During this small opening section of the play, Russell tells the audience a lot about Franks persona; he has shown that he is a highly educated person by using developed vocabulary when describing Frank’s stage actions ‘Jubilantly he moves’. This is also a use of irony because Frank is neither Jubilant nor happy and this also gives the appearance that as a member of the middle class, Frank constantly tries to hide how he feels. Consequently, the audience are unsure of him and find it difficult to relate to him because the real Frank has not yet revealed himself. Indeed, this shows that members of the middle class were often hesitant to show their personalities even during the eighties-a period when people had begun to challenge social stereotypes and express themselves through clothing, music and the way they interacted with one another. Homosexuality was also beginning to become more accepted in society due to the actions of people such as Margaret Thatcher (the first female prime minister) who said that it was permissible. During the 1979 general election, the Conservatives came to power with she was designated the role of Prime Minister. Thatcher also encouraged women to become educated so they could get a job and indeed, Thatcher also proved that women were capable members of society by simply being one of the first females in a position of power. In addition to this, Thatcher had a pro-abortion attitude and therefore this gave women more freedom; allowing them to choose between having children or an education. Margaret Thatcher was admired by majority of women because she was independent and proved that women were equal.
Frank appears to slur his words and this reinforces that he is a heavy drinker ‘haven’t I?...Tch…Of course’. However despite being drunk, the use of language shows that he is still a well spoken man who uses a formal tone and a wide range of complex vocabulary. It would not be incorrect to state that his personality is fairly dismal and dull. A conversation between him and his girlfriend Julia (also an ex-student) reveals that he agreed to tutor Rita to pay for his drinking habit. This indeed confirms that Frank has taken a step backwards from the expectations of his class. Gradually Russell reveals more about Frank’s lifestyle with the use of small details. Frank states ‘you should have prepared something other than lamb and ratatouille’, this implies that he is wealthy because working class families couldn’t have afforded this. It is also revealed that Frank would rather be at the pub than at home and this implies that he is tired and has little enthusiasm about his relationship because during this time period, upper class families were very reserved and formal and had little communication. This would trigger the emotions of some middle class members of the audience because they also may be trapped in a loveless relationship. In addition to this, during a later sequence in the play, Franks discovers that Julia is having an affair. This shows that she is also unsatisfied by her relationship. Russell has included these details to reinforce that middle class families are not perfect, as many poorer members of the audience would’ve previously been led to believe. Russell has also reinforced Frank’s unhappiness with the phone call he receives from Julia because it is immediately apparent that there is tension between the two. At this point in the play the atmosphere is dreary and depressing and this reflects the middle class way of living. Russell has clearly shown that this type of lifestyle was mainly routine with very little excitement or spontaneity.
There is a great contrast between when we are first introduced to Frank and then to Rita. When Rita enters the stage, the audience is immediately made aware of the two entirely different cultures that her and Frank originate from. When Rita enters she encounters what life is like for the middle class; she soon discovers it is not all it is cracked up to be! Frank is the first person who she meets and it is clear that she can sense that he has lost all enthusiasm for life, yet she still wants to achieve this way of living. Immediately, Rita faces a physical boundary in the form of a door which she cannot open, eventually she manages to get in but this is symbolic of the fact that she will find it hard to adapt to living in an educated environment. After a long hard struggle Rita breaks into Frank’s office and immediately orders him to fix the door handle. The abrupt entrance and instant attack towards the man she has just met suggests that Rita has the confidence to speak her mind, yet she doesn’t realize that this is not how people of a higher social status interact with one another. This also suggests that she is unfamiliar with people of Frank’s calibre because during this time period, it was a social taboo to interact with members of different classes. Rita’s use of language is almost threatening and this implies that she is also nervous and feels the need to assert her authority in this unfamiliar environment.
