What does a comparison between Act One, Scene One and Act Two, Scenes Two and Three reveal about the development of the Characters of Rita and Frank and their relationship in Willy Russell's play, 'Educating Rita?'

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What does a comparison between Act One, Scene One and Act Two, Scenes Two and Three reveal about the development of the Characters of Rita and Frank and their relationship in Willy Russell’s play, ‘Educating Rita?’

‘Educating Rita’ is a play written by Willy Russell about a 26 year old hairdresser, Rita, who tries to better herself by enrolling in the Open University in which she is taught by her new tutor, Frank. The story is one which shows the ever evolving relationship between the two and how they try to cope with the constant difficulties thrown up by their culture clash and their other problems such as Frank’s drinking and Rita’s marital difficulties. The characters slowly adapt until the two reverse roles completely and become the mirror image of what they were at the beginning with Rita on a path to success and Frank in a spiral of self destruction.

When Rita started out at the Open University, she was obviously very nervous but displayed it in a way which made her appear very forth coming and had an in-your-face attitude. This is shown by the lines in Act 1 Scene 1 in which Rita says:

Rita: That’s what I do. Y’know when I’m nervous.


This leads us to believe that, while she tries not to show it, Rita is worried, possibly even scared of going to see Frank. However, Frank is not free from worries either. He seems to find Rita’s attitude very disturbing and it upsets his normal way of dealing with students. He finds that his references to people who he knows through his education fail to achieve their desired effect as Rita has no understanding of who they are or what they are trying to say. Rita shows this ignorance during Frank’s reference to Yeats:

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Frank: Do you know Yeats?

Rita: The wine lodge?

Frank: Yeats the poet

It is this type of misunderstanding that continues throughout not only Scene 1 but right up until the end of Act 1. However, from Act 2 Scene 2 on, Rita starts to understand more of Frank’s references. It had got to the point where Frank no longer needed to explain to Rita the ideas of the poem or play. He simply allowed Rita to form her own opinions. For example, in Act 2 Scene 3 the two talk about the poem, ‘The Blossom:’

Frank: ...

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