Rita's changing processes
Educating Rita is a play written by Willy Russell. This play which is set in England during the eighties is about a twenty-six year old Liverpudlian hairdresser who calls herself Rita. Rita longs for freedom from the boredom of her daily routine thinks that she can gain it by studying for a degree in English Literature from the Open University. Her tutor is Frank, a polite, sceptical professor of literature and an alcoholic. The education she receives makes her a more informed, independent, confident and changes the way she acts and thinks. In this essay I will discuss how the education Rita receives changes her life.First of all one of the most obvious changes that Rita goes through is that she becomes much more independent. Early in the play she is very dependent on Frank and asks him a lot of questions. However later on she is able to think independent, rationally and logically. “ Just cos I’m learnin’, just
cos I can do it now an’ read what I wanna read an’ understand without havin’ to come runnin’ to you every minute” [ ACT 2, SCENE 7]. This passage in the text indicates that she is becoming a more independent person and can express her own views and ideas with supporting detail. From what she says to Frank “ I don’t need you to hold me hand as much… I can-I can do thingson me own now… And I am careful.” [ ACT 2, SCENE 7] This confirms to us that education has changed Rita into a more individualistic ...
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cos I can do it now an’ read what I wanna read an’ understand without havin’ to come runnin’ to you every minute” [ ACT 2, SCENE 7]. This passage in the text indicates that she is becoming a more independent person and can express her own views and ideas with supporting detail. From what she says to Frank “ I don’t need you to hold me hand as much… I can-I can do thingson me own now… And I am careful.” [ ACT 2, SCENE 7] This confirms to us that education has changed Rita into a more individualistic and independent person.Another influence that education has had on Rita, is the fact that it turned her into a more knowledgeable and informed person. The early Rita did not have much education, which can be seen after analysing this section in the script.RITA: What does assonance mean?FRANK: ( half-spluttering ) What? ( he gives a short laugh )RITA: Don’t laugh at meFRANK: No. Erm-assonance. Well, it’s a form of rhyme. What’s a – what’s an example – erm-? Do you know yeats?RITA: The wine lodge?FRANK: Yeats the poet.RITA: No.FRANK: Oh. Well – there’s a Yeats poem called ‘ The Wild Swans ay Coole’. In it he rhymes the word ‘ swan ‘ with the word ‘ stone ‘. There you see, an example of assonance.RITA: Oh. It means getting’ the rhyme wrong. [ACT 1, SCENE 1]However, toward the end of the play, Rita exhibited knowledge and intelligence. She can analyse more sophisticated questions and is able to write essays. From the knowledge she has gained, she begins to have her own interpretation of things, and is able to criticize other people’s ideas. This can be seen from the following passage “Look, Frank, I don’t have to go along one hundred percent with your views on Blake y’know. I can have a mind of my own can’t I?” [ ACT 2, SCENE 4] At the beginning of the play Rita views Frank as her superior but as the play progresses the gap narrows until the point at the end of the play when Rita and Frank meet as equals. This shows that Rita has become more knowledgeable and informed.Finally, education has also made Rita a more self-assured and confident person. “I’ve got a room full of books. I know what clothes to wear, what wine to buy, what plays to see what papers and books to read. I can do without you” [ ACT 2, SCENE 6 ] From education, she has gained confidence and more-assurance. Rita loves herself and no longer sees herself as some stupid woman who thinks she can learn. “But I don’t want to be myself. Me? What’s me? Some stupid woman who gives us all a laugh because she thinks she can learn, because she thinks that one day she’ll be like the rest of them, talking seriously, confidently, with knowledge livin’ a civilized life. Well, she can’t be like that really but bring her in because she’s good for a laugh!” This passage shows what Rita thinks of her self at the beginning. She is very unconfident and has no self assurance. The following passage is what Rita thinks of herself towards the end of the play. “That’s why I couldn’t stand being in a hairdresser’s any longer; boring irrelevant detail all the time, on and on… Well I’m sorry but I’ve had enough of that. I don’t wanna talk about irrelevant rubbish anymore.”In conclusion Rita’s changing processes were not easy. She was at times confused and uncertain about whether her decisions that she was making were right or wrong. She kept asking herself, “is this the right path I am walking on?” And wondering where she belonged. However, she finally made up her mind, which was to seek ‘better songs’. She was tired of her meaningless routine and was determined to transform completely from the inside out. All of her past life was exchanged, she lost her previous culture, friends and relationships such as her marriage with Denny. All this for more knowledge and information, more independence, self assurance and confidence.