Rita struggles to open the door because it has not been maintained or oiled; this shows that as being a member of the middle class, Frank doesn’t see it as his responsibility. Another explanation for this is that Frank simply doesn’t have the practical knowledge of how to fix the door because he only has academic knowledge. This reinforces the concept that, despite not being particularly wealthy, the lower class are significant members of society and it also persuades the middle class that they too have a responsibility to carry out these manual tasks. In the following scene, Rita demonstrates that she is the opposite of Frank. Rita has practical knowledge rather than academic knowledge and shows this by bringing a small can of oil to fix the faulty door. Russell has included this detail to reinforce her working class background where she didn’t have other people to do things for her. This also shows her determination to get an education and how much she wants to learn and improve her life. This is also symbolic that of when Rita puts in effort, becoming educated is an easier task for her to accomplish.
When Frank first lays eyes upon Rita the stage directions describe his astonishment ‘staring, slightly confused’, it is clearly evident that he wasn’t expecting a person like Rita and there is a great contrast between her and his usual students. It is obvious that Frank is baffled by Rita’s use of language, general behaviour and mannerisms. Additionally, Rita would’ve been wearing bright eye-catching clothing with a unique style which set her apart from the ‘proper students’. Around this time period the creation of MTV revolutionized fashion and the music industry. Music that was typical during this time included Madonna, the Pet shop Boys, Spandau Ballet and Heaven 17. The clothes worn in the eighties depicted people who were trying to find themselves. Many people looked for ways to express their creativity and individuality. Most women had their hair cut short and wore layers of clothing and men wore heavy make up and grew long hair; both of the sexes were searching for a new more exciting identity.
Russell has also shown that Rita is making her best effort at appearing comfortable in this new environment, even though she isn’t ‘hang her coat on the door hook’. He has also shown she is from a lower class background by the detailed description of the stage directions ‘dumping her bag’. The dialogue between the characters reveals that Rita feels like she is a world apart from her own and is lacking in confidence, this is shown when she misunderstands a question ‘You are?’ and assumes that Frank is going to insult her ‘What am I?’. It is clear that Frank has worded this phrase in a way that Rita doesn’t understand and therefore cannot reply to. Alike Rita, many poorer members of the audience may also struggle to understand Frank and would’ve responded to his question in the same way. Rita is also astounded by Frank’s level of wealth; she speaks in an informal manner and uses colloquail, gramitacally incorrect and sometimes innapropriate language. Rita also swears frequently and uses taboo language; she isn’t aware of how she should act in different situations and acts the same way she does at home. An example of this includes “sod” and “fuckin’”. At this point Rita makes one of her first attempts at an intellectual conversation and claims that it is just narrow minded people who don’t see words as just words. It becomes apparent that although Frank is a little shocked and taken aback by Rita’s use of language, he does not oppose it or try to change her as a person. This allows their relationship to begin to blossom and also shows the middle class that they should learn to appreciate the lower class. Rita talks with a quick pace and harsh Liverpudlian accent, Russel had interpreted Rita’s accent in the writing, this includes “y’” which is meant to be you and “won’ I” which is meant to be won’t I. This abbreviation of words emphasises her lower class background and her lack of education. Though despite this, Rita has an overwhelming presence in the room, majority of this scene involves her speech and therefore Frank is given little opportunity to have a large input into the conversation. The audience can immediately identify with Rita because she is honest, humorous and down to earth. Rita reveals a lot of detail about her life in a short space of time, so much so that she rapidly changes from talking about one subject to another. This also implies that she is nervous and trying to prevent any awkward silences from occurring. The effect of this is that the audience do not immediately connect with Frank; he is not an open or honest person who expresses himself freely. Therefore it is difficult to get a clear picture of his personality and during the opening scenes the audience neither like nor dislike him. However, some may feel sorrow or pity for him because it is perceptible that he has lost all enthusiasm for life.
