edinburgh, Newcastle. The house was grand and the gardens were very nifty.
The most interesting part of the series were the people. There were the "upstairs" people or the Masters and then there were the "downstairs" people or the servants. Watching all the interaction between the social classes was very interesting as the modern people coped with their life status. It was especially hard for the servants as they had no rights at the time and the 21st-century people were very dissatisfied with their relationship with their master and the stifling life of a servant. Through many of the issues that were dealt with on the show, it is easy to see how the type of life went out of style. As the world moved into the 20Th-century, social equality became important around the world. I think it is interesting to see how different cultures and nations around the world can change with the times, while others hold on to past tradition, whether or not they benefit the society.
This show was very entertaining, but also shined a light on the importance of treating others as I would want to be treated.

2 comments:

J-Wall said...

Cool, I'd never even heard of that show. I loved 1900 House and Frontier House, though - sounds like a fascinating and educational social experiment!

Mia said...

Great post!
Its amazing--our family just finished watching the 1900's house by PBS. We enjoyed it! Hope to watch Manor House as well! thanks for posting!

--Mia