Frank and Rita are two prime examples of ‘the grass is greener on the other side’, each one is on the side that the other wants to be on, and they are using each other to get to where they want to go.
When Rita first walks in to the office, Frank says, “and you are?” Rita misunderstands him and replies, “I’m a what?” in response to this question thinking that Frank was suggesting she was a thing. This shows Rita’s naivety in the use of the English language. Frank was just asking for her name in a way that is un-familiar to Rita and even then, they still do not introduce themselves to each other until later on in the scene.
Rita then starts to look at a nude print and how she describes it is not typical of someone of her background because she says it is very erotic. This is her trying to put her view across so she sounds partly educated but then she says: ‘look at those tits this’; is the way that the people in her estate would describe the picture. The situation is made worse by Frank’s obvious embarrassment at the situation, and Rita’s inability to put her view across clearly and to recognise Frank’s discomfort she persist in her attempts to talk about the nude print.
Rita seems to think that she is a completely different race when compared to the other students. But when Frank states that Rita is the first Open University student that he has taught. Rita turns the joke on Frank by saying “oh great I end up with a beginner!” to this Frank reacts as if she said it seriously. This shows his lack of humour.
Frank tries to have a bit of a joke when Rita asks if it is all right if she smokes and Frank responds with “What tobacco?” Rita does not quite grasp the joke so Frank says “a joke” then Rita explains how she is against drugs because they hide all of your natural emotions. This shows that Rita believes that your true feelings and actions are very important.
Rita asks what assonance means and Frank laughs at her. Rita is very hurt by this and tells Frank not to laugh at her. Frank immediately back tracks and explains what assonance means. Then Rita simplifies the definition into what she understands. This shows that the genuinely wants to learn but she has to change it into a way that she will under stand it. When Rita says “wink/ wank” as an example of assonance Frank is not bothered about what she said he is just happy that Rita understands assonance. When Frank laughs at Rita, she is hurt this shows that she is sensitive and that she does not like to be laughed at if she asks a question. When Frank laughs, at her it is through amazement at the question but as soon as he sees that he has touched a nerve he takes the question seriously, this shows that Frank did not mean for his reaction to be offending and he is ashamed that he has hurt Rita.
Frank tells Rita that he doesn’t want to teach Rita because he is a bad teacher, and Rita deserves better than him for her tutor and that he doesn’t like the time the Open University is carried out, because the pubs are open at the same at which time and he would rather be in the pub than here. Rita then turns around and tells Frank that she is coming next week whether he
likes it or not. To this Frank asks why, and Rita tells him that she likes him; this is Rita being stubborn and Frank being lazy this is the start of their relationship.
The opening acts set the scene for the play. We immediately see the vast differences between the two main characters and the audience can foresee the problems that lie ahead.
From now on throughout the rest of the play Frank and Rita’s relationship starts to grow and evolve into a more intimate and complex relationship.
Towards the end of the play after having done her exam Rita enters the room and says, “Merry Christmas Frank, have they sacked y’” and then Frank explains that he has been sent to Australia for getting drunk a few nights ago. Frank then talks about the Australian beer and asks Rita if she wants to come with him. Rita then explains that Tiger has asked her to go with him to France and her mum has asked her to come to stay for Christmas. Then Rita explains that she does not know what to do and then quite seriously suggests that she might even have a baby. Then Rita goes on to talk about her flat mate and how her flat mate tried to overdose and that she is mystified by her because she spends most of the time eating healthy foods and spends the rest of her time trying to kill herself. All this is Rita having realised herself and trying to decide what to do with the rest of her life. Rita suggests that she might have a baby: this is very important because this shows that Rita has discovered herself, also it shows that Rita and Frank’s relationship has become very intimate because you do not talk to many people about having a baby. Throughout the scene Rita is being completely serious. She only cracked one joke this is her having changed because earlier on in the play Rita would constantly be cracking jokes and not talking seriously. This shows Rita has grown in confidence and no longer needs humour to cover her inhibitions. She has become a self-assured and confident person Frank is now relaxed and can talk to Rita comfortably. Frank seems changed in the way he talks. In asking Rita to come with him to Australia he is showing that after all of the rows he still likes Rita’s company and he doesn’t want to lose that company. It also shows he has lost some of his inhibitions.
This play is all about two different people who start off with a teacher student relationship, and don’t get on much, then their relationship evolves, and they start to complement each other and become the best of friends and then go their separate ways: each a different but better, more complete person, for meeting each other.
