From your study of Willy Russell's 'Educating Rita', describe which character in the play changes the most.

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From your study of Willy Russell’s ‘Educating Rita’, describe which character in the play changes the most

Explain:

  • How the characters change
  • The characters role in the play
  • How the playwright uses dramatic devices
  • How the use of language shows these changes
  • How these changes reflect the social, historical and cultural background.

The play ‘Educating Rita’ was written by Willy Russell in 1985, for all the ‘Rita’s’ and all the ‘Frank’s’ in the audience. The play is based on Willy Russell’s life so it could be interpreted as an autobiographical play. Like Rita, Russell did not study at school so he did not have any O levels, so he wanted an education to get away from Hairdressing like Rita wanted an education to see what she could become. At this point in the play Frank can tell Rita anything and she will listen and believe all of it. As time goes on she looses this hunger for knowledge because of summer school and her flatmate Trish that dramatically changes Rita. At the end of the play the two characters seem to have changed roles, Rita comes back from summer school and knows more then she ever thought she could and discovers that the ‘proper students’ are not as good and intelligent as she thought. Franks relationship with Julia is breaking down and the banishment to Australia seems more and more imminent. The two seem to swap roles because Frank used to tell Rita things and she would try and understand it, but the return from summer school shows that she has memorised Blake poetry and has significantly changed.  

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Rita is driven by the need for education, having realised that life has more to offer then her ordinary existence in the hairdressing salon. Rita says to Frank that before having a baby with Denny she would need to discover herself, and have a choice, not the choice Denny speaks of:  a choice of which washing powder to use, or which school or one lousy job or another but of career and what direction her life takes, not the stereotypical things that she is getting pushed into: Get married have baby and a dull job. Rita changes dramatically ...

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