Frank speaks in Standard English and therefore it is difficult to distinguish where he comes from, though it makes clear that he is a highly educated individual. Whereas, Rita’s accent indicates that she comes from the region of Liverpool and is also used to reinforce her social status-she clearly has a working class accent. This again enhances the fact that Rita has a more interesting personality than Frank; Russell has used these small details to emphasise the audience’s connection with Rita. As the play progresses Rita tries to lose her working class accent entirely; this reflects the class issues in Britain entirely because at the time people did try to change their accents to sound ‘better’. The effect of this is that audiences feel pity for her because she has lost her way and individuality; both middle and lower class viewers would disapprove of her attempts to change. This was shown when Rita didn’t get the reaction that she probably expected from Frank, in fact he is shocked about her denial of her true identity. In the earliest scenes Rita speaks before she thinks, this possibly indicates that she is nervous about being in Frank’s company because he is educated-unlike the people she usually socialises with. This also shows that she is yet to be taught how to do this and shows that she doesn’t yet have the knowledge of how to engage in an intelleactual conversation. Rita also often responds with humourous and witty remarks when unable to answer qustions that are thrown at her. This again reflects the behaviour and mannerisms that would be displayed by the working class members of the audience.
Rita is a passionate person who, unlike Frank, appreciates the things around her. Upon entry into the room one of the first things that she notices is a painting of a nude religious scene. In an attempt to begin a converstaion she says, “It’s very erotic.”. This is a sexual reference which is clearly inappropriate and shows that she does not understand art and literature. This is a humorous technique used by Russell which is slightly tongue in cheek and the audience instantaneously begin to like Rita. The fact that Rita overlooked the religious aspect and described the painting as ‘nice’ also shows that she indeed herself was not religious and therefore could not appreciate the painting fully. Unlike Rita, Frank would’ve understood the religious aspect of the painting and therefore the thought of it being ‘erotic’ would not have crossed his mind. Frank’s reply to her remark shows that he hasn’t looked at the painting for a long time, and although he can appreciate the painting in terms of an educated view, he has probably never thought about it in the way Rita did. It is likely that Franks merely has this painting to maintain his image and it was most likely painted by a well known professional artist. However, Rita wouldn’t have known this and probably could tell the difference between that panting and one done by an amateur. Frank also seems to have lost all interest in art and women, possibly due to him loveless relationship.
Within Rita’s speech she uses a lot of dysphemism; her language is shocking and impolite. For instance, when she discusses the painting she uses the word ‘tits’. This technique is used by Russell to incorporate another humorous aspect into the scene. This would’ve shocked audiences, yet they’d like her for her brash and interesting personality. At the time when the play was written women were expected to be seen and not heard; therefore Rita’s confidence to express her own opinions would’ve made her like a heroin to the women in the audience. Rita was the type of person who helped to change the social expectations and reputations of women, hence making them more respected members of society. The message of the play was also to teach males that females were equally as capable of becoming educated. This was emphasised during the end of the play when Russell showed Rita as an educated women whilst her former husband Deny had been left behind in an uneducated world. Indeed, the more wealthy members of the audience would be equally bewildered by Rita as Frank and would be intrigued by her spontaneity, enthusiasm and likeable personality. Consequently, this also encourages these members of the audience to make an effort to interact with the lower classes in order to get some excitement and to change their own lives. This indeed would also massively benefit the lower classes because they would become a more engaging and respected part of society.
Rita is the first Open University student that Frank has tutored; it is evident that he is not accustomed to teaching students from working class backgrounds. Frank is unsure of how to control or focus her attention. Russell has used this to show that it was rare for these two different social classes to interact with one another. Throughout beginning of the play, Rita refuses to sit down and goes straight to the window where she admires the view and looks down at the students who are studying on the grass. This is what Rita dreams of being-A ‘real’ student! For majority of the time she wanders around Frank’s room, often pacing back and forth between the window and his desk and during the rare times when Rita is sat down, she is often fidgety. An Instance of this is when she sharpens pencils one after another; this shows that Rita hasn’t been disciplined, but also shows that she is excited about the prospects that may lie ahead. This also shows that although a bond has grown between Rita and Frank, she is still slightly uncomfortable in this environment and standing above Frank allows her to feel in control of the situation.
