Educating Rita

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Laura Anderson

Post 20th Century Drama

Educating Rita’

In ‘Educating Rita’ Willy Russell writes that ‘education gives you a choice’. How does Rita change throughout the play as a result of her choosing education?

In my response to the question I will consider the way characters are presented and developed through the way language is used to show cultural differences and attitudes; the way stage directions is used to reveal deeper meaning and the way humour and pathos are used to engage and effect the audience.

The playwright Willy Russell was born in Whiston, which is just outside of Liverpool. He is a working class playwright famous for setting his plays in Liverpool and also basing them on his own experiences of life. Rita and Willy Russell have a similar life story. When Willy was a young boy he when to a number of different schools and colleges, he didn’t succeed in school that well and didn’t leave school with many qualifications just like Rita. After leaving school Willy had a number of jobs, he used to clean oil from girders in a factory called ‘Fords’ and was also a hairdresser the same as what Rita used to do before starting university. Willy Russell eventually when to college to study English Literature and writing but he had to have at least 5 O levels. So he had to find a college that would let him take a full-time course, he found a college but there was no authority prepared to give him a maintenances grant or even pay his fees so he packed his job in at the hairdressers and worked at Fords for a while until he had enough money to go to college, after college he eventually ended up becoming a student teacher for a while. One of the most appealing features in the play ‘Educating Rita’ to readers and audiences alike is that it is very amusing play to watch and read. The thing that makes the play as funny as it is, is the way in which the two characters talk. Even though the two characters, Rita and Frank don’t always pick up each other cultural references it makes the play even more amusing because it is like they are talking different languages. Rita speaks a very local Liver Publican language and also has a working class accent but in Act 2 Scene 2 she tries to change the way she talks but soon reverts back to her normal voice. On the other hand Frank Rita’s tutor speaks in Standard English. Rita’s irreverent speech is used as a source of humour and also the interplay and repartee between her and Frank.

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In the play ‘Educating Rita’ there are only really two main characters, Rita and Frank but as the play goes on there are a few other characters mentioned including Denny Rita’s husband, Julia Franks partner and also Trish Rita’s flatmate who attempted to kill herself. From the beginning of the play Frank comes across as a tutor that doesn’t really care about his students, as he would rather get drunk than teach. When Rita comes to see Frank for the Open University she is very loud and excited and in the end Frank tells her he doesn’t want to ...

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