Before Rita came to study with Frank, she was a wife and a hairdresser with no ambition in life. She felt that she needed to be educated and she knew she was different to people because they had been educated but when Rita was younger she wasn’t bothered about her education and didn’t want to learn. So when Rita is accepted for Open University she comes to realise that someone is giving her an opportunity to learn and she grasps it while she can.
‘I was dead surprised when they took me. I don’t suppose they would have done if it’d been a proper university. The Open University’s different though, isn’t’
The fact that Rita was ‘dead surprised’ shows us Rita’s lack of confidence at this point in the novel.
After going to Summer School Rita herself has changed because before summer school she was just a normal student going to Frank to learn and she felt too ashamed to be outspoken. Now that she has returned she has learnt that she needs to be more confident in herself and she now trusts herself more. Rita feels now that she has been educated and is now able to relate and have meaningful conversations with people.
‘I think the first question was about Chekhov; coz y’ know I’m dead familiar with Chekhov now’
Rita’s confidence has become more obvious because ‘dead surprised’ has now become ‘dead familiar’ this shows that Rita has now become a different person.
Before Frank had met Rita he was unhappy with his life he was drinking a lot, bored of lecturing and teaching so he decided he would so some work with the Open University and of course Rita was his first student.
‘Can I offer you a drink? ... Scotch’
After Rita has been to Summer School, she treats Frank differently. She has realised that she doesn’t just need Frank as a teacher anymore. When Frank knows that Rita has already studied Blake he is quite surprised.
‘Blake at summer school? You weren’t supposed to do Blake at summer school, were you?
With Rita studying Blake at summer school, this shows us how Frank is losing his control over Rita. She is now determined to study elsewhere not just for Frank.
Following Rita’s return from summer school and the drastic change within Rita it is inevitable that Rita will leave Frank, however Rita cannot see that happening,
‘Who says I’m going to disappear?'
Frank explains to Rita that eventually she will leave him and he uses ‘Macbeth’ to prove his point by saying it will end up being tragedy because he shall be glad to say goodbye to her. It is as if Frank feels that Rita is causing and being responsible for own tragedy just like Macbeth was.
Earlier on when Rita first came to see Frank she noticed the beautiful lawn just outside Frank’s window. She even commented to Frank about the students sitting on the lawn talking and studying. Rita was not educated yet and wished she had the confidence do go on the lawn and study for everybody to see her. Rita metaphorically uses the ‘lawn’ as her ambition to be part of the community of students
‘I love that lawn down there. When it’s summer do they sit on it?’
After summer school Rita attends a tutorial with Frank where she is speaking at lot more confidently and articulate and imitating a BBC accent. This is only because her flatmate Trish said there is ‘no point discussing beautiful things with out a beautiful voice.’ From this we can already see the change in Rita she has completely changed her image. She has become sophisticated by means that she has had to change her lifestyle the way she dresses, how she speaks and the things that she talks about must fit with the new Rita.
‘Trish says that no matter how difficult I may find it I must preserve’
Frank the notices that Rita has acquired grass on back and Frank asks Rita why, so she explains that she got to the university earlier so she could speak with the students. Frank then replies,
‘You were talking to she students - down there?’
Frank is very shocked by this and now he can see for sure there is a new Rita, the old Rita has gone and the new Rita has now learnt that she can interact with other students and be taught by other students now that Rita has knowledge of the world.
Summer school had given Rita a choice in her life she could have either stayed a boring woman married for the wrong reasons but Rita chose her own way in life and chose education. Now that she has been educated she has gained confidence within herself and other people and is now able to relate to others and she doesn’t feel stupid she believes that now she is just the same as everybody who has been educated.
