Rita talks in a different way to Frank. Frank uses more structured sentences with proper known English words, whereas Rita uses colloquialism. An example of this is on page 15 where Rita says to Frank ‘‘D’ y’ get a lot of students like me?’’ Rita uses this language because she has not been taught how to speak with proper language. Her family and peers might have used this slang language so she will have assumed it to be correct. This shows it is not her fault but her upbringing and surrounding, which has left her with this. The content Rita talks about does not follow one particular pattern. She is always changing from one subject to the next. An example of this can be seen in the phrase used by Rita on page 15. ‘‘I’m a what? … That’s a nice picture, isn’t it?’’ Frank tries to ask Rita who she is in the above phrase by saying ‘‘and you are?’’ I think because Rita does not understand Frank’s sentence structure she changes the subject.
Frank reacts to Rita in a slightly confused and bemused way when she enters the door. Even though Frank is a little bit confused, he is amused and gives a short laugh when Rita remarks about the nude religious scene. When Frank was on the phone to Julia he did not laugh at anything she said but when Rita walks in he laughs. This shows us that he thinks Rita is intriguing and a breath of fresh air in his life. Frank likes the ways in which Rita will take something complicated and turn it into something funny but still true. An example of this is where Frank explains what assonance is and Rita says ‘‘Oh. It means getting’ the rhyme wrong’’. He has been stuck in this small cramped dull office with boring books and now Rita has came in and lit up the room with her energy. We can see this when he says ‘‘I think you’re marvellous’’. This shows the audience that Frank would like to change. He would rather be like Rita (who is funny, carefree and common) than himself.
Rita obviously wants to be more educated by taking the course, but there are also other reasons. She says on page 18 that she wants to know everything. This shows us that she does not want to miss anything out on the course. That she is determined. She wants to be free from what everyone else thinks of education in her life. Her peers think that education is not cool so that is why she did not continue her education although she always wanted to. She wants to be able to get away from the people she is surrounded by that say things that don’t matter and be able to escape to people who talk about logical things. Rita wants to rediscover herself but most of all become a new person.
The author Willy Russell was born in Whiston, Liverpool in 1947. While Russell attended school he struggled to excel, he enjoyed reading and wanted to become an author. The Working class boy left school at the age of 15. It was only in his adult hood that Willy Russell felt he could break away from peer pressure. He earned his O level English at night school and worked in the Ford car factory to earn money so that he could go to college. He attended college in 1970 where he trained as a teacher. His work became more recognized and had many of his plays were performed or made for T.V. In 1980 Willy Russell won the west end best comedy award for his play ‘Educating Rita’. Three years later ‘Educating Rita’ is released on T.V. and Russell is awarded an honorary MA from the Open University.
The background of Rita is remarkably alike to that of Willy Russell. Rita also comes from Liverpool and is not so well educated until later on in life when she decides to return to university. Rita also faces the problem of peer pressure. She says on page 24 ‘‘They’d think I was mental’’. This shows us that she cares about what other people think of her. That if something is not acceptable by other people’s standards then she is affected. I think Willy Russell is trying to portray his past through Rita in this play. He is trying to convey a message that even if you are a middle class or working class person you can still be successful. He is also stating that if you have had a bad education record in the past you can still go back and change it. The big message is it is never too late.
When we return in Act 2 Scene 2 the play is set in Frank’s office, the same place as Act 1 Scene 1. We see Frank sitting at his desk typing poetry. He stubs out a cigarette and takes a sip from the mug at his side. He looks at his watch then continues typing. This shows us that his character has not changed much because he is still drinking and smoking. Frank is not speaking on the phone in Act 2 scene 1 like he was doing in Act 1 Scene 1. Rita bursts through the doors like she did in Act 1 Scene 1 with new clothes. She twirls on the spot and hands Frank her shawl. Rita has stopped smoking and is disappointed to see that Frank is still drinking. We can see that she is still full of life like she was in the first scene of act one. Her movement has changed. She has become more graceful and elegant. We can see this when she does not dump her bag like in act 1 scene 1 but just puts in on the ground.
