Rita looks up to Frank, this is because she is hungry for education and Frank has what she wants, an education. She likes his way of life, the upper class friends, the fact that he has a room full of books, a common accent etc.
At the beginning of the play we can see Rita does not understand a simple question as Frank asks her, “You are?” He is inquiring about who she is. Rita replies, “What am I?” We can see she clearly does not understand the question. Also at the beginning of the play she makes conversation with Frank about a picture she notices in the room. She asks Frank about his thoughts on the picture, and says what she herself thinks of it. This shows she has a lot to say.
Frank and Rita contrast very well. Once they know each other well they share intimate details about each other’s personal lives. Frank talks briefly about his relationship with his girlfriend Julia, and Rita talks about her relationship with her husband Denny. Rita is indeed a person who has a lot to say and Frank listens and responds to her. He likes that when she speaks her mind, it comes to her naturally, he thinks that this is refreshing rather then just being trained to know what to say.
When we first see Rita she appears talkative, clumsy and she swears a lot. Rita, at the beginning of the play wants to escape from her own working culture and background. She wants an education; she thinks this will give her a more fulfilling life. Rita wants to change, she wants to fit in with people like Frank, talk intelligently, and she wants to discover herself. Rita says, “…….. if you want to change, y’ have to do it from the inside, don’t y? know like I’m doin.” This shows Rita wants to change her way of life.
Rita goes to summer school; this boosts her confidence in herself. Once she comes back from the course we can see that she has changed, she has a lot more knowledge. She says, “Look Frank, I don’t have to go along one hundred per cent with your views on Blake y’ know. I can have a mind of my own.” This shows she has learnt a lot on her course and she’s becoming more independent, as she can think more for herself now.
Rita changes her way of life completely, Willy Russell shows this by Rita changing her appearance, clothes, choice of books that she reads, job and she leaves her husband Denny. She leaves Denny because he gave her an ultimatum, to give up the Open University course or to leave their house. Rita chooses to leave. Although before Denny’s ultimatum we could see that Rita and her husband were already drifting apart, as she says, “He even brings me presents sometimes, hopin’ that the presents‘ll make her come back.” This shows Rita has changed and Denny wants the old Rita back as he doesn’t like this newly formed Rita. So things between Denny and Rita were already bad, the ultimatum was the last straw.
By the end of the play Rita has gained what she wanted in the beginning of the play, an education. She has a lot more knowledge then she did at the beginning of the play. She has become much more independent and confident in herself. She knows what books to read, plays to see, clothes to wear, wine to buy etc. which she wanted to know in the beginning of the course as she says to Frank, “I’ve got a room full of books. I know what clothes to wear, what wine to buy, what plays to see, what papers to read. I can do without you.” Rita shows in which ways she thinks she has changed. She has also made friends with the students, and is no longer wary of them as she used to be, as Frank once said to her, “Well! You used to be quite wary of them didn’t you? Rita replies, “God knows why. For students they don’t half come out with some rubbish y’ know.” This shows she has become more confident in herself, as she feels she is confident enough to talk to the students. The most important thing is that she has gained happiness. She wanted to change her way of life, and now that she has, she is much happier. She feels there are more paths open for her in life, because of having an education.
In the play Educating Rita, Willy Russell is trying to communicate that it will be hard for Rita to get an education. If she plans on getting an education she will lose a lot of things including her husband, friends and family etc, basically her old life. She will have to change her way of life completely if she wants to become more educated, and of course this will be no easy task. Once you have reformed yourself you do gain certain prospects, for e.g. an education and new friends, so that change can sometimes be worth it. Russell is also trying to say it will be hard for someone like Rita, because of her class (common). Rita didn’t bother with school much, as a child because her friends and family didn’t regard education as being important. This shows that Rita will struggle with to get an education. She hasn’t much knowledge as an upper class person like Frank, who did get a very good education, as his family background wanted for him.
I personally find the play realistic because it shows someone like Rita, who has no education as a woman trying so hard to succeed in getting an education. She thinks getting an education will give her more in life. She goes to have tutorials with a professor in an open university and once she is there she is eager to learn, as she says, “……..if you want to change, y’ have to do it from the inside, don’t y? know like I’m doin’.” This shows Rita wants to change. She also goes to summer school in order to learn more; by going to summer school it boosts her self-confidence. Then she moves in with someone called Trish, who she admires and now because she has changed, has a lot in common with her.
The things Rita has done, which are to have taken great lengths in getting an education, show how serious she is about her desire to want to change herself. She even separates from her husband for the reason that she chose education instead of him, in an ultimatum her gave her. She has tried so hard to succeed and now that she has, I think that is being realistic. No one handed her an education on a plate, she worked hard for it, I this that is realistic.
