In Act 1 Scene 2 frank and Rita start to grow a relationship as we learn about Rita’s previous education. This is when she talks about her school that obviously seems as though it would have a bad reputation shown in the description ‘ripped-up books, broken glass everywhere, knives an’ fights.’ she tells Frank that she couldn’t study or she would get beat up and she had to do what her friends did. In addition, Frank talks about his broken relationship when he tells Rita about his wife, and that they split up over literature. Russell shows their relationship growing in this conversation and they share private details of their life.
In Act 1 Scene 3, we find that Rita has written an essay that shows how much she is lacking in terms of formal education. Then we find in Act 1 Scene 4, we get another insight on one of Rita’s essays that shows a much lower standard than you would expect from a grown woman as she writes a single line essay saying ‘Do it on the radio.’ In response to the question, ‘Suggest how you would resolve the staging difficulties inherent in a production of Ibsen’s Peer Gynt’
In Act 1 Scene 6 Russell shows the audience how Rita has lost her dependency on Frank and others, Russell shows this as Rita goes to see Macbeth alone. Russell also shows the gain in relationship between Frank and Rita as Rita goes to tell Frank about the trip before she tells anybody else. Russell shows the relationship developing as he invites the audience to consider how Rita’s community has turned their back on her which is shown in Denny and Rita’s relationship but Franks community have opened arms to her as Frank and Rita’s Relationship develop.
Rita has lost just as much as gained throughout the play; she has most importantly lost Denny, her old partner. This is mentioned in Act 1 Scene 8. The writer tells us this in Rita and Frank’s conversation, she says, “I got home from work, he’d packed me case. He said I either stop comin’ here an’ come off the pill or I could get out all together” We know that Frank is concerned about this when he almost forces this explanation out of her when he sees the suitcase. We see that in this scene Rita has a big transfer from being with Denny to leaving him and having a stronger relationship with Frank. Rita has also lost smaller areas throughout the play, these include her losing acceptance in the community/working class world, and this is shown in scene 5 when Denny burns Rita's books showing that if she wants to be part of that world she cannot keep doing the Open University course but she persists. In Frank’s opinion, Rita has gained from all of this as she leaves her past behind to become the new mature woman, and she does not have people guarding her way.
Rita gains many new friend in the play, Russell introduces, Trish, Rita’s flat mate, Frank, Rita’s tutor, and Tiger, a friend Rita met on campus. These relationships grow rapidly and strongly that she gets two invites abroad. This develops a large choice of Rita’s future, this includes going to France with tiger shown as she says to Frank “Tiger asks me to go down to France with his mob.” In addition, she has the opportunity to go to Australia, this is in Act 2 Scene 7 as Rita finds Frank packing his books away and he invites her to come, after a long conversation, he still brings up Australia saying “You know erm – I hear very good things about Australia. Things are just beginning there. The thing is, why don’t you come as well?” This shows the relationship between Frank and Rita’s relationship has become closer as he asks her to go to Australia with him and he is trying to convince Rita to come.
Most importantly Rita gains a new her, she gains her old name Susan, this is finalised when she says to Frank “Rita? Rita? Nobody calls me Rita but you, I dropped that pretentious crap when I saw what it was.” she also talks and acts differently; she does not speak using slang and does not develop attitudes towards people as she used to nearer the beginning of the play. Her change in register is quite drastic throughout the play at the beginning of the play she uses many abbreviations and does not pronounce her endings of words, whilst at the end she uses a wider range of English grammar, good pronunciation and does not use as many abbreviations.
During the play, Russell shows a beginning and ending to the performance as he shows all Rita has lost and gained in a good approach and she finishes the story in a good approach to cutting Frank’s hair. Cutting Franks hair symbolises the ending of the play, Rita does Frank a favour by cutting his hair as he taught her so they have an equal status. This could also symbolise that Rita is breaking free from her old self and has finally transformed. Lastly, it shows the developed close relationship between the two characters, as Frank trusts Rita to cut his hair. This is the main thing that Rita sets out to do at the beginning of the play and when she achieves it, Russell shows that however much Rita has lost and gained she has completed all she wanted.
