A Brief Analysis of the British Accent of Mary Crawley in Downton Abbey Abstract It has been nearly 1,500 years since the time English originated. As an essential part of English, English Accents also come into various branches with the development of English. Object of this study are British Accents being used usually in Britain, the birthplace of English. British Accents refer to the English accents spoken in the United Kingdom or, more broadly, throughout the British Isles. 46972

Accent, with no doubt, is one of important factors contributing to characterization. Various social background, social class and personal experience result in various accents. This study, taking TV series Downton Abbey as an example, is going to discuss the possibility of characterization from the perspective of accents and provide reference for further study on accents in films.

This study is significantly meaningful both in theory and practice. Theoretically, it continues to complete the studies on Downton Abbey, especially in the aspect of accents of Downton Abbey. Practically, the action to uncover the hidden secrets of British accents could remind people to pay attention to their own English pronunciations and be more sensitive to them.

Keywords: Downton abbey; British accents; Mary Crawley; Character analysis; Received Pronunciation

A Brief Analysis of the British Accent of Mary Crawley in Downton Abbey

摘要英语从产生至今，已有1500多年的历史。英语语音，作为英语的一个不可或缺的方面，也随着英语的发展而衍化出成千上百种分支。本文关注的对象是在英语起源地英国使用的语音——英式语音。英式语音，即指在英国乃至整个大不列颠群岛使用的各式英语口音。

语音，毫无疑问，是人物形象的一个重要表现形式。不同的社会环境、社会地位、人物经历会造就全然不同的人物语音。本文以英剧唐顿庄园为例，从英式语音角度入手，试图探讨在影视作品中语音对人物塑造的可能性，并为日后的影视语音的发展提供参考。

本文的研究不仅有理论意义，更具有现实意义。一方面，它补充并丰富了对英剧唐顿庄园的相关研究，弥补了唐顿庄园语音研究方向的空白。另一方面，读者亦可从文中得到些许启示，学会培养自己的语音意识，从而提高对英语语音的敏感度。

毕业论文关键词：唐顿庄园，英式语音，人物形象，玛丽•克劳利，英式标准发音，口音 

Contents

1. Introduction

1.1 Research Background 1

1.2 Objectives of the Study 2

1.3 Significance of the Study 2

2. Literature Review 3

2.1 Relevant Studies on Downton Abbey 3

2.2 Overview of British Accents 3

2.2.1Definition of British Accents 4

2.2.2 History of British Accents 5

2.2.3 Varieties of British Accents 10

3. British Accent of Mary Crawley 12

3.1 Character Analysis of Mary Crawley 12

3.1.1 Social Background 12

3.1.2 Social Class 12

3.2 Mary’s Accent in Downton Abbey 13

3.2.1 Original Accent Analysis 13

3.2.2 Desired Accent Analysis  14

4. Conclusions