Our day out - Willy Russell

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Our day out

The play our day out, by Willy Russell was written during the 1970’s. The play is set in Liverpool, which in the 1970’s was not holding well economically, which had the population on a low morale. For example during this period of time Britain had become part of the European market, which left the docks in Liverpool desolated and no longer in use. This now left the city, which was once known throughout Europe for its great docks very deprived, and in recession with the coal industry also dying out and leaving the country yet more grief economically. The play is on the subject of a progress class (which is a class consisting of children with poor literate skills e.g. reading and writing etc). The class has a trip arranged to Conwy in Wales. On the way to their destination the audience are entertained in the midst of hilarious acts of cunningness and stupidity (a good example of this would be when the children visit the zoo on the way to Wales and end of stealing various zoo animals). In addition to the funny side of the play the audience also learn a serious note to the play, which I will comment in detail later in this assignment.

The main characters in this play consist of two teachers and one young girl at the age of thirteen.

Carol is the young thirteen-year-old student attending the progress class; she is branded for being shy and for possessing delicate feelings and emotions. She has a mother and daughter relationship with Mrs Kay, although her correlation with Mr Briggs is very rocky as in his view all the children in the progress class as forever puerile and frivolous children, who have no hope in the world. Carol is a curious and ambitious character.  The following quote distinguishes her ambitious side. As her thought on living in the glorious sunny locations she watched on her T.V.

‘ … Y’ know if I started to work hard and learned to read eh? Well, d’ y’ think I’d be able t’ live in one of those nice places?’ (page 4)

The quote above shows Carol’s ambition to learn to read and write, which in her mind will enable her to live a cosy life in a dream location.

Mrs Kay is a teacher in her early forties, however is portrayed as a mother to the children in the book. For instance she mothers Carol as if she were her own daughter. She cares deeply for the children of the progress class, maybe due to the fact that she suggests that the children in there do not have the chance in life to become an someone important and the feeling of guilt and responsibility comes over her which makes her feel the children should enjoy themselves now as they are near certain to be destined to a troublesome and poor futures. These deep feelings for the children bring in many confrontations with Mr Briggs who feels Mrs Kay is a bit too soft on the children. Mrs Kay also feels sorry for the children and their living conditions as the following quote suggests.

‘(quietly) I know. And I was just thinking; it’s a shame really, isn’t it, eh? You know, we bring them to a crumbling pile of bricks and mortar and they think they’re in the fields of heaven?’ (page 37)

The quote above shows the audience how Mrs Kay feels for the children of the progress class in terms of the fact that the children see the bricks and mortar by the side of the beach as heaven when they arrive at Conwey to bare witness to the crumbling castle walls etc.

Another quote to show Mrs Kay’s sympathy for the children and their lack of education is when she confronts Mr Briggs and states the following,

‘(beginning to lose her temper ever so slightly) Well, what’s your alternative? Eh? Do you really think there’s any point pretending? Even if you cared do you think you could educate these kids, my remedial kids? Because you’re a fool if you do. You wont educate them because nobody wants them educating …’

This quote came after Mr Briggs criticised Mrs Kays teaching methods towards the kids in the progress class. The reason as to why Mrs Kay acts as a mother upon the children is due to sympathy and care for the children. She feels the children should not be so harshly treated as they already do not have a bright future ahead of them because no one wants them educated properly and they should therefore enjoy what they can from school life. (page 38).

The final main character within Willy Russell’s play is Mr Briggs. He is a sombre and authoritarian individual. He is also a teacher in the progress class in his early thirties. He does not feel much for the children in the progress class and treats them as if they were animals. He feels the complete opposite to Mrs Kay as he feels that the children in the progress class will get nowhere and do not have a hope in achieving anything. In his opinion it seems as if the children in the progress class are all naughty and should not be treated fairly. In the book he treats the children as if they were soldiers. For example they are constantly being shouted at and he always seems to have a suspicion on them as if they were up to something. The following quote describes how angry Mr Briggs can become at the children of the progress class.

Join now!

‘(shouting) Shut up, lad! (pause) Is it any wonder that people won’t do anything for you? The minutes we start to treat you as real people, what happens? That man was right, you act like animals, animals!

(pause) Well I’ve learned a lesson today. Oh, yes, I have. I’ve learned that trust is something you people don’t understand. Now, I’m warning you, all of you, don’t expect any more trust from me! (page 34)

The quote above shows the reaction from Mr Briggs when his trust for the children is broken in the zoo. Mr Briggs lets the children make ...

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