Willy Russel gives his characters a day out at the sea-side. How and why are they stranded?

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Willy Russel gives his characters a day out at the sea-side, but leaves them stranded. How and why are the characters stranded?

'Our day out' written by Willy Russell is set in liverpool 1977, where every child was held to a high social standard regardless of their ability, status and background. The play was based on Willy Russell's own personal experiance during his teaching years while participating in a school trip out. Progress class is a class full of 'backward like' children that are illiterate, whom of which have no other hope of ever escaping their lives. This class is ironically named as no progress is made in 'progress class'. The children are metaphorically stranded on their trip out by the desperation of their stuations back in Liverpool. This essay is going to discover the reasons why each theme has been chosen and why Willy Russell left his constructs emotionally barefit. His characters each represent a different opinion and lifestyle, this will also be discussed and the reasons as to why each character is strikingly different but subtly similar using the themes that are displayed throughout the text.  

        The children of progress class are stranded, however this is only so when the meaning is applied metaphorically, as the children are never figuritivly trapped or stuck anywhere. There is no literal meaning behind the use of the word 'stranded'. Although no character is literally stranded they are all trapped in different ways. Not only are the children stranded but also Mr Briggs and the other teachers. Mr Briggs is trapped in his rigid posterior, being incapable of shedding the formal outlook that he possesed.

        ".. trapped in her social situation.."

        The use of the word 'trapped' when coupled with stranded shows that there is no hope of escaping for these children and that they are doomed to live the rest of thier lives as penniless scroungers, many of which already infect the back streets of Liverpool. The use of words such as 'trapped' and 'stranded' are ingenious as they add to the desperation or the situation; this therefore means that the right emotions are being provoked and that the playwrite has achieved the target that was set when he decided to re-tell an incident of similar quality to this. This adds to the reality and reinforces the fact that these constructs do infact represent the real children of Liverpool common, also that these situations are being faced daily and that even though this play is full of fictionous events the underlying tone and experiances are real.

        Mr Briggs starts the play as a rigid, structured, rule abiding teacher, he follows the rules perfectly and becomes inraged at the slighest undeciplinary act. Originally he is not meant to accompany Mrs Kay on the trip with Progress Class, however does so on the head master's order. Mr Briggs immediatly tries to take over and stucturize the trip, using orders and acting the part of the strict figurehead, 'Sit down!'

        His opinion of progress class is that of a sterotypical view, he believes that because they have learning difficulties and are finacially disadvantaged they are of a different species of people. "..children like ours..". However he still believes that he is doing them justice by holding them against a standard that they have never been taught to abide by.

        Mr Briggs dislikes Mrs Kay's wanton teaching methods, not understanding her opinion or point of view ' fine attitude for a member of a teaching profession..' as he believes that all those in the profession of teaching and educating should have identical views to his own methods, rules and functions.

        His first character change happens at the zoo when the children show intrest in learning from him, this takes him by suprise, softening his attitude making him think that he has misjudged these youths; but when they break his trust "I trusted all of you, but its obvious trust is something you know nothing about." he snaps back to his former rigid self.

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        The event that changes his perspective is that of rescueing Carol from her suicide attempt. This heartfelt talk enables him to finally  relise the harshities of these children's lives, it is then he begins to share Mrs Kay's view about letting the children enjoy this one day out, as it may be their first and last. This new attitude then changes his relationship with the other children, to one that is more understanding and could only be described as Mrs Kay's partner; due to this attitude change the children also see the softer side of their teacher. Mr Briggs also ...

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