Frank’s style of teaching is that he is not concerned how well his students do; it depends on how dedicated the students are. When frank reads the book that Rita gave him – Ruby Fruit Jungle, he teaches her that criticism is not purely objective. “It should be only approached almost as science. Criticism is never subjective and should not be confused with partisan interpretation”
The first thing Frank introduces to Rita is E.M Forster who wrote ‘Howard’s End’. Rita thought it was “crap”. Frank tells Rita that she cannot interpret E.M Forster from a Marxist viewpoint. After meeting Frank, Rita's view for education has widened, she wants to learn everything there is too learn but doesn't know where to start, she's getting into the feeling as she began to become a proper student when she is being taught by frank.
At Rita’s Open University course, at first Rita finds it difficult to adapt to that sort of lifestyle. She struggled at the beginning but she remained brave and never quit. Rita's speech is colloquial, informal, but very lively, vibrant and entertaining. “It's crap because the feller who wrote it was a louse. Because halfway through that book I couldn't go on reading it because he, Mr Bleedin' E. M. Forster says, quote "We are not concerned with the poor" unquote. That's why it's crap. And that's why I didn't go on reading it, that's why”
Ritas first essay was on E.M Forster . once Frank read it, he couldn’t tell whether her essay was real or a joke. He said that Rita’s essay was totally inadequate. She was meant to write an essay on Forster, but she kept on referring to an appropriate author, Harold Robbins.
After a while of going to Franks lectures, Rita's personality begins to show that she is taking on all the things she is learning from frank on board as her attitude begins to change, she is starting to think like a educated women as well as feel like one. She rather stay at home and read a book or write up an essay than go down to the pub with the rest of her family and get drunk. “I don't want to go to the pub, I've got to do this frank, I've go to, I want to know about Chekhov”. As the play progresses, the speech reverses as Rita picks up expressions and the language for discussing literature and literary criticism, and Frank's speech becomes more informal when he is talking to Rita. We do not know whether he uses the same speech for talking to others, as we only see him with Rita. A good example of this is when Rita is discussing Frank's poetry:
Frank: “Just think if I'd let you see it when you first came here”.
Rita: “I know. . . I wouldn't have understood it, Frank”.
Frank: “You would have thrown it across the room and dismissed it as a piece of shit, wouldn't you?”
Rita: “I know. . . But I couldn't have understood it then, Frank, because I wouldn't have been able to recognize and understand the allusions”.
Rita is more passionate about gaining the qualification than ever when she goes to see a production of 'Macbeth,' so much so, in fact, that she even buys the book. Rita shows how much her relationship with Frank means to her when she goes to tell him first thing the next day: '… But listen, it wasn't borin' it was bleedin' great honest, ogh, it done me in.' having watched the professional production, Rita displays excitement and enthusiasm and has an eagerness for more. Rita's attitude changes from her expectations of a boring play to sheer astonishment that she enjoys it so much. Rita watches with an open mind and she herself is surprised that she enjoyed the play and the general atmosphere so much. She expresses this to Frank by informing him that at one point she wanted to stand up and shout: 'I was on the edge of me seat at that bit. I wanted to shout out an' tell Macbeth, warn him.'
The way that Rita reacts to Shakespeare is valuable because she has viewed the play without looking at it from an English student's viewpoint. She fails to notice that the play is written in verse for example. However Rita struggles to grasp the idea of what a true tragedy actually is. She believes that a tragedy is a random event. But Frank shares his knowledge with Rita and explains that a tragedy is 'inevitable and pre-ordained' and that a random happening is simply 'tragic' not a 'tragedy'.
Willy Russell uses different words and phrases to portray Rita's lack of understanding, humour and excitement. He uses hesitation to show confusion: 'So-so Macbeth brings it on himself?' He shows her humour by using slang as well. When Frank explains how if a man is hit by a falling tree it is tragic, not a tragedy, Rita's reply is: 'It is for the poor sod under the tree.'
Towards the end of the whole discussion about tragedy it is significant that Rita looks through the window onto the 'proper' students. It is as if Frank is unlocking doors in her brain which she never knew were there before and making her see and understand things in a new, improved way. The window is a divider between the working and middle social classes. It is at this point Rita begins to see through the window clearly and she acknowledges her desire to be on the other side of it. However, though she clearly wants to be middle class, her nerves always seem to get in the way.
