Write Team: Culture shock in a major way

How long could you go without using your cellphone?

Or live without air conditioning? How about not driving your car or having indoor plumbing?

Could you (or would you) want to give up modern conveniences for one month?

Filmed in 2018, a PBS/BBC show called “The 1900 Island” featured four families who were excited to live as a Welsh fishing community on the island of Llanddwyn. Recreating life at the turn of the 20th century included adopting traditional male and female roles and using the original buildings and cottages. The homes had been restored to 1900 standards, and the families were set up with clothing and supplies typical of the era.

A retired couple made up one family, there were two families with young children, and the fourth was a couple who had previous experience living off the grid. The men were expected to head out to sea to catch fish while the women took care of the children and homes. Each family started out with enough food to last a few days.

They lived on the island 24 hours a day for one month, and the premise was more of a documentary than prescripted events. Four episodes were televised, one for each week, documenting their lives and capturing both the optimism and reality of 1900 everyday life.

The quaint charm and natural, coastal beauty fascinated the families as they traded their modern clothing for traditional garb and explored their new homes. The families spent the first days getting to know each other, delighted to dine by candlelight and eager to adopt a simpler lifestyle.

When it came time to provide food and a living for themselves, bad weather prevented the men from fishing. A case of gout challenged Clive, the older man, as the women coped with cooking on old stoves and maintaining homes without modern conveniences. The children adapted to new school lessons.

It’s interesting to watch the experiences and adaptations these people made. When the weather finally breaks, the men are thrilled to go fishing. But the rough seas bring on seasickness, and the disappointment of empty nets brought a harsh reality. The inability to feed their families hits hard. The Davies family especially is struggling as they have five children, and their food supply has run dangerously low.

The families pulled together to assist one another, sharing food with the Davies family, but it was not without differing opinions on just how far the limits of obligation extended. Day-to-day survival in 1900 was more difficult than they expected. No government assistance existed.

Besides the physical challenges, the social expectations were very different. Men who were accustomed to assisting with their children had to turn away. Women were not allowed to pursue outside occupations (save running the local shop), and completing daily household tasks was exhausting.

It was culture shock in a major way.

By the end of the month, despite the immense hardships, the participants agreed that the experiment had been a worthwhile experience. They had a new appreciation for modern conveniences, but living more simply was a carryover they planned to take home after returning to regular life.

• Karen Roth is a semiretired librarian/educator living in Ottawa. She can be reached at dbarichello@shawmedia.com.