Educating Rita is a popular stage play, but it does not have anything serious to say. Do you agree or disagree?

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“Educating Rita is a popular stage play, but it does not have anything serious to say.” Do you agree or disagree with this statement?

Educating Rita, a 1983 British film directed by Lewis Gilbert, based on Willy Russell's popular stage play, is a text that conveys significant ideas and themes, through an informal and light-hearted manner. Russel’s text addresses many “serious” aspects of life, by exploring intricate and complex themes alike, via his two primary characters; Rita and Frank. Russell’s protagonists, both vastly different in their age, position in society, and education, form a relationship which will be confronted with themes of social class, social pressure, individuality, change and tragedy, throughout the text. Ultimately it is the means with which Russell’s characters confront these themes, which gives his text its insightful message and purpose.

Social Class

Social Class, as explored through Rita’s initial inadequacy and subsequent cultural- progression in Russel’s text, presents itself as a key theme, exploring a ‘serious’ idea. Rita and Frank are from entirely different social classes -working and middle, respectively –with this being clearly apparent in their manners of speaking, clothing, extracurricular pursuits, and philosophical views. Rita’s struggle to progress from her life-long working class position in society is exemplified early in the text, when she consciously decides not to attend frank’s “party” in fear of being “some stupid woman invited for a laugh”. This scene, which illustrates Rita looking up at the patrons in Frank’s apartment from the street, symbolises her opinion of her own standing in society; she feels below Frank and his upper class counterparts. Shortly after the party, Rita, is reassured by frank, who is capable of seeing past her social position, when he says, ”You were invited because I wished to share your company.”. Essentially, through the theme of social class, Russel is highlighting his idea that all people deserve to be treated respectfully, irrespective of social standing.

Societal Pressure

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Societal Pressure

Along with Social class, Rita’s confrontations with Social pressure can be recognised as another cardinal theme in Russel’s text, with an important allegory. Throughout the text, Rita, against her better judgment, is pressured into conforming to the social norms of society and her family alike. Both her father, and her husband, Demi, continually pressure Rita into having a baby. As made evident at Rita’s sister’s wedding, her father criticises her for “being married 6 years and still not pregnant”. Likewise, in the following scene, her husband, inconsiderate and uncaring of her wishes, threatens her, remarking “You stop going to that university and you stop taking the pill, or you’re out”. Later in the text, Rita, watching her family resort to alcohol and singing to solace their pains, confides in frank, telling him about how difficult it is for her not to conform to the immense societal pressure she faces; how difficult it is for her not to “just pack it in and join in the singing”. For the most part, I believe Russel uses the theme of Social pressure and Rita’s subsequent defiance as a means to explore his idea that no-one’s life should not be dictated by social pressures and norms.

Individuality

Individuality, as expressed through Rita’s lively character and writing, is both a complex and ‘serious’ theme explored continually throughout the text by Russel. Early in the text, asked by Rita to help her write more like the other students, Frank is hesitant to change her approach to literature, claiming that her writing is “In its own terms, wonderful”. Believing that her individuality can remain compromised in order to reach her aspirations, Rita urges Frank to help her become more like the other students. Frank, understanding of her plight, warns her, stating that “You will have to suppress, and abandon your uniqueness; I’m going to have to change you.”. Ultimately, Frank’s wisdom prevails, and after submitting her next essay, to Rita’s delight and Frank’s disappointment, he tells her that her work “not different to any of the others”. Through the character of Frank, Russell explores the profound idea that Individuality, the uniqueness that separates all of us as people, should not be jeopardised at the expense of change.

Tragedy

The theme of tragedy is explored through the unique struggles of both Frank and Rita, to express Russel’s underlying idea of triumph over adversity. Shortly after seeing a performance of Macbeth, Rita leads Frank into a discussion about tragedy. Frank tells her about Macbeth’s character and the tragic flaws in his character that makes his fate inevitable. Frank, much like Shakespeare’s character of Macbeth, is ridden with flaws he cannot overcome. He is incapable of reform, and ultimately it is Frank’s tragic flaws; his apathy, his cynicism and his depression that make the loss of Julia, and his job by the end of the play, seem inevitable. However, these irony behind these tragedies is that they result in Frank embarking on a new endeavour; a new beginning in Australia where he will more than likely overcome his flaws. As such, tragedy, but more importantly how an individual overcomes it, presents itself as a key idea in Russel’s text.

In conclusion, Willy Russell's stage play, Educating Rita, is a story with a lot of ‘serious’ things to say. Utilising the key characters in the plot - Rita, and Frank- Russell successfully conveys his solemn thoughts and ideas through themes of social class, social pressure, individuality, change and tragedy. Whilst perceived by many as a casual, unserious, light hearted play, Educating Rita can only be truly appreciated for its more serious themes after exploring the meaning behind its confronting themes and ideas.

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