With close reference to her speech in Act 1 Scene 4, how does Rita represent the views of Willy Russell?
With close reference to her speech in Act 1 Scene 4, how does Rita represent the views of Willy Russell? In this essay I will try to conclude whether Rita can be seen as the voice of Willy Russell. I will look at the views they share as well as the ones they may not. Throughout this essay I will refer to Rita's speech in Act 1 Scene 4 of the play as well as making reference to other parts of the play. Rita makes it clear in her speech that she does not want to follow the life that people do from her working class background. She says the she wants to "break away" from the people that are getting in the way of her progression and that she becomes "stronger comin' here" (the university). This follows on from Willy Russell experience of going on a trip to the factory when he was younger. He tells us how "most of the kids with whom I visited that place accepted that it was their lot to end up in that place", however, like he portrays Rita as not wanting to stick to her premade path of life, he also shows that he didn't feel comfortable with accepting the route his background had made for his life, proving that Rita has expressed his views. Rita's socialist views come through in this speech as she believes that the powerful people in society use their influence to make the working class background believe that they can't be more than they want to. She believes that the national
Educating Rita. How the character of Rita changes.
Critical Essay: Educating Rita. The play "Education Rita" by Willy Russell has a character that undergoes a dramatic change during the course of the play. Rita is a character who changes during the play. It is set in a "Victorian-built university in the North of England, in a book-lined tutorial room." The play is based around Rita White, a hairdresser who is dissatisfied with her work and wants to transform herself. To do so, she goes to an Open University course. The themes surrounding this play are the transformative nature of education, self-discovery and class. In this essay I will show how the writer uses setting and key scenes to show Rita undergoing dramatic changes. One technique the writer uses in the play is the setting. The play is set in a "book-lined tutorial room in a Victorian-built university in the North of England." Rita first arrives like an alien coming from one world to another. We see that she has to overcome obstacles straight away when she struggles to open Frank's tutorial door. "I am comin' in... It's this stupid bleedin' handle on the door." This is symbolic as it means the academic world is not easy to get into. A painting in the room catches Rita's attention. We learn from stage directions that 'Rita is looking at a nude-painting. She becomes aware that Frank is watching her." Rita is not as educated as Frank and describes the painting as
With Reference to Act 1 Scene 4 & Act 1 Scene 7 as a basis, explore how Educating Rita is a play about the clash of Class & Culture
With Reference to Act 1 Scene 4 & Act 1 Scene 7 as a basis, explore how 'Educating Rita' is a play about the clash of Class & Culture 'Educating Rita' is a play that is essentially based around the clash of Class and Culture. Rita, 26-year-old scouse women, is looking to improve her life, to do this she decides to Sign up for the Open University; Rita wants to become a Middle Class Student. Her Husband "Denny" wants Rita to conform to the Working class Expectation and settle down and have a baby. Rita was put with a troubled Middle class tutor who is not satisfied with the middle class life. Act 1 Scene 4 and Act 1 scene 7 show clearly the clash between Class and Culture. Willy Russell, the author of 'Educating Rita', based to play on his upbringing; Willy was a working class child, which was attempting to become middle Class. Willy didn't care about school. Willy was an avid reader; Willy never went out to the theatre to help him with his studies, unlike Rita. Russell enrolled in an O level English literature course and passed it just like Rita enrolled herself for the Open University and worked her way towards being able to make her own choices in life. In act 1 scene 4 and act 1 scene 7 it is shown how hard it is to get an education. The Open University was established in 1969 and when the Open University opened to make it a lot easier for women to find an education no
"If you want to make them listen, make them laugh" - What does Willy Russell want you to listen to and how effectively does he use humour to make that message appealing?
