As the play opens both characters are amazed by each other as they did not expect the other’s personality. When Rita came into the room talking colloquially and swearing, Frank is shocked as he was expecting a polite lady with a formal register like the rest of his students. Rita was amazed by Frank’s room and how many books he had, however she was not impressed by his drinking and kept informing him that it kills his brain cells “it kills your brain cells” act1 scene1
When Rita enters the stage she starts to smoke and talk inappropriately the audience immediately realises that she comes from poor uneducated background. Although the bad impression the audience get from Rita, they quickly realise that she wants to learn as she keeps looking around the room trying to find good books. Frank is unorganised as there are a lot of books and essays thrown around anomalous places in his room. Franks register and style of works conveys to the audience that he is a middle class man but his isolation and cynical attitude tells us that Frank is running out of money, because his drinking of alcohol.
Willy Russell usually conveys the social difference between Frank and Rita using misunderstandings which creates a clear contrast between them and also adds to the comedy of the play. In the beginning of the play the contrast is very strong as they both struggle communicating with each other, but the contrast gets weaker near the end of the play. The first time Frank asks Rita “and you are?” then Rita replies “what am I?” instead of her name this will keep the audience amused as even the simple task of answering ones name is difficult for her. More misunderstandings occur not from communication but from their knowledge and the environment they have been brought up in. For example when Frank talks about the 19th century author Jane Austen Rita immediately thinks of Tracy Austin the tennis player the same case is with WB Yeats the Irish playwright and Yeats the wine lodge. Willy Russell uses these differences in their two cultures to create humour in an ironic manner without insulting any of these two cultures or characters.
The audience and the characters are both astonished by the events on stage. As Rita walks on to the stage the audience are startled due to her swearing and unacceptable behaviour. Rita takes out her cigarette in the university without asking permission this tells the audience that she comes from a poor background where it is acceptable to smoke in public places. As soon as she gets in the room “dumping her bag” and starts walking around a room without greeting Frank or introducing herself this shows that she has never been in a formal situation before. After walking across the bookshelves while talking to Frank she “takes a copy of “Howard’s End” from the book shelf” due to her curious and knowledge hungry mind. During the tutorial she is constantly moving around as she wants to learn everything and can not focus on one single concept this is because her desire to make the most of her life.
In the act 1 scene 7 a lot has changed about the characters therefore their relationship has changed. At this stage Frank has become more aware of his surroundings and Rita has started using a more complex and polite vocabulary.
Due to Rita’s more developed vocabulary Frank now understands Rita and knows a great deal about her culture through normal communication and not through the now rare misunderstandings. When Frank was talking about Rita decision about not going to the party, he predicted what type of wine she would bring; “a bottle of Spanish plonk” then Rita confirms his prediction as Frank knows a lot about Rita’s background.
Rita wants to be educated so she can be regarded as an important and serious person in society and not just a humorous person as Rita thought that she was invited to Frank’s dinner party “to play the role of the court jester”.
Frank does not realise how hard it is for Rita to go to his party as he has always taken his education and higher class culture for granted; he would naturally know what to do if he was invited to a dinner party.
While Rita does not know what sort of wine to bring or what clothes to wear. In her opinion if she does not dress up or bring the right sort of wine she would be regarded as a lesser being. The author expresses Rita’s feelings to Frank and the reader by asking Frank “when you go out don’t you dress up? Don’t you bring wine?” this question makes Frank feel the situation Rita is in therefore feeling sympathy for her.
Rita wants to be educated so she can make the most of her life and also to feel confident in her surroundings. Although Rita feels confident and competent in Frank’s classroom she is bewildered outside it this problem is overcome later when she goes to summer school.
Rita is always looking away from Frank because she is ashamed of herself or maybe to make him feel like a crass monster. At first she is ashamed of her apology, but later she confronts Frank as he treats her as another or lesser species that no one expects anything from.
The audience will immediately feel the same feelings as Rita as she make Frank seem as an insensitive person due to her thought provoking questions. Some of the audience might get the impression that Frank is a very selfish person, but with further analysis they will realise that Frank has taken his knowledge for granted.
We quickly realise, at the start of this new act, that significant changes have taken place in Rita’s life since we last saw her. We do not see these changes but we hear the results. She has been to summer school and now lives with Trish, but the changes in her character are the most startling.
Rita is now independent of Frank and his room as she has worked hard and expressed her opinions in summer school.
“I stood up! Honest to god, an’ everyone’s lokin’ at me.” Rita Act2 scene7
The summer school has allowed Rita to increase her confidence by meeting people learning about literature like her. The effects of summer school are most apparent in her register and vocabulary as her sentence structure has greatly improved, her independence of Frank is caused by her meeting Trish who is playing Frank’s role as Rita’s teacher. This independence of Rita Causes a the relationship to reverse as Frank is now dependant on Rita to help him to get out of his isolation
“Like Dracula, I have an aversion to sunlight” Frank act 2 scene1
Although Frank is happy that Rita has progressed a lot, he is disappointed that she has studied about Blake whom he was saving to teach her later as a challenge; he thinks that she does not need him anymore.
Frank now can easily use his normal vocabulary as now Rita has a very varied vocabulary, this is brought to the audience when he uses metaphors and similes to describe his reaction of going outside and also to criticise Rita’s analogy. After summer school Rita now has the ability of having a debate based on facts or sensible opinions rather than random, subjective opinions, the debate about Frank’s isolation shows the audience that Rita is on an equal level as Frank.
The audience now get the impression that Rita has matured because she rarely walks around the classroom. Frank is clearly disappointed when he asks Rita if she has fully studied Blake fully and when she says he is correct he walks away and sits on his chair.
The final scene of the play allows the characters to thank each other; Frank giving Rita the dress and Rita giving Frank a hair cut. This is the stage of the play where both characters will have to leave each other to embark on the next part of their lives, Frank is going to Australia while Rita has not decided where to go but because she is now independent of Frank she is proud that she is going to make her own decision in an educated manner. Her education gives her freedom to make her own decision as she says in act2 scene7 “I had the choice” after she had finished her exams.
Although Rita has matured greatly since her first tutorial, Frank treats her as if she is still reading “Ruby Fruit Jungle” this is maybe an attempt to try to keep her Taking OU courses and meeting him or due to the fact that he can not believe she can learn on her own now and she does not need him anymore. Rita realises this and tells Frank that he is still treating her as if she was “still hung-up on Ruby Fruit Jungle”.
In my opinion the relation between Frank and Rita has gone well which is unexpected because of the different cultures and the misunderstandings caused by the different language. The relationship has gone well because both characters need each other to progress towards a better life. Although Frank is the teacher who gives the information, both characters depend on each other to reach their goals. In the end the relationship ends up to be a friendship and not a romantic one as both characters are happy that they are going to leave each other to progress in their lives.
The context of the play is still relevant today as the government is continuing to encourage people to go to universities, although it is arguable since the government has recently have introduced top up fees which might deter people from poorer backgrounds from continuing their education.