Despite the obvious class division between Rita and Frank, Russell has begun to break down this barrier by displaying the similarities between the two characters. Even though they have completely different backgrounds and lives, Rita and Frank are much the same and have severe problems; both have problems with their relationships and have developed bad habits as a form of escapism. The audience already know that Frank is a heavy drinker but also learn that Rita is a smoker. In the opening scene of the play Rita and Frank are seen to sharing a cigarette, this again reinforces the Rita’s class because during this time period wealthy people would’ve smoked pipes. Nevertheless, this technique is used by Russell to show that wealth doesn’t matter if a person doesn’t have their sanity and happiness. The cigarette is used to bring the classes together and to show the audience that they can socialise well with each other. Once again, Rita’s lack of knowledge is shown when she discusses the connection between smoking and cancer ‘But they’re all cowards’. Rita hasn’t been educated about the physiology of the body and therefore it would be unlikely for her to understand the risks of smoking. This is also a humorous aspect which has been incorporated into her character and the audience find her oblivion slightly amusing.
During much of the early dialogue between the characters illustrates Rita’s lack of knowledge. For example when she discusses the work of Roger McGough, a working class contemporary poet, it shows that she has not been educated and Franks appears to have never heard of this poet. Instead he assumes that she is referring to the work of a classic poet called Dylan Thomas. It is apparent that Rita is a person who reads on a regular basis, however her and Frank have knowledge of completely different material. This is because Rita tends to read work which is not literature that would’ve been taught for educational purposes or read by members of the upper class ‘It’s the sort of poetry you can’t understand’.
Rita enters the room like a whirlwind bringing her passion, enthusiasm and spontaneity, Frank admires her for this and sees her as breathe of fresh air compared to the people he would usually interact with. This would also have the same effect upon middle class members of the audience. However despite this, Rita often puts herself down ‘have a job findin’ my brain’. Rita is also not very confident that she will succeed ‘If I pack in the course I’ll post it to y’. This shows that Rita is aware that she doesn’t quite fit in and she feels uncomfortable in this new environment. This impacts the audience greatly and targets their emotions. They feel sympathetic because they know she will face a long hard struggle to break the class boundaries and become an educated woman. Not only does she have the challenge of beating the class barriers, but she also has the challenge of accomplishing this task as a woman, who many men believed should be a home slaving over their families. At this point, Frank has become intrigued by Rita, as it is not very often that he comes across a person like her; a person who expresses themselves freely and is open and honest ‘I no I take the piss an’ that but I’m dead serious really…because I’m not y’know, confident like’. Rita opens up to Frank, she feels that because he is educated and therefore will understand why she wants to do the course; she believes he will understand her more than her husband and family who disapprove of the education system altogether. At this point in the play, the bond between the two characters becomes stronger and so does the connection between the two classes.
Throughout the play, there are numerous other instances where Rita’s lack of knowledge is shown. For example she is unaware of the meaning of the word assonance; Frank is slightly amused at this ‘half spluttering’ because this is a poetic term which is considered basic knowledge for an educated individual. Though Rita soon reacts to Frank ‘Don’t Laugh at me’ in a short, fiery and slightly aggressive tone. This was Rita’s way of regaining control of the situation and indeed both characters continued to display this type of behaviour throughout the first scene. For the whole duration of the first time scene, the two characters make an effort to feel superior to one another. For example, when Frank appears to be the more dominating of the two characters, Rita makes attempts to challenge him with witty remarks and whenever Rita appears to be the most dominating, Frank often corrects her using his in depth knowledge of literature. This use of dialogue between the characters clearly distinguishes the two different background from which they originate. Russell also incorporated this as an implication that Frank felt slightly intimidated by Rita’s personality, whilst she felt intimidated by his wealth and intellect. Though eventually, this constant shifting of power allows them to form a strong bond by the end of the first few scenes. Frank and Rita also get confused with each other on several occasions in the play such as when Frank refers to the poet “Yeats” and Rita misunderstands him and thinks he is talking about “Yates’s” the wine lodge. This shows that Frank and Rita come from completely different ways of life. Rita is passionate and wants to succeed, according to her ‘there’s loads I don’t know’ and yet she wants to know everything. This shows that Rita has assumed the Frank literally knows ‘everything’!
