Welcome back, all! For those of you who are unaware, my Passion Blog follows the story of Downton Abbey. I discuss both the characters and plot of the show, but I put a new twist on the show by analyzing the historical context of the show. If you are interested, my past Passion Blogs can be found at: https://sites.psu.edu/rclsge/category/passion/. There is one post entitled “Downton: Explained,” which would be very helpful to read if you are not familiar with Downton’s characters.

We will pick up this semester in Season Two, Episode Three. England is in the middle of the first World War. At this point, we start to see the effects of the war on all, even those at Downton. The local hospital was in need of a place for the healing officers to convalesce, so Downton has become a convalescent home. As the same suggests, a convalescent home is simply a place for injured soldiers to rest and recover. During World War I, many large English estates were turned into convalescent homes because they offered the necessary space and staff for the recovering soldiers. Downton’s large estate with its many staff members is a perfect location. Below, you can see a picture of an English estate that was actually turned into a convalescent home during the war. You can see the soldiers relaxing on the lawn in front of the house.

As you can imagine, Downton’s transition from a private estate into a convalescence home caused many tensions. First of all, some people were upset that the home would only accept officers. The local hospital was only for officers, so it makes sense for the convalescence home to be reserved for officers. However, it does seem unfair that officers alone are able to enjoy Downton’s luxury. Sybil, one of the daughters, was especially adamant, insisting that different ranks can and should relax together. Additionally, there was the issue of separating the house into areas for the family and areas for the officers. Some of the family at Downton did not feel comfortable eating and relaxing with the officers. In fact, Violet comically announces that it is “like living in a second-rate hotel, where the guests keep arriving and no one seems to leave.” Finally, a huge problem developed concerning the chain of command. Mrs. Crawley, Matthew’s mother, takes control, creating tensions between her and Cora, Robert’s wife. These issues are similar to those that many estates turned into convalescent homes had to deal with during World War I.

We see another side of the war’s effects through Mr. Lang, Robert’s valet. Mr. Lang is tragically suffering from shell shock. Similar to post-traumatic stress disorder, shell shock is a psychological trauma that soldiers suffer after returning from war. In this episode, we see Mr. Lang’s heartbreaking display of many shell shock symptoms. Mr. Lang wakes up screaming, believing that he is back on the battlefield. Watching Matthew return to war after a break, Mr. Lang starts to shiver and shake, asking “The generals and all these officers…I don’t have to go back with them do I? Because I can’t.”

I will end this blog on a more positive note. In this episode, Edith cannot find her place among the bustle of the convalescent home. Sybil gives her the following advice: “You have a talent that none of the rest of us have. Find out what it is and use it.” Indeed, Edith does find her talent, which is dealing with the patients’ everyday needs and making them feel comfortable. Sybil’s advice is that which we should all follow; go out and find your talent.