Discuss the relationship between Frank and Rita in Educating Rita how does it change over the course of the play and what do they learn from each other?

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Discuss the relationship between Frank and Rita in “Educating Rita” how does it change over the course of the play and what do they learn from each other?

Educating Rita is a play written by playwright Willy Russell in the 1980s. Willy Russell appears to be from an educated social class but found a good basis for him to write “Educating Rita” from his own life.

Willy Russell, born in 1947,grew up in Liverpool, and was originally from a working class background and was expected to work in either the docks or a factory. But he knew from the start that he was going to be a writer; his ambitions were achieved against all odds as he became “educated” and over came social boundaries.

Educating Rita mirrors his life very closely; I think Willy Russell changes his main characters sex so as to make the change more poignant, as a women's place in the later 20th century was still to be a housewife and the oppressed sex.This has been challenged during this period as an outdated view, and that women were every bit as capable as a man in the workplace. Educating Rita is a play that uses these contrasted views to its own uses and shows a working class woman proving that she can have an education if she is given the chance, and the means to do so.

The whole of the play takes place in just one setting giving the audience a closer and more intimate feel between the two characters as their relationship develops.
In “Educating Rita” the relationship between Frank and Rita is constantly changing throughout the play. In Act one we see them becoming closer and in Act two we see them pulling apart; this is due to the fact that Rita earns her independence at the end of the play. This is perfectly normal as Rita learns how to socialise with other individuals despite the social class barrier and gains confidence; this process is a complete role reversal as Frank is now relying on her. It is in some ways like a parent-child relationship because Rita’s character is naïve and innocent to begin with; she learns quickly and is soon independent. Frank doesn’t like Rita becoming mature and out growing him; like the process parents go through with their teenage child.

Rita’s character in the play is bright bubbly and loud, this covers up her insecurities on the inside, as she doesn’t know how to act. We can see this from her first entrance into the play in scene1. Rita and Franks first meeting in the play involved a rather dramatic and rude entrance by Rita who bossed Frank around and swore drawing attention onto her. The first words she said to Frank were “It’s that stupid bleedin’ handle on the door. You wanna get it fixed!” To the audience this language for a first meeting seems very inappropriate and informal this may seem shocking to them, as it is the first impression she makes on her tutor. This shows the audience how little Rita knows how to act in formal situations; usually the audience would expect her to act quiet and polite.

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Rita’s use of dialect and basic vocabulary suggests that she lives in the poorer parts of Liverpool, but that doesn’t make her any less able as a student. However the audience at this time would think so because the play was a comedy and Rita’s character was intended to amuse the audience with her inappropriate comments like “look at those tits”. Rita’s constant swearing and rude language is different from the language and manners of the other students making her different and more appealing to her tutor Frank as he sees her as original.

Franks character in the play is ...

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