Although Rita’s real name is Susan, she introduces herself as Rita. She then explains that she has changed her name in an act of appreciation to a popular American author at the time-Rita Mae Brown. This is because Susan was a common name at the time and may also have been an attempt at being more sophisticated. However this backfired and shows that she is uneducated and is painfully uninformed because this poet wasn’t the type the an educated person would read; indeed Frank appears to have no knowledge of that specific poet. This could be linked back to Rita’s upbringing where she would’ve attended a low achieving school. However, this along with some earlier remarks that she made to Frank, show that she is eager to learn, is hungry for knowledge and desperately wants to reinvent herself. Rita Mae Brown wrote a book called Rubyfruit Jungle, this was a popular paperback book at the time amongst the lower classes but it didn’t make for an educated read. Russel would’ve used this as a prop also to show that the working class couldn’t afford hardback books. Therefore being a member of the middle class Frank had never read this book, and he doesn’t intend to either ‘I’d-erm-I’d be very interested. Russel has shown a clear division between the classes in the opening scene, especially when Rita makes references to her lifestyle ‘telly programme on ITV’ and Frank doesn’t understand what she is talking about. This is because the middle classes were more likely to sit and listen to classical music and if they did watch the television, this would be to watch educational programmes ‘its all BBC with you, isn’t it?’. This again reinforces the concept that the middle classes had a formal, painfully boring and drab lifestyle. Another example of this is when Rita states that Frank is a ‘Flora man’, Frank seems a little confused about this comment and assumes that she is talking about flowers. This also implies that Frank may be unfamiliar with specific brands of food because the women were expected to do the cooking-as shown in an earlier scene. Rita reveals also her working class background by making comparisons between granary bread and pebble-dashing; pebble dashing was used as exterior decoration in working class homes during this time period.
When Russell wrote this play, working class women were expected to have children at a young age and care for their family. Throughout the play Rita makes several references to how she is unusual‘I’m twenty six. I should have had a baby by now’. However, Rita had not yet conformed to these expectations as she wished to ‘find herself’ before having to raise another. Indeed, this attitude was most likely spurred on by women such as Margeret Thatcher. Russel has shown that for Rita, education involves a move away from the values of her family and friends and out of her original social class. She moves beyond her working class background and this allows her to gain self-confidence and knowledge of how to handle the challenges of life. Rita’s choice to become educated is frowned upon by her family, especially her husband Denny who has a traditional view of the role of women and expects her to settle down and have children. He has a typical male attitude and doesn't want her to learn and can’t understand why she wants to change because of intellectual reasons. Alike Frank’s relationship, Rita’s also inetrievable breaks down in a later scene during the play. The message of this is that wealth doesn’t offer happiness and that all people can fall out of love-despite which class they belong to. For Rita, this occurs when Denny discoveres that she has been taking the pill to prevent her from becoming pregnant and retaliates by burning her books. Indeed, Denny had now became the barrier that tried to prevent her from learning and thus improving her life, so therefore she left him. This is an important step for Rita because it shows that she is no longer dependant on men and is free from the pressures of having a child. This also shows the women in the audience that they are capable members of society who can achieve great things single handedly.
During the tutorial, Rita makes an attempt at convincing Frank to give up drinking, however this is his only form of escapism and it seems unlikely that that will ever happen ‘all dead long ago im afraid’. In a later scene during the play, when Rita has become more acedemic, the audience learn that she no longer smokes. This is because she no longer requires a form of escapism because she has left her old life behind. The audience almost feel proud of Rita; they have watched her grow as a person and have developed a level of respect towards her persona. Whereas, Frank has made very little effort to change and still craves his drink. Therefore at this moment, they would feel little sympathy towards him.
When Frank first met Rita he saw her as a breath of fresh air in his life and responded well to her mischievous approach to life. Frank knows that Rita is different from other students; she isn’t the type that he would like to throw out ‘the window’. In actual fact, he makes it clear that he isn’t good enough for her and that she deserves a better tutor, by claiming that he is a terrible teacher ‘What I know, is nothing’. During the end of scene one Rita comments on Franks appearance, she refers to the changes in clothing and fashion during the eighties and states that he looks like a ‘geriatric hippy’. Due to his middle class lifestyle, Frank wouldn’t have been affected by these changes in society and would’ve continued to wear the same attire. Rita offers Frank a haircut but he declines, this shows that he is trapped by his class and although he detestes his roots, he can’t seem to let go of them yet. However, during the last scene of the play Frank finally accepts her offer and this shows that he is free to explore and ‘find himself’ just as she had done.
