As well as being similar to Russell’s personal problematic experience of returning to education, ‘Educating Rita’ is also an example of the Pygmalion effect. Pygmalion is a fictional character from the Roman poet Ovid, found in the tenth book of his Metamorphoses. Pygmalion is a sculptor who falls in love with a statue he has made. Pygmalion was a lonely Cypriot sculptor who carved a woman out of ivory. According to Ovid he is 'not interested in women', but his statue is so realistic that he falls in love with it. He offers the statue presents and eventually prays to Venus. She takes pity on him and brings the statue to life. At the beginning of the play, Frank describes Rita as “the first breath of fresh air that’s been in this room for years”. He falls in love with her personality and character. Not in a sexual way with her, but because she is so different. As the play progresses her falls in love with the person he creates.
In the middle of the play, he realises that she doesn’t need him anymore, that he can’t control her anymore. Frank says, “I don’t think I can bear it any longer… you my dear-you.” He almost becomes jealous of what she has become. She also realises that she has outgrown him and says “What’s up Frank, don’t y’ like me now that the daddy’s little girl’s grown up?” This illustrates their relationship as a father mentoring his daughter, who then grows up and doesn’t depend on him as much any more. ‘Educating Rita’ is also similar to Mary Shelley’s ‘Frankenstein’; Russell is quoted saying that ‘Educating Rita’ is his “version of the Frankenstein story.” Towards the end of the play Frank says that he will change his name too, and says “I think I shall insist upon being known as Mary, Mary Shelley.” This shows that he sees himself as Victor Frankenstein and Rita as the monster he has created. In ‘Frankenstein’ Victor set out to create the perfect human being but created a monster. This is what Frank thinks he has done. I don’t think Frank has created a monster as he thinks, but that Rita has changed and become more like him. This scares him, as he is maybe realising what a monster he is.
The main theme evident throughout the play, is the theme of change. At the beginning there is such an obvious contrast between Frank and Rita. There is culture and class clash between the two characters and this is conveyed using Willy Russell’s words and stage directions. At the beginning of Act 1 Scene 1, Frank is in his office looking through his bookcase. We as the audience assume it is a book but the stage directions say, “Jubilantly he moves to the Dickens section and pulls out a pile of books to reveal a bottle of whisky”. We as the audience imagine Frank as well educated man, but we come to know that he has a drinking problem. Frank has a conversation on the phone with his partner, and through this phone conversation we learn a lot about his character. He begins by saying, “I shall need to wash away the memory of some silly women’s attempts to get into the mind of Henry James”. This shows that Frank has already labelled Rita as “some silly women” before he has even met her. Stereotyping is a huge part of the play, especially between the classes. Frank has stereotyped Rita as “some silly women” on the basis that she is working class. Rita is also stereotypical; she stereotypes people of her own class as uneducated. “See the educated classes know its only words.” The effect of stereotyping on the audience is that the stereotypes help the audience relate each character to their class, so the differences between them are more noticeable. This makes the play easier to understand than if the characters themselves were less stereotypical of their own class.
Frank says, “What do you mean am I determined to go the pub? I don’t need determination to get me into a pub.” This shows that he relies on drink and doesn’t need to be determined to go the pub, that he just goes almost without thinking about it. He also says, “Yes, well – erm – leave it in the oven … Look if you’re trying to induce some feeling of guilt in me over the prospect of burnt dinner then …” This shows us that Frank has an old fashioned view of women, that they should stay in the kitchen and cook the meals. He then says, “Yes, that’s it, you just pop off and put your head in the oven”. This shows that he is sarcastic.
When Rita first arrives Frank is completely surprised by her. She comes in full of life and is constantly moving around the stage as the stage directions show; “Going to the chair by the desk and dumping her bag” “…Rita goes to hang her coat on the door hooks” “Going to the bookcase” and “she moves back towards the desk”. Frank doesn’t move much in the scene as his stage directions show; “looking for the admission papers” “looking up” and “pours drink”. Most of Frank’s stage directions are stationary or involve drink. Russell has done this to create a more obvious contrast between Rita and Frank.
The significance of Rita changing her name from Susan to Rita is important. “That’s ‘S’ for Susan. It’s just me real name”. Your name is your identity and by changing hers, its shows that she wants to change who she is. Towards the end of the play she then changes her name back to Susan when she becomes what she thought she wanted to be. “Nobody calls me Rita but you. I dropped that pretentious crap as soon as I saw it for what it was.” Frank calls her Rita because he fell in love with her character before she became ‘educated’ and also because he is trying to hold on to the person he fell in love with. This shows a role reversal as he now needs her instead of her needing him.
