Educating Rita Character Analysis Example Essay Example

highlighting his idea that all people deserve to be treated respectfully, irrespective of social standing.Societal PressureAlong with Social class, Rita’s confrontations with Social pressure can be recognised as another cardinal theme in Russel’s text, with an important allegory. Throughout the text, Rita, against her better judgment, is pressured into conforming to the social norms of society and her family alike. Both her father, and her husband, Demi, continually pressure Rita into having a baby. As made evident at Rita’s sister’s wedding, her father criticises her for “being married 6 years and still not pregnant”.

Likewise, in the following scene, her husband, inconsiderate and uncaring of her wishes, threatens her, remarking “You stop going to that university and you stop taking the pill, or you’re out”. Later in the text, Rita, watching her family resort to alcohol and singing to solace their pains, confides in frank, telling him about how difficult it is for her not to conform to the immense societal pressure she faces; how difficult it is for her not to “just pack it in and join in the singing”. For the most part, I believe Russel uses the theme of Social pressure and Rita’s subsequent defiance as a means to explore his idea that no-one’s life should not be dictated by social pressures and norms.IndividualityIndividuality, as expressed through Rita’s lively character and writing, is both a complex and ‘serious’ theme explored continually throughout the text by Russel. Early in the text, asked by Rita to help her write more like the other students, Frank is hesitant to change her approach to literature, claiming that her writing is “In its own terms, wonderful”.

Believing that

her individuality can remain compromised in order to reach her aspirations, Rita urges Frank to help her become more like the other students.Frank, understanding of her plight, warns her, stating that “You will have to suppress, and abandon your uniqueness; I’m going to have to change you.”. Ultimately, Frank’s wisdom prevails, and after submitting her next essay, to Rita’s delight and Frank’s disappointment, he tells her that her work “not different to any of the others”.

Through the character of Frank, Russell explores the profound idea that Individuality, the uniqueness that separates all of us as people, should not be jeopardised at the expense of change.TragedyThe theme of tragedy is explored through the unique struggles of both Frank and Rita, to express Russel’s underlying idea of triumph over adversity. Shortly after seeing a performance of Macbeth, Rita leads Frank into a discussion about tragedy. Frank tells her about Macbeth’s character and the tragic flaws in his character that makes his fate inevitable. Frank, much like Shakespeare’s character of Macbeth, is ridden with flaws he cannot overcome. He is incapable of reform, and ultimately it is Frank’s tragic flaws; his apathy, his cynicism and his depression that make the loss of Julia, and his job by the end of the play, seem inevitable.

However, these irony behind these tragedies is that they result in Frank embarking on a new endeavour; a new beginning in Australia where he will more than likely overcome his flaws. As such, tragedy, but more importantly how an individual overcomes it, presents itself as a key idea in Russel’s text.In conclusion, Willy Russell's stage play, Educating Rita, is a story with a

lot of ‘serious’ things to say. Utilising the key characters in the plot - Rita, and Frank- Russell successfully conveys his solemn thoughts and ideas through themes of social class, social pressure, individuality, change and tragedy. Whilst perceived by many as a casual, unserious, light hearted play, Educating Rita can only be truly appreciated for its more serious themes after exploring the meaning behind its confronting themes and ideas.