In scene 2 the stage directions show that Frank does not expect Rita to turn up for a second tutorial ‘glances at his watch, moves to the window…glances at his watch again’, this is possibly due to the expectations of women during this time period. During the eighties women were expected to stay at home and have children; therefore Frank may have assumed that she had conformed to this due to her earlier comments about quitting the course altogether. However, Frank is soon proved wrong when he sees the door handle being turned; the handle is turned several times but nobody enters-that is until frank opens it to see Rita ‘standing in the doorway’. Rita was oiling the handle of the door which had first prevented her from being able to enter Frank’s office, this symbolises that the more effort she puts in the easier it will be for her to enter the world of educated students and escape the limitations of her working class lifestyle.
Throughout the play, Rita and Frank engage in many conversations whereby Rita fails to comprehend the advanced vocabulary that Frank uses. An example of this is when Rita expresses her opinion about Frank’s office ‘a perfect mess…its grown to fit there’. Frank then responds to this comment ‘You mean that over the years it has acquired a certain patina’. Rita then makes an attempt to use this new vocabulary in her own speech ‘Yeh…Over the years your face has acquired a certain patina’. This is a humorous technique which the middle class members of the audience would find amusing; however the lower class members may be equally confused as Rita. In the play, Russell has shown that Rita has a short attention span and often jumps from speaking about one subject to another. Rita speaks about the other students like they are better than her ‘Proper students’, this suggest that she has grown up in a world that has taught her to assume that educated and wealthy people are superior. This affects the audience, almost making them feel guilty for allowing children to grow up feeling as though they are inferior. At this point in the play, Frank’s personality also begins to shine through as he becomes more comfortable in Rita’s company. For the first time, the audience see a humorous side to his character and can begin to connect with him ‘What do you think they are, human? Proper students don’t read and study’. Rita becomes more open and honest with Frank as the play progresses and confesses that she had a desire to attend boarding school when she was younger. Though Frank cannot understand why because as a youngster he would’ve attended a high achieving school and took education for granted; whereas Rita went to a poor school and therefore values education much more. This is the second time that Rita and Frank have had a tutorial session together and it is evident that Rita has begun the process of making small steps towards becoming an educated person. Rita has come prepared for the tutorial ‘takes out…file, note-pad, ruler and pencil’ and this shows her determination to succeed.
The language used by each character is used to signify their class, Rita uses an expression which is deemed as a working class and obviously for that reason Frank cannot understand what she is talking about ‘What in the name of God is being off one’s cake’. Then when Frank tries to incorporate this language into his speech (as Rita did earlier) she points out that he is ‘slumming it’ and stooping down to the expectations of the lower class. This again reinforces the concept that Rita has been raised in such a way that makes her feel inferior. When questioned by Frank about why she didn’t attend full time university, Rita discusses her childhood and gives details about the ordinary working class schools and the chaos surrounding the education systems. When Rita was a youngster the schools which achieved academically were given extra funding, however the ones that didn’t had their funds reduced. This action took a drastic toll on the education of working class children and widened to gap between the achievements of those at the poor and rich schools. This situation was also worsened by the actions of Margaret Thatcher who reduced school funding even further-this had the most effect on poor schools such as the one that Rita would’ve attended. During the late eighties teachers were banned from using violence, such as the cane, slipper or ruler to enforce discipline. Therefore the teachers could no longer frighten their students and the level of behaviour worsened drastically. As a consequence of this, majority of people didn’t value education, including people such as Frank ‘Y’d think there was somethin’ wrong with education…Perhaps there is’. Rita also explains how growing up in a working class environment made her feel like she had to fit in, if she began to study and ‘started talking school’ then she would’ve lost her friends. Therefore, during this time period it was difficult for children from working class backgrounds to escape this later in life ‘never admit that school could be anythin’ other than useless’. This would have and emotional impact on the lower class members of the audience because they would’ve been subject to the same treatment as youngsters. It was a vicious cycle; coming from a working class environment and conforming to the expectations of having children who would then go to poor schools where education was deemed useless. Indeed these children would then follow the same path as their parents had done.
