questions - educating Rita, by russel

Educating Rita

By Willy Russell


What does Rita gain from her education and what does she lose?53

Firstly, Rita is a 26 year old woman that does not live in an intellectual environment, something that means that she has plenty to learn from Frank. Rita did not gain the proper opportunity to study, as she sometimes desired “See, if I started takin’ school seriously I would have had to become different from me mates, an’ that’s not allowed.” (Page 21)
The environment in which she lived influenced her to a great extent “So y’ never admit that school could be anything’ other then useless.” (Page 21)
This lack of opportunity to study as she sometimes prefers, leads to the fact that she learns more than she loses. During the course at Frank’s, Rita leans how to analyze and how to treat literature. One of the most significant things Rita learns is how to write an essay in an appropriate way. Rita’s first essay turns out to be a disaster; she must learn how to write references: “Rita, how the hell can you write an essay on E.M Forster with almost total reference to Harold Robbins?” (Page 29) Rita must learn about source criticism “Crap? And who are you citing in support of your thesis, F.R Leavis?” “No. Me!” (Page 23)
Throughout the play you can notice how Rita’s essays develop. On page 71 you can see how Rita’s essay is written properly but this time Frank does not like it because, according to Rita, he is subjective. Simultaneously, Rita discovers the secret of intellectual conversations. Throughout the play she learns from Frank how to structure an argument properly, this means first to make a statement, then give an example and ultimately explain. Towards the end, she does this quite often “I walked over an’ said, ‘Excuse me but I couldn’t help overhearin’ the rubbish you were spotting about Lawrence’. […] The next thing is there’s this heated discussion, with me right in the middle of it.” (Page 67)
This scene proves how Rita has developed. She gained the knowledge and the courage that is needed for an argumentative discussion.
Frank helps Rita to expand her vocabulary. In the beginning of the play, you can notice Rita’s sometimes informal language, which also every now and then creates misunderstandings between the two main characters “No. Roger McGough. It was about this old man who runs away from hospital an’ goes out on the ale. He gets pissed an’ stands in the street shoutin’… […] It’s dead good.” (Page 7) You can observe Rita’s informal language here. Her language contains plenty of abbreviations as well. This might decrease the quality of the spoken language. The example above can be compared with “But Frank, I have to persevere in order that I shall.” (Page 66) Here, Rita illustrates the fact that she must talk properly in everyday situations. Also, towards the end Rita does not use as many abbreviations as in the start. It may be visible that Rita improves her language and expand her vocabulary.
As almost everything in everyday life, her education contains not only advantages but drawbacks as well.
As I mentioned above Rita did not gain the proper opportunity to study, also because of her family and friends. The educations Rita gains might distance her from her family and friends. This for example, was one of the causes that ended Rita’s relationship with Denny “No. I don’t wanna talk about Denny. […] Why was Chekhov a comic genius?” (Page 40)
Here we can see that Rita feels a bigger connection to knowledge than Denny. Several times Denny showed his anger and explained that this was because her education. The education created vast differences between Rita and her family and friends. These differences might distance her from the environment she used to live in.

Compare and contrast the way Rita and Frank use language throughout Educating Rita.
Both Rita and Frank wish the surrounding to identify them by their usage of language similarities!!!!!!!!!!!



From the beginning of the play there exists a huge contrast between Frank’s and Rita’s language. Frank is about fifty years old and has worked with literature the big majority of his life, something that improved his language incredibly “But the term ‘beautiful’ covers the many feelings I have about that picture, including the feeling that, yes, it is erotic.” (Page 5) You can notice how the sentence contains formal language and is even well structured in the conversation’s context.
Rita, on the other hand, comes from an uneducated family and from a non intellectual environment. Rita’s problem in the beginning of the play is the language. She replies often with witty lines but the lack of formal language makes her argument weaker “I’ll bet he did y’ know. You don’t paint pictures like that just so that people can admire the brush strokes, do y’?” “Frank (Giving a short laugh) No-no-you’re probably right.” (Page 5) Here you can observe that Frank agrees with Rita, to a certain extent, that the painting is erotic. If she had used a more advanced and formal language, Frank would probably agree with her entirely.
In the last part of the play you can see the development of Rita’s language (Page 66), while Frank’s, according to me, has not altered.


