Educating Ritapsychology Essay Example

asked if smoking is allowed by Rita who then shows her cigarettes to him before he has a chance to respond. Rita has a naive outlook on literature, believing works like 'Ruby Fruit Jungle' to be literature. Despite her desires, she deems it impossible to achieve her dreams. While Rita aspires for a more middle-class lifestyle, she is also uncomfortable with abandoning her working-class roots. She views the Open University course as inferior to those taken by 'real' students. Rita longs for a higher social status than her friends and family, and hopes that enrolling in the Open University course will facilitate this transformation.

Rita is reliant on Frank and desires to be privy to all knowledge, despite the impossibility of such an endeavor. She naively believes that by learning specific literature and dialogue, she will automatically ascend to middle-class status, assuming that this demographic only experiences a carefree existence. This perspective displays her immaturity in acknowledging that social position does not exempt an individual from hardships. Rita once glanced out of the study window wistfully and inquired of Frank, "God, what does it feel like to be liberated?"

By setting the entirety of the play in one room, Willy Russell highlights Rita's perception of herself as a 'trapped' individual. This confinement initially restricts Rita's movements and displays of enthusiasm and energy, as well as her constant observation of her surroundings, emphasizing that her social class is a prison. Despite this domestic 'cosiness,' Rita desires genuine options and strives for escape. The singular setting also directs the audience's attention towards the developing relationship between Rita and Frank and the changes that transpire over time. These alterations are

apparent in the distinctive language used by each character and serve to reinforce the play's social commentary on inequality within the upper-middle-class.

In comparison to Frank, who always uses standard English, Rita often utilizes slang and contractions, giving her a less educated sounding manner. 'Educating Rita' is a two-person play that focuses primarily on the characters of Rita and Frank. Other characters, like Denny and Julia, are merely described through Rita and Frank's interactions. Willy Russell manages to captivate the audience without relying on numerous grand settings or characters. While the characters of Rita and Frank have a profound connection, they also provide comedic relief. The play 'Educating Rita' is a comedy that highlights contrasts, immediately placing the lively young hairdresser against her middle-aged tutor character.

Although the play has a humorous tone, it also contains moments of sadness. Rita and Frank both evoke empathy from the audience as they share their experiences of feeling like outsiders in their respective social classes. Despite Rita's lack of awareness, immaturity, and limited knowledge, she and Frank are able to connect on a personal level. While they come from vastly different backgrounds, with Frank being intellectually superior and leading a different lifestyle, neither of them completely fit in where they come from due to their unique personalities.

Frank has been struggling with alcohol abuse, causing his students and colleagues to lose respect for him. Meanwhile, Rita feels disconnected from society. Despite this, Frank grows fond of Rita thanks to her endearing childlike personality and clever wit. At first, he is taken aback by her blunt observations, such as when she comments on an erotic painting in his study.

Rather than harshly judging her for it, Frank is fascinated by Rita's unique perspective. He is uninterested in the mediocre literary criticism provided by his current students, as they lack the same individual spark that Rita possesses.

Despite Rita's initial awkwardness in offering criticism at the beginning of the play, her bold and vivacious personality is evident. As the play progresses, she sheds her layers of ignorance and learns to apply her wit to her academic work. Frank, on the other hand, has his own negative experience with academia and values uniqueness and energy over mundane conformity. At first, he is reluctant to teach Rita for fear she will lose her individuality and become like every other student.

Despite facing challenges, Rita exhibits determination and persistence in pursuing 'Flora-man' Frank as her tutor. She is unwavering in her desire to attain knowledge and overcome any obstacles in her path. Rita's consistent visits to Frank mark the beginning of her evolutionary journey. Adapting to a new culture proves difficult as she becomes a 'half-caste', not belonging to either the working or middle class. Despite this, Rita remains optimistic and looks towards a brighter future.

As time passes, Rita gains self-assurance and autonomy. She begins to mimic mannerisms, adopt beliefs, and conform to a new way of life. Gradually, she becomes more conceited and assertive. Previously, Rita would revere her fellow students but refrain from speaking to them due to feelings of inferiority. Now, she approaches them with ease, voicing her opinions and even correcting their statements. As her self-confidence grows, Rita's sense of humor dwindles, causing her once-endearing appeal to wane in the eyes of the audience.

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depicts the transformation of Rita's character. As Frank had anticipated, Rita's lack of humor signifies negative changes in her personality. However, her education has yielded some positive outcomes. Initially, her speech was rushed and lacked coherence; she frequently changed topics, and her vocabulary was limited. Finally, Rita's accent has mellowed down, and she speaks with more sophistication and softness. When discussing a summer school event with Frank, Rita's literary comprehension and maturity became apparent.

He asked if she liked Ferlinghetti and she almost made a joke about liking it with parmesan cheese, but decided not to. Rita feels like she has broken free from being trapped in her room and avoided a future where she is confined to the working class. Society believed that the working class had no need for education and should just settle down and have a family. Rita found this boring and had a strong desire to improve herself mentally and emotionally.

In her journey, Rita strives to imitate various individuals she admires. However, Russell suggests that this approach is detrimental and that Rita must remain true to herself to achieve her desired goals. Despite experiencing significant improvement, Frank becomes horrified at the result of his efforts, comparing himself to Mary Shelley's 'Frankenstein' and feeling as though he has created a monster. While this evaluation may seem severe, Russell provides the audience with a means to relate to Frank and gain insight into another's perception of Rita.

It appears that Frank's and Rita's lives are closely linked in a way that leads to opposite developments. While Rita gains confidence and rises, Frank feels a descent. He blames himself for causing Rita to lose

her unique personality and charm. Rita comes under the influence of various people around her, such as classmates and her roommate, and begins to adopt their opinions and ways of life. With her newfound assurance, she no longer depends on Frank, challenging his ideas, withholding information from him, and rejecting their former closeness.

Frank's vulnerability and isolation are evident in his reliance on alcohol to distract himself from thoughts of the transformed Rita, whom he feels has been taken away from him. The audience can empathize with this sentiment as they too miss the original, spontaneous and humorous Rita. However, Rita eventually realizes that her transformation has not entirely benefited her character, suggesting that formal education does not necessarily equate to superiority. Rather, Rita has swung from one extreme to another and has yet to find