“How does Willy Russell present the development of the relationship between Frank and Rita in the play?”
The theme of love, friendship, and understanding are used in many ways in the novel. However, the theme of relationships is to do with my question and the novel it-self. However, out the play the understanding of relationship is shown in perfection and cultures. The play focuses on the way Rita and Frank guide each other though that period. Rita is a working class young woman and is married to a man named Danny. She is very open, so she does not think about what she is saying. Despite this, she is very open on her first interview with Frank. Rita is childish ‘swills on the chair (stage direction)’. However, she can rebel and she is not ashamed of that, in fact as she so open, she expresses her interest in pornography (porn pictures). Rita is funny, as she offers some cigarettes to Frank than takes it out of his reach. Overall Rita has a lot of enthusiasm ‘I WANNA KNOW EVERYTHING!’ this suggest that Rita is interested about the thing happening in the world, she want to be ahead of everyone, mainly so when she sees someone from the upper class she has the confidents to be like them and speak like them. Frank as we know is Rita’s lecture. Frank has lost his marriage and now is in depression. Therefore, he does not want to teach Rita anything. When he asks Rita, what she wanted to know, and when she replied as everything, Frank was surprised. He says to her, ‘I’ll make a bargain with you. Yes? I’ll tell you everything I know-but if I do that you promise never to come bask here.’ This quote (pg25) implies that Frank does not want to teach her.
Willy Russell use sub characters to bring in an atmosphere. They have a big impact on the novel because they either telling Rita about her future, making Rita know education is not all in life. Danny, Rita’s mother (no name), Trish, and Julia are all the sub characters in the play. Danny, Rita’s mother and Trish are on Rita’s side whereas Julia is on Frank’s side. Danny was Rita’s husband. He wants a baby but Rita does not. Rita sees her mother at the pub were she says ‘because we could sing better song then those’ this show the effects on Rita how she could be a better person. After this we quickly realise, that significant changes have taken place in Rita’s life. Now she has been to summer school and now lives in a flat with a friend (Trish), perhaps the most surprising is the changes in her character and attitude that are taken place.
Stage direction is another important technique Willy Russell has used in the play. I think stage direction in the play is very important because it show how the two characters are showing their feeling and affection towards each other.