Educating Rita by Willy Russell

what did Trish say-? More resonant.” (75). Rita is telling Frank what she thinks of his poetry, but instead of using her own words and expressing her own views, she simply repeats what her peer has said about the poems. Her relinquishment of her true beliefs is a way of conforming to expectations of the educated class and an illustration of loss of freedom in life. We also see Rita abnegating her disposition when she hands in an essay to Frank and his first response is “There is nothing of you in there.” (69). Frank acknowledges the fact the inclinations that she is expressing are not her true opinions, and education is the cause of her imitative assessments. Education turns out to be another form of limitation for Rita, instead of a practice of freedom. Education becomes an instrument of confinement for Rita by making her believe she has to denounce her corollaries. Education did not only cause Rita to repudiate her ideas, it became her means of conforming to the social standards of the educated class.

Her job and dialect optimize the way she grew up, and how the expectations of her upbringing limit her future, as being a working class woman she is expected to get married, have children and then become a housewife, ‘I should've had a baby by now. Everyone expects it.’ There were no further expectations for women and certainly no need for them to have an education, ‘Denny gets dead narked if I work at home’. Rita doesn’t like the housewife stereotype and decides to rebel against it by taking the pill and starting a formal education, ‘But I mean, I don't want a baby yet. No. I wanna discover meself first.’ Rita’s family refuse to see the benefits that this could give her and this leads her father to feel sorry for Denny and to feel annoyed at Rita’s lack of commitment to her family, ‘Denny, I'm sorry for you, lad. If she was a wife of mine I'd drown her.’ When Rita thinks about quitting the course to please her family, it’s her mother’s unintentional comment at the pub, ‘There must be better songs than this,’ which drives her forward in the course, ‘And I thought, ‘All I'm doing is getting an education. Just trying to learn. And I love it. It's not easy, I get it wrong half the time, I'm laughed at half the time but I love it because it makes me feel as

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Greg Sarris provides a personal narrative based on Mabel McKay, giving her a chance to present her life-long story of enduring the resistance of white dominance. There is also vivid examinations of her calling to her personal spirit, which held onto her soul immensely. This book is incredible, showing the experience of a young girl listening to her spirit as it called out for her to remember her connection to weaving, singing, and healing. She connects to her dreams excessively which provided her with the lessons that was taught by the spirit which connected her back to her traditional native roots. Not only is there a perspective of Mabel McKay, but Sarris also find his own story of self-discovery as he is interacting with Mabel. Clearly

How Willy Russel Uses Language and Dramatic Devices to Convey the Relationship Between Frank and Rita in his Play

Her mind is completely set on going to University to get the education she wants so she can become something more than just a stereotypical lady of this time. Not only does Rita receive a education within literature, but she also receives a mental education as she realises what is good for her and what isn’t, she sticks clearly to her ambition of not wanting to become a mother at a young age and made something of herself. It can clearly be seen that Rita has pulled away from being the Stereotypical quiet housewife and not sticking up for herself as when her dad states “Denny, I'm sorry for you, lad. If she was a wife of mine I'd drown her.” Rita responds with “If I was a wife of yours I would drown myself” showing she has picked up a mental education and can actually argue her own case and not back down.

Sally came to Berlin, she recollects to the author–narrator, to work as an actress with the UFA. We are almost immediately reminded of Erich Pommer’s production of Josef von Sternberg’s 1930’s Weimar classic Der Blaue Engel (The Blue Angel) with Marlene Dietrich (as Lola Lola) occupying the central stage as Rath, the conventional professor falls in love with Lola Lola, loses his sanity and becomes mad. It also reminds us of the tragedy Lulu in G. W Pabst’s Die Büchse der Pandora (Pandora’s Box, 1929). There is almost a similar tendency observed in Isherwood’s novel where Sally is always prioritised by her lovers as the stereotyped outsider or the impossible woman, whose position should be quarantined only as the carnal object of desire. It is the overwhelming charm of Sally’s personality and beauty that not only entices the lovers but also threatens to damage them, psychologically. Hence she is a loner and throughout the course of the novel maintains a strong sense of gloomy solitude to draw her own concept of emancipation and identity.

The first act of the play readily sets the tone for the rest of the story. From the moment they meet her in Act I, Scene 5, readers get a clear picture

is not quite good enough. Rita wants to be of a higher status than her

The following questions should be used to guide you in your reading of the play and to ensure that you

Throughout the play of Educating Rita, readers are first introduced to a university professor who is searching for his hidden alcohol bottles in each section of his bookshelf. Being revealed to this personal interest, readers are summoned to perceive Frank as a relaxed character. “Jubilantly he moves to the Dickens section and pulls out a pile of books to reveal a bottle of whiskey.” This quote denotes that Frank keeps his drinking habits a secret, especially away from people who work in his field of teaching. The metaphorical use of Frank’s alcohol being hidden from others is a symbolic notion of his

may just not get on too well with women, so therefore he may not get

Educating Rita is the tale of one working class women 's struggle to find an escape to a boring, repetitive life and to find new things to conquer. To acheive this she begins university on a literature course despite the discouragement from family and baby-obsessed husband Denny. The play features only two characters, Rita and Frank. Frank- a middle class, well-educated, eloquent professor and Rita, an abrupt, crude excuse for a lady with no regard for or more precise, no knowing of social nouce. Throughout the play Rita 's character must reach two social extremities before she can learn to be true to herself. Arriving in Frank 's office loud and sarcastic

The setting of the play which takes place in the early twentieth century has established the theme that women have been looking down by men. ‘Trifles’ that is used as the title of the play has further foreshadowed the theme of the play in which discrimination of women will happen in the play. During the investigation of Mr Wright’s death, the men that involved in finding out the murderer have despised

Furthermore Russell begins to explore the development of Rita’s education in the play- this can be seen in Act 1 scene 6, here Frank has invited Rita to a dinner party however she did not attend said arrangement due to Rita’s lack of confidence in herself as a modern, ‘upper-class’ woman and this causes Frank to doubt her will-power especially in her studies and education. This uncertainty within her self exhibits the still existing class divide between the two characters and can be seen where Rita begins to briefly explain her reasons for not coming along to Franks dinner however when she elaborates it becomes clear there is still a clash of cultures in their lifestyles and Russell depicts this through means of a pun;