At this point Rita is sharpening pencils and leaving the shavings on the desk, the stage directions describe that she ignores the offer of an ashtray to sharpen them into and continues to sharpen them onto the table. This shows that she is immersed deep in thought about her childhood and frustrated that the people around her were the ones that have prevented her from succeeding. Rita detests the inflexible attitudes of the working class people and the conventions that prevented her from learning and thus gaining a better education and life. She believes that there was once a time when her class were proud of its hard working values, but now there now wasn’t enough work to go around. This was due to the actions of Margaret Thatcher, who had cut funding in the education section but also became determined to run down the mining industry by importing cheap coal that British companies couldn’t compete with. The working class citizens employed in the mining industry retaliated to this and took strike action in 1984. This Strike was bitter and prolonged; police often confronted these people and used violence against them. Thatcher was determined to use everything at her disposal to break the miners, but families of the miners began to struggle to feed their children, debt began to build up and miners owed thousands of pounds in mortgage payments. Eventually these hardships began to take their toll and some returned back to work, but there had been a drastic cut in the number of jobs. Many miners were left unemployed with a sense of hatred towards the government. This was worsened when Margaret Thatcher attempted to impose a flat poll tax instead of local taxes; though the Conservative party disapproved of this and she was forced to step down in 1990. These people now detested education because of what the educated people in power had done to them. Rita claims that now that the hard working values had been replaced by a materialistic culture which holds them back from progressing in life. Rita explains how she has been affected by these issues and sometimes wants to give up and ‘buy another dress’. However, she then says that she is fed up of being tied down and is determined to succeed ‘An’ I’m not gunna get one either…till I pass me first exam’. This shows the audience that although it may be tempting to take the easy route, it will be more rewarding in the long run to gain an education and do something worthwhile with their lives.
Unlike Frank, who is objective and bases his knowledge on facts. When Rita begins the course, much of her views are subjective and sentimental. This is because she doesn’t have the much knowledge about literature and she interprets the work according to her own personal view. An example of this is when she produces an essay on the book Rubyfruit Jungle. Frank tries to explain that this was a subjective, appreciative and descriptive piece and not just ‘crap’ as Rita had put it ‘Whats the difference?’. This shows that Rita only has a basic education, she has not been taught how to criticise or analyse and most of her work. Throughout the play, Russell has revealed more and more about the two characters through the use of detailed dialogue. When Frank offers Rita a book ‘Howard’s End’ she automatically assumes that it is rude and contains a sexual aspect; however this is not the case and highlights the background that she comes from. Rita also makes a personal judgement about the book because she feels that it insults the poor. Frank was astounded at her response to the book and he finds it quite amusing that Rita cannot seem to understand the difference between subjective and objective. This again illustrates the class boundaries because both Rita and Frank have an entirely different way of thinking. Rita also can’t seem to understand that the books that she enjoys reading are not suitable for educational purposes.
Rita frequently becomes side tracked; she is a somewhat self confessed nosey individual who asks Frank about the most intimate details of his life. This again highlights the openness between lower class families compared to that of middle class families. In the second scene she enquires about his home life ‘Are y? What’s y’ wife like?’ and this catches Frank off guard as he doesn’t expect his students to be interested in that subject. This, among many other of Rita’s actions, was a new encounter for Frank. At first, he is hesitant but soon opens up to Rita about his troubled relationships. When he reveals that he had a wife who left him for the good of literature, Rita claims that cannot be a plausible reason for why she did so. However, when Rita leaves Denny in a later scene this could actually be seen as her leaving him for the good of literature. The audience also learn that Frank used to be a poet, but stopped writing altogether when his wife left. This targets their emotions as they know that he has talent which is going to waste.
