2。Literature Review

With regard to researches on the aristocratic manners of England, it is long-standing and still prevalent; many Chinese scholars have their original ideas and unique perspectives。 Zhang Wenjuan pays attention to the reasons of differences between English and Chinese table manners。 She considers differences of culture, history, customs and national characters bring about the differences in table manners。 Yan Zhaoxiang studies on the general history and development venation of England aristocracy on the basis of the political and economic history and its associated aspects, such as domesticity, education, culture and so on。 To help people understand English history better, his research emphasizes the evolution of aristocratic power and status。 Wu Yuhong focuses on the similarities and differences between English gentlemen culture and Chinese gentlemen culture, especially their historical background, inner spirit and the influence on the way people behave nowadays。 

This paper is a comprehensive and meticulous guide to the manners of the aristocrats of Edwardian England in the light of Downton Abbey and the applications of the manners in modern life。 Through the concrete plots and dialogues in Downton Abbey I interpret and analyze these manners vividly in several aspects and teach people how to behave gracefully in different life scenes in England。

3。 The Manners of the Aristocrats of Edwardian England

3。1 Table manners

3。1。1 Sumptuousness and complexity 文献综述

The best place to start understanding Edwardian manners is in the dining room。 The Edwardians believed in eating sumptuously。 Showing off is obviously a significant point of it。 But a lavish supper is not all of it。 Food gave expression to class consciousness in that period。 So partridge pie which contains four whole birds cooked with herbs, liver, bacon and a mushroom is very much a sign of upper-class dining。 The spectacle of the food is even more important than the way it tastes。 Game is a great symbol of the gentry。 It’s all about ostentation, a total expression of the status。 The guests would experience a feast for all the senses。 All the detail and sumptuous display and the manners reflect the struggle that they all have to achieve a similarly perfect moral approach to life (Wang 56-59)。 The immaculate presentation was a statement of moral correctness to all。 Food would be served on solid silver salvers, platters, dishes and tureens。 The Edwardians prized complexity。 Perfection takes many hours。 Small fork, big fork, small fork, and then in a perfect world, on the other side, we’d have knives and a spoon of corresponding size。 When the table is being set out, butlers like Carson measures the place setting between each place and the next using a rod with measurements on it。 So each detail is measured out accurately。 For the Edwardians, the purpose of a sumptuous dinner was to impress their guests, as the Dowager Countess says “Nothing succeeds like excess。”

3。1。2 Sociality of the table

    Nothing interferes with the sociality of the table。 No one ever takes a bite before the hostess。 She will decide which direction the conversation is going。 Turning in dinner, meaning that the conversation will start in particular direction as set by the hostess, and so everyone will speak that way。 And after a while, when she turns, everyone follows and speaks to the person on the other side, so all of them can have their chatted time impartially。 The apparently effortless ritual of the dining room disguises its true purpose。 It is a place to influence, a place to exercise power, a place to find a husband (Zhang 48-49)。 The dialogue between the countess Grantham and Lady Mary demonstrates this “How many times am I to be ordered to marry the man sitting next to me at dinner?” “As many times as it takes。”来,自,优.尔:论;文*网www.youerw.com +QQ752018766-