There is an obvious difference between the classes of Frank and Rita, shown by their language and the way they behave. Frank is reserved and quiet, while Rita comes bustling in to the room in an almost comical way. This shows a strong contrast between them. Frank’s language is very well spoken, he says “Pardon?” but Rita says “What?” This is not Rita being rude but shows that they are not on the same level at the beginning. They don’t understand each other and are almost scared of each other. Frank is intimidated by Rita’s brassy and upfront attitude. He is shocked when she says, “Look at those tits”. She uses taboo language such as “…that’s fuckin’ rubbish”. This shocks the audience but helps to show the class divide between them. Rita says at the end of the scene, “Because you’re a crazy mad piss artist who wants to throw his students through the window, an’ I like you (After a pause) Don’t you recognize a compliment?” She likes him because he’s different and he likes her because she’s different.
As well as differences between Frank and Rita, there are similarities as well. They are both addicted to something, Frank to alcohol and Rita to cigarettes. She offers him a cigarette, “Here – d’ya want one?” and he says “I – don’t smoke – I made a promise not to”, but he still takes one. Later on he offers her a drink, “Can I offer you a drink?” and she replies “Y’wanna be careful with that stuff, it kills y’ brain cells”, but she still haves one. About smoking Rita says “everyone seems to have packed up these days. (She lights the cigarettes) They’re all afraid of gettin’ cancer” However later in the play she gives it up. This shows that she is moving on and leaving Frank, who is still drinking, behind.
They are also similar as their personal relationships are less than perfect. We as the audience already know that Frank’s relationship with his wife are not good after the phone conversation at the very beginning of the play. We also discover that Rita’s husband Denny doesn’t want her to go into education again. He wants her to have a baby, “I don’t wanna baby yet. See, I wanna discover meself first. Do you understand that?” Her husband doesn’t understand her but Frank does, this understanding relaxes the atmosphere more. During the play, Rita’s relationship with her husband deteriorates as her education progresses. When he burns her books after discovering she is still on the pill, “He burnt all me books”, it signifies the beginning of her new life. As the play continues, Rita and Denny divorce because she chose her education over having a baby. This shows her as determined, strong willed and independent.
Entrances and exits are an important way of showing the contrast in their characters at the beginning of the play. In the opening scene Rita enters by almost falling through the door saying “I’m comin’ in aren’t I? It’s that stupid bleedin’ handle on the door. You wanna get it fixed!” This comical and dramatic entrance, immediately grasps both Frank and the audience’s attention. In the final scene she enters differently however, “Rita enters and shuts the door…moves across to the filing cabinet and places a Christmas card with the others already there.” This shows that Rita is more comfortable in Frank’s office, and that they are more comfortable with each other.
At the end of the first scene, Rita says to Frank “I’ll bring me scissors next week and give y’ a haircut”. It is not until the end of the play that she gives him the haircut but it signifies a new Frank, who is happier with who he is.
In the final scene of ‘Educating Rita’ the characters are at complete ease with each other, and are packing Frank’s study before he moves to Australia. His moving to Australia shows that he has moved on from education, and that he isn’t as dependent on it or Rita anymore. It is also ironic as it Australia where the government would send convicts. He plans to start a new life in a different country. “I hear very good things about Australia. Things are just beginning there.” Rita is more like her old self now as she has taken up smoking again, “She lights a cigarette”. This shows that she has gained an education but kept the insight that she had at the beginning. She has stayed her old self but gained the education that gives her choices. She says, “I might go to France. I might go to me mother’s. I might even have a baby. I dunno. I’ll make a decision. I’ll choose. I dunno”. During the final scene Frank gives Rita a dress, he says “for an educated women”. This is symbolic as at the beginning of the play Rita says that only an educated woman could wear, and him giving her the dress, symbolises her becoming the educated woman she wanted to be.
‘Educating Rita’ is such a popular and important play as it exists on many levels, firstly as just an enjoyable play about a teacher and student. But more importantly as a journey of two complex characters and their relationship as they try and change themselves for the better. Willy Russell’s witty and well written language helps to convey these characters to the audience, using a number of dramatic and linguistic devices. The initial clash of cultures is a shock, but Frank and Rita grow as characters, and we as the audience grow to love them. The main theme is contrast and this would not have been achieved without the literary talents of Russell. All of these points create a captivating and fascinating play still loved by all generations today.