Rita’s Language still is riddled with colloquialisms, but her sentences are more structured. She is now able to talk to Frank on the same level. The audience can see the use of literary terms and references in Rita’s speech. On page 77 Rita says, ‘‘well any analogy will break down anyway.’’ This shows us that she has learnt more since act 1 scene 1. She does not make any jokes about it but just says the sentence in a mature way. We can see a change in the language and vocabulary of Rita. Before she could not tell us what assonance means yet now she is commenting on analogy in a structured sentence.
The conversation between Rita and Frank at the beginning of act 2 scene 1 is energetic and very happy, but as the play progresses there is sadness and strain in the conversations between the two. Frank is jealous by Rita’s knowledge of the author Blake. Frank wanted to teach Rita about Blake but she has ready learnt it at summer school. She knows it so well that she can recite the poem without reading it. Rita wants to go down to the lawn and sit on the grass but Frank wants to stay in the room. Rita does not want to argue with Frank so she quietens down and instead asks if she can open the window. Frank does not argue with her but makes it a task for her. Frank knows that Rita will not be able to open the window because it has not been opened in years. Rita now argues with Frank saying, ‘‘a room is like a plant, it needs air’’. This shows that Rita will speak her mind and will no be held down by Frank. This conversation contrasts from the conversation heard in Act 1 Scene 1. Now Rita understands questions that are posed to her by Frank whereas she did not understand questions asked in the first scene of act one.
Frank has noticed that Rita has changed and he does not like it. Rita is now a new person. We get the idea that Rita has left Frank’s small office and been free in her summer school. She has been outside and this has made her fresh and clean. Rita wants to bring this into Frank’s office but Frank wants to resist change. He likes the way he is. He is a very proud person. Examples of this is when he says ‘‘Rita if I repent and reform, what do I do when your influence is no longer here’’ This shows that not only that he does not want to change but he does not want his Rita to go either. Frank liked it in the beginning when Rita would sit in wide eyed wonder and jump at every word he would say, but now Rita is more educated and has become more independent. Frank reacts by being more sarcastic and argumentative to Rita. He also tries to bring her mood down. An example of this can be found on page 78 where he says, ‘Well I certainly don’t want to see you stay in a room like this for the rest of your life.’’ He is trying to bring her feelings out by saying he will be happy to see her leave. He tries to bring her mood down but fails because Rita is so happy to be back and see Frank. She does not want to think about leaving, she is happy to be here. This contrasts from the way that Frank spoke to Rita in Act 1 scene 1. In the opening scene of act one Frank is very positive. He compliments her and laughs at the things she says but now he is negative.
Rita responds to Frank’s negative outlook by being positive. Even though Frank tries to bring Rita’s feelings low she overcomes it because she is so happy to be back in his office after her summer break. She does give him a little bit of sympathy when she says, ‘‘you can be a real misery sometimes can’t y’?’’ This shows us that Rita is considerate to other people’s feelings and is not as self centred as Frank. Yes, she does give him sympathy but she is not going to brought down by him. We can see she is not scared to tell him what she thinks when she tells him she is disappointed that he is still drinking after the summer. This is different to Act 1 scene 1 when Rita would only agree with what Frank would say.
Rita entered the play as a clumsy and uneducated woman and has come through to Act 2 scene 1 as an educated and independent woman. Willy Russell has portrayed the changes in Rita by giving her a new outlook on life and a new education. Frank was very intrigued when he first met Rita in Act one Scene one, but now he is jealous of the changes that have occurred during the summer break and brought her into his office in Act 2 Scene 1 as a fresh, self confident woman. Willy Russell has portrayed the changes in Frank in a very clever way. Although he never directly refers to the changes all you have to do is look back and compare the two acts and the changes are obvious.
