“Is this the absolute maximum I can expect from this livin’ lark?”
Rita’s knowledge of reading is limited to trashy novels like “Ruby Fruit jungle”, by Harold Robbins and when confronted with “Howard’s End” by E.M. Forster she considers it “crap”
Rita has to learn the difference between ‘appreciation and criticism’
She gradually begins to gain from her education. Rita has now read three novels: two of the literary kind, and one of the cheap fiction variety she is used to, where the main emphasis is on sex. Frank points out that not all books are literature, although she can read whatever she likes she must not mention the trashy novels in the exam. Rita realises her ignorance
“My mind’s full of junk, isn’t it? It needs a good clearin’ out”
When Rita is confronted with “Suggest how you would resolve the staging difficulties inherent in a production of Ibsen’s “Peer Gynt” Rita’s answer is “Do it on the radio”. Frank points out that one line is hardly an essay and rules have to be observed like an accepted ritual for writing essays and passing exams.
Rita’s husband Denny is ignorant to her needs and ambitions. She realises she is a different person to the one that Denny fell in love with. She wants to be able to understand ballet, opera, theatre and literature, not just discard them because she doesn’t understand, to break away from her “working class culture” and to become stronger.
Her transformation has begun, and there is no going back. She wants choice of what to do with her life.
Rita persuades Frank to go to an amateur production of “The Importance of Being Ernest” as she has never seen a live performance of a play before. It is interesting to note due, to ignorance and lack of education, Rita doesn’t know the difference between an amateur and a professional production
“It’s the same play, isn’t it?”
The transformation continues as Rita actually goes to see a professional performance of Macbeth, on her own. Although she “thought it was going to be dead borin”
“It was bleedin’ great”
She also persuades Frank to go to an art gallery with her.
Rita has been invited to a dinner party at Frank’s home, but she is now educated enough to realise she is not yet competent enough to fit in with Frank’s guests. She would have been seen as “someone who’s funny, delightful, charming…..” to which she objects. She would have wanted to talk seriously and with confidence to the others. Rita is now at the half way stage in her transformation, and now she is also unable to fit in with her own friends anymore.
Rita has written an essay on Macbeth, and although Frank thinks it’s worthless from an examiner’s point of view, he thinks it’s a “totally honest passionate account.” That is not good enough for Rita who immediately rips it up. She wants to be on the same level as all the other ‘proper’ students. Rita wants to discard completely her true identity, and the only thing remaining is her insatiable desire to learn, and she is now getting down to it.
Rita’s character is changing: she is losing a lot of her individuality and uniqueness, but gaining much in education.
After returning from summer school Rita has gained in confidence in her own opinions and abilities. This is the biggest change in her so far. She has experienced life as a student, able to stand up in a lecture and ask questions, able to socialise with like-minded people.
Rita is still trying to change Frank. She has bought him a pen as a gift, only to be used for writing poetry. She wants to open his window, letting air in, he says
“It hasn’t been open for generations” This is a sort of metaphor for the fact she wants to bring him new life. Frank is excited as he decides to introduce Rita to a good poet, Blake, But he is disappointed to learn that Rita has already been studying William Blake at summer school.
Here we see Rita’s early dependence on Frank wearing.
Rita tells Frank about her flat-mate Trish, who she thinks has it all, good taste in books, clothes and plants. She sees Trish, in her naïve way, as a role model, even trying to emulate her talk “posh” not realising that Trish has problems of her own, and doesn’t have the key to everything.
Finally Frank tells Rita her last essay would stand up to the pile of ‘real students’ essays on his study table, and she is overjoyed. This is a real landmark in her progress. Rita finds Frank drunk, after falling off the rostrum twice, whilst giving a lecture and he tells her he is taking a sabbatical year in Australia. She is annoyed at the state of Frank and refuses to discuss Blake’s essay with him, but Frank insistent. He points out, Rita has lost the art to respond with an honest, simple reaction as she used to, but rather responds in a pretentious manner blaming her new found friends.
Frank doesn’t like it now that his ‘creation can disagree with his opinions’. In fact Frank is the one who finds something ‘excellent’ in ‘Ruby Fruit jungle’ Rita is now unbelievable as she comes right back with the answer
“Of its type its quite interesting. But it’s hardly excellence”
Thus a new stage has been reached in the education process.
For the first time Rita arrives late to her lecture and didn’t bother to turn up the week before. It is obvious she is tired of her mentor, and doesn’t want to tell him everything as she has done previously she is now tired of ‘boring irrelevant rubbish’
Rita and her new friend Trish (who is still the one who governs her responses) read some of Frank’s poems. Their verdict is ‘brilliant’ and full of style. This is totally different to the Rita we first met, who would have considered them ‘a heap of shit’. At this moment, she is only at the mid way stage in her education…she will discover when Trish tries to commit suicide that this girl whom she so admired because of her trendy sophistication has in fact lost her own way. This realisation marks the real beginning of Rita’s education.
Frank is sad , he feels Rita has come a long way for so little, and she has not found a “better song to sing” just a different one “shrill, hollow, and tuneless”. Rita is now educated, although having lost the honest direct response to literature the amusing freshness she is now sure of herself and able to make the right decisions, read the right books, know what clothes to wear and what wine to buy, for what all that is worth. She has no need for Frank anymore, she says, only to take the exam. Perhaps he needs her more than she needs him?
Rita passes her English Literature exam with a good grade. She now realises the education she had gained at school had been learned parrot fashion without any thought of questioning. Now simply because she was so eager to learn, she could absorb by undrstanding. What Frank had taught her about Literature gave her choice, the only thing she had not before.
Frank asks her to go to Australia with him, but she has not yet made up her mind now she has a real choice.
Ultimately Rita has gained what she set out to achieve:
An education in much more than how to write about and appreciate English Literature, and is, as she had hoped, the ability to make choices for the future. She is changed in many other ways from the young woman who found her literacy thrills in a Harold Robbins soft-porn novel. She can converse with real students, has in fact gained culture and poise and is well-read.
However, as he feared, she has lost some of that initial freshness and originality which so attracted her tutor. Yet the old Rita is still capable of surprising us (and him!) at the end of the play by using former skills in transform his appearance i.e. give him a haircut!