There have been references in the play about Rita being stuck between two worlds. When Rita refers to herself as a ‘half-caste’ she means that she is no longer working class, but she is not middle class either. She is stuck in the middle. Half way through the play she feels like she is being pulled in different directions. She wants to break out of her lower class, and she wants to break out of her hollowness and emptiness. When her mother says how they could ‘sing a different song’, this really changes Rita’s views on things, and she encourages herself. When Rita has her problems, she tries to overcome them by getting on with her learning and with that her personality alters as well.
At the begiinig of act two Rita comes back from summer school. She has changed drastically, the first thing we see is rita entering the room wearing new second hand clothes. Rita loved summer school and it had a major effect on her. When she came back she coudn’t wait to tell Frank about every detail in summer school. She told frank that she had so much fun but learnt at the same time. She clearly sounded much more confident than before. In act 2 scene 2, Rita enters the room, she starts talking in a peculiar posh vioce, which Frank didn’t like. Frank tells her to be herself. She discusses to Frank that she was talking to some students down on the lawn, hearing this Frank was very suprised. As we read on we learn, that Rita has become a lot more confident towards other people.
Ritas and franks relationship begins to fade. The characters are drifting apart. Rita is getting to know other people, shes beginning to make friends with the other students like Tyson, and Frank feels left out. Other tutors taught rita at summer camp and frank didn’t like that either. The more we progress into the play , Frank and Rita see less of each other. Rita didn’t tell frank that she changed her job to a waitress or that she changed her name to susan. Frank finds this out later on tin the play.
Towards the end of the play Rita and Frank argue. Rita says to Frank he can’t stand the fact that she has become educated, she also says that she didn’t need Frank anymore. “whats up Frank? Don’t you like me anymore that the little girl has grown up, im educated and you don’t like it. Your like the rest of them, you like to keep natives thick, because that way they look charming an delightful. I don’t need you, ive got a room full of books, I know what clothes to buy, what wine to buy, what plays you see, what papers and books to read, I can do without you”
At this point in the scene, Frank's attitude is different and the way in which he is talking tells us that the argument between the two has been going on for a long time. Frank seems to be annoyed and irritated but not angry, and is in a way sarcastic. Frank expresses his anger through sarcasm: 'two empty seats at the dinner table mean more of the vino for me.' Frank is persistent in telling Rita that he thinks she should have told him that she wasn't planning on going. Frank virtually says that although Rita hasn't reached it yet, she has breached middle class courtesy and etiquettee.
The mood of this scene to start with is tense, awkward and almost uneasy. Rita is clearly upset and frustrated to a point, but Frank seems to patronise Rita by telling her that she didn't have to dress up or bring wine, yet that is the sort of thing he would do. After building her up and climbing the social ladder a bit, Frank lowers her back down and this enrages Rita.
Frank says “that Rita has come all this way for so much little”, Frank means that there is still a long way to go. “Found a better song to sing have you? No, you’ve found a different that’s all and on your lips it is shrill, hollow and tuneless” frank is stating that Rita hasn’t found a better life she has just a different life which is hollow and ‘tuneless’.
Trish’s suicide towards the ending had a big effect on rita. Her commiting suicide had proven Franks points, when Rita and Frank argued , Rita realises that education and culture is not enough.
In these two scenes, Willy Russell shows us how Rita has grown up and opened her eyes to reality, but also how she is still the same fiery woman that we first met. Rita now has the will power to complete her social class shift and she also has Frank's support behind her. Frank's words of wisdom and persistence show his affection for Rita and his wish for her to do well. In her mind, Rita is now ready to become a member of the middle class and forget her working class roots.
The final moments of the play show Frank and Rita making up and Rita had took her jacket off an said “im going to take ten years off you”, it looked like rita was going to kiss Frank but she goes to him, ges out a scissor and starts cutting up his hair, this is one of the humerous parts. This would symbolise another chance for Frank and Rita, a new life for the both of them.
I think this play is one of the best plays I have ever read. At te beginning, I had found out that this play only contained 2 characters, this made me think that this play would be not very interesting, but I was surprised. This had an excellent storyline which gave out strong messages which is basically ‘not to give up in life’, for example Rita had sacrificed a lot for her edcucation, this showed how dedicated she was. This play is presented in different styles, like sometimes this play can be humerous but most of the time it is serious. I think this way, keeps the reader interested.