At this point in the play Frank and Rita are still on entirely different wavelengths; when discussing his current girlfriend Frank states she ‘spends a great deal of time putting her head in the oven’. Frank is referring to an expensive modern cooker which had to be lit by leaning inside the oven door, though Rita wouldn’t have had the privilege of using this type of appliance and therefore assumed that it was a suicide attempt. This use of humour clearly defines the division between the two classes. Russell has presented Frank as a witty and sarcastic teacher, who is despises his culture and is obviously dissatisfied with his life. Alike Rita, Frank has a low opinion of himself. Frank is part of an establishment which he detests and is trying to suppress his emotions. However, Rita’s spontaneity, uniqueness and honesty has given him a sense of purpose to his teaching. Rita later admits that she does not feel confident in a middle class environment; this is shown when she cannot face entering the dinner party that Frank had invited her to. Rita feels like a half-caste trapped between two worlds and she explains that she visited the pub and felt like a ‘freak’; neither middle nor working class. Rita says that whilst everyone sang along to a song on the juke box, she noticed that her mother was sobbing. Her mother was crying because they could have been singing a better song, but for Rita, singing a better song symbolises a better education and way of life.
As Rita becomes more educated throughout the play, her use of language becomes gradually more formal and she develops a wide range of vocabulary. Rita also begins to engage in conversations with the ‘proper’ students, who she was initially intimidated by, and is able to contribute to the discussions using her knowledge of literature. Rita becomes more self dependant and moves into a middle class area, quitting her job to work at a bistro and using her original name. Rita initially aspires to be like her new roommate, Trish, though she goes slightly overboard and begins to imitate the accent and dress sense. Indeed, as part of the middle class Rita had begun to suppress her personality. However, it becomes apparent that Frank disapproves of this and Rita soon changes her ways when Trish attempts suicide. This sequence of events shocks Rita and shows that although people may appear different on the outside due to their wealth or class, they often suffer from the same problems and insecurities. This eventually allows Rita to find a balance between being an educated person, whilst keeping elements of her original personality. Although Rita undergoes a massive transformation, Frank also develops as well. As Rita becomes educated, Frank begins to almost despise her. This is role reversal because at the beginning of the play Rita was dependant of Frank, though now he becomes jealous and dependent on her. The audience develop a sense of pity towards him, but now that he dislikes the new educated Rita, he himself has begun a barrier which tries to prevent her from ‘finding herself’. Frank is afraid of losing her because this will take all the meaning of his life away. Rita was the only joy and excitement that he got out of life and he is afraid that it will be lost forever. He had tried to find the balance between her having an honest personal response to literature and the skills to critically analyse, but this had made her suppress her emotions and spontaneity. Rita now resembles a ‘proper’ student and Frank compares himself to Frankenstein; this implies that feels as though he has created a monster. This use of exaggerated language targets the audience’s emotions and they themselves begin to miss Rita. During the period when she is absent from Franks life, his drinking spirals out of control. As a consequence of this, he behaves inappropriately during a lecture and it’s quite clear that he isn’t in a suitable state to be teaching. Prior to this, he had taken his job for granted and despite frequently being drunk whilst teaching pupils, he never expected to lose his position. Therefore, he is sent on a long tem break from his job and takes a two year vacation to Australia. This role reversal shows that members of the working class are capable of breaking the cycle and achieving their goals, but also shows that members of the middle class can just as easily fail at doing this.
Russell wrote Educating Rita to appeal to people from a wide range of backgrounds. It is intended to be an inspirational piece of work. When writing the play, he aimed to make it relevant to those who considered themselves uneducated and who didn’t speak the language of the University or the theatre. His intention was to write a play which would appeal to both the working and middle classes. The message of the play is that anyone is capable of achieving their ambitions regardless of where they come from or how wealthy they are. At the end of the play, Russell wants the less fortunate members of the audience, in particular, to believe in themselves and be encouraged to change their lives for the better. He also tells the audience that even the richest members in society can fall off their high horse if they don’t put in the effort. The most powerful message is that everyone is equal and that people should not be categorised due to their level of wealth and education, but by their personality. Overall Educating Rita puts forward a philosophy that anyone is capable of change in spite of the obstacles which may be in their way.