"If you want to make them listen, make them laugh." What does Willy Russell want you to listen to and how effectively does he use humour to make that message appealing? In "Educating Rita", Willy Russell conveys his views about education through humour. The writer makes the play funny so that the audience will listen to his points about education. This subject is particularly important to Willy Russell as he wasted his first chance at education. With six months schooling to go, he realised he had left it too late to start studying and "like it or not I'd end up in a factory." Russell was stuck in a dead end job and wanted to become a writer. He took O level English Literature at night school and passed it, but to get into college needed five O levels. He found a college that would allow him to take all his courses in one year. Russell got a second chance for education, in "Educating Rita", Russell tries to teach the audience how important education is and that it should not be wasted. Frank and Rita are presented as two opposites in personality, outlook on life, educated background and etiquette. Willy Russell creates Rita as a construct similar to that of his own life. Russell had very little real education; his school years were taken up by bullies and peer pressure. The school that Rita went to was much the same. "Broken glass, knives an' fights. An' that was just in
In what way has Rita changed since comingback from Summer school? Discuss.
In what way has Rita changed since coming back from Summer school? Discuss Since coming back from summer school Rita has changed quite dramatically. She is now much more widely read and more articulate with her words. She has adopted a completely new way of thinking and contemplating things. She has gained some self-discipline and this is demonstrated in Act 2 Scene 1: "... this tutor came up to me, he looked at the book in me hand an' he said "ah are you fond of Ferlinghetti?" it was right on the tip of me tongue to say, "only when it's served with Parmesan cheese", but, Frank I didn't..." Rita has learnt to hold her tongue in certain situations as she has shown here. However as the scene goes on we can see that Rita has also gained some undesirable characteristics. Without her realising she has become pretentious she no longer has respect for books the way she used to. "She tosses the book on the desk on the UP left bookcase." When Willy Russell says, "she tosses..." it is suggesting that it is fine to handle books in an ostentatious manner. She used to value each book she had and read. Rita no longer wants to belong to "the masses" she wants to belong to the middle class. She is now conforming to a stereotypical student picture. Rita has purchased second hand clothes just like a "proper student" would, as they are popular among students. She said she would not procure
"Educating Rita " begins with Frank searching frantically in his bookcase, muttering the names of famous authors under his breath as he searches for what we think tobe a book. However, to our surprise, Frank pulls out a bottle of Whiskyand...
"Educating Rita " begins with Frank searching frantically in his bookcase, muttering the names of famous authors under his breath as he searches for what we think to be a book. However, to our surprise, Frank pulls out a bottle of Whisky and pours himself a drink. This tells us that Frank perhaps has a drinking problem. Rita's entrance in the scene is an important moment. She knocks twice on the door although Frank yells at her to come in. Eventually she bursts into the room swearing and using common language (this is different with Franks very upper class English) " I'm comin' in, aren't I? It's that stupid bleedin' door. You wanna get it fixed!" This is very dramatic as we are made to wait for Rita's entrance and she doesn't walk into the room, as we would expect a student, having her first meeting with a teacher, to do. She tells Frank what to do. She is at the college because she wants to be and wants to do things in her own way. The main characters in educating are Rita and Frank. Rita is a working class person who is trapped in life and wants choice, she has little education and a poor job as a hairdresser and during the play she tries to break free from her social class, she thinks she should have had a baby by her age, she wants to discover herself first but no one understands so she thinks she is different, in the play she says "I should have had a baby by know
"Educating Rita has survived as a popular play in production because Willy Russell successfully combines humour with serious themes."
"Educating Rita has survived as a popular play in production because Willy Russell successfully combines humour with serious themes." Educating Rita, a play written in 1979, and by 1983 the fourth most popular play in Britain, remains a favourite of the British today. Based partly on his own experiences, Willy Russell created a theatrical masterpiece, remarkably with only two characters. So we ask ourselves the question: how did he accomplish this? I will explore just how the play has survived in current British culture, with hundreds of plays being written every year, yet still remaining a favourite of students, grandparents, and critics alike. I will first explore the humour within the play, and the different forms it takes. Firstly is verbal; one example can be taken from the very first scene, where Rita's boldness and Frank's obvious shocked response makes us laugh, and endears us. On stage, we have only just met Rita and Frank. We are unaware of how the two characters personalities are, and the only thing we have to judge them on is their appearance. Rita: "That's a nice picture, isn't it?" (referring to a nude painting upon his office wall) Frank: "....yes, I suppose it is." Rita: "There's no suppose about it. Look at those tits." This kind of sheer boldness in Rita is what makes her original, and Willy Russell's choice of verbal slang is perfect to create
Rita leaves her home and family behind and moves to a different place. How does her life style change? (P2)
Educating Rita . When we are first introduced to Rita she is a hairdresser. How would you define her in terms of her social class? Support your ideas with examples from the film and elsewhere e.g. the most recent classification system used to define social class. (P2) I would define her in terms of her social class as a snobby person. She fits in a working class D, the way she speaks (language) is different the type of clothes she wears is different, she wears mini skirts. The environment Rita lives in is run down and dirty there is no front garden and no green space. 2. In details discuss how physical, social and economic factors have combined to affect Rita's personal development and self-concept and that of others? (M1) Physically Rita has been smoking and she has been on the pill and other wise she is in good health. Rita works long hours and she is in a lot of stress. Rita marriage is going nowhere; she is deceiving her husband by not telling him that she is on the pill. Socially Rita is not very out going but she is a hairdresser she does meet different people. Rita feels left out at the university because she feels that she does not fit in and the other students won't accept her. 3. Using the information you have gathered about Rita consider the ways in which her life has changed since she began her degree course. Evaluate the effects of social and economic
The relationship between Frank and Rita
The relationship between Frank and Rita Frank and Rita appear to be complete opposites. On the surface, they couldn't be more different. They come from two contrasting social backgrounds - Frank is a well-educated man of middle-upper class. Rita is an uneducated working-class girl. Their jobs go from one intellectual extreme to the other - Frank is a university professor while Rita works as a hairdresser. However, Frank and Rita have more in common than we first realise. Rita is discontented with her present life - she feels incomplete, like she's missed out on something. She feels that the so-called 'working class culture' she was brought up in is hollow and meaningless. Rita is determined to get the education she never got, to raise her standards of living, and also to raise her from her state of ignorance to one of intellectual and social confidence. She looks down on herself and the culture she belongs to, but is optimistic that she can learn her way into a better way of life. She believes that freedom will come with education; therefore Frank can give her this freedom by educating her. Frank is also unhappy with his existence. He has everything Rita wants from life but wishes he didn't. He turns to drink to make living in the culture he hates more bearable. He doesn't want Rita to experience the same thing, which is why he doesn't want to teach her. He
Educating Rita - The play is essentially about the impact of education on thelives of two people and it therefore does not need to distract theaudience with Rita and Frank's other relationships and concerns.Having them as the only characters on stage also
The play is essentially about the impact of education on the lives of two people and it therefore does not need to distract the audience with Rita and Frank's other relationships and concerns. Having them as the only characters on stage also highlights the depth and intensity of Rita and Frank's relationship. It could be argued that the single room set does not give the audience enough of a sense of the social context of the two characters, but this is more than made up for by the incidents that they narrate about their lives outside Frank's study. The single set represents Frank's personality and position in the intellectual elite. From its description in the opening stage directions, it is a typical don's room; lined with books, strewn with papers and decorated with a 'good print of a nude religious scene'. But Frank's first actions on stage undermine the high intellectual impression created by the room. He is searching his bookshelves not for a book, for but a bottle, which he duly finds behind the highly respectable Dickens. When Rita eventually enters after her struggles with the door (symbolic perhaps of the obstacles placed on her road to enlightenment) she comments perceptively on the painting that, for all its value as art, is still just an excuse to look at a naked woman's body. In Scene 2 Rita admires the room's appearance in spite of the fact that it is a mess.