Rita describes herself as a ‘half-caste’, neither fitting comfortably into her own society or that of Frank. Find evidence for this. How appropriate would it be to describe Frank in the same way? Explain.
As I mentioned before Rita comes from a non intellectual environment. What makes her special and different is her desire to study. This is why does not feel full connection to the environment she lives in “I mean, there was always somethin’ in me head, tappin’ away, tellin’ me I might have got it all wrong. But I’d just play another record or buy another dress and stop worryin’ […] Is this the absolute maximum I can expect from this living lark? […] And it’s really tempting to go out and get another dress y’ know, it is. Cause it’s easy, it doesn’t cost anything, doesn’t upset anyone around y’. Like cos they don’t want y’ to change.” (Page 21) This quotation shows that Rita wanted more from life, but the people around her influenced her in a negative way and this is why she did not fit comfortably into her own society.
The play is about educating Rita, this means that Rita does not fit into Frank’s society yet. It takes a time before she can feel a part of Frank’s educated society. The more time it will pass the more Rita will feel connections to Frank’s society. These quotations are taken from the play’s last pages
“[…] Rita: What you can’t bear is that I am educated now read […]” (Page 78) and “Frank: Is that all you wanted? Have you come all this way for so very, very little? ” (Page 79)
In the first example, Rita realizes the fact that she is educated, while Frank, in the second quotation, explains that Rita is still a half-cast because she must continue with her studies in order to feel full connection to such a society.

4. Look closely at Act 1, scenes 6-7. Explain why Frank invites her to dinner and ultimately, why she fails to turn up.
In the beginning of Scene 6, Rita bursts trough Frank’s door and interrupts him by telling about the play that she has seen. Rita explains what a magnificent time she has had at the theater. Frank and Rita start an intense conversation about Macbeth, the play that Rita went to.
Understanding the fact that Rita is deeply interested in literature and intellectual life, Frank gives her the opportunity to come for dinner. Frank notices that Rita might now be able to cope with a conversation with educated people and simultaneously that she must experience such a great event. Frank is also familiar with the fact that Rita does not live in an intellectual environment and has not the opportunity to go to dinner with such kind of people.
At the same time, according to me, Frank wants to be thankful “Rita: I just had to tell to someone who’d understand” “Frank: I’m honored that you chose me.” (Page 47)
Rita is revealing something that might be considered by Frank as emotional. In this case he wanted to be thankful as well. So, Frank invites Rita to dinner because she is deeply interested in literature and intellectual life and because Frank wanted to give Rita the opportunity ‘to sing a better song.’
Unfortunately, Rita does not show up. The main reason why Rita did not come was because she did not feel intellectual prepared “I am alright with you, here in this room; but when I saw those people you were with I couldn’t come in.” (Page 52) This failed attempt of entering Frank’s society shows that Rita is still a half-caste.

5. Explain Willy Russell’s use of humor in the play. Hint: You might begin by looking at the misunderstandings which arise between Frank and Rita at the beginning of the play, a consequence of their different social/ cultural backgrounds.
The humor in the play occurs in situations quite often. The misunderstandings arise often because Rita’s personality. She has the desire to talk rapidly and she gets often off topic. Already on the second page we are give such an example “Frank: You are? Rita: What am I? Frank: Pardon? Rita: What? Frank: Now you are? Rita: I’m what? ”
Rita’s personality, her openness, her desire for studies, her dialect and her thoughts play a big part of the play’s humor.
Another humorous act of Rita is every time she gets of topic after she started a discussion
“Rita: That’s a nice picture; isn’t it? […] Frank: I think it’s very beautiful. Rita: I didn’t ask if it was beautiful. […] Rita: D’ y’ get a lot like me? Frank: Pardon?” (Page 5)
This quotation is taken from their very first dialog, when Rita refuses to answer Frank’s question. She suddenly changes the topic and starts discussing about a picture on the wall and after a short time she changes topic again. Frank does not always succeed to keep up with Rita’s discussions, something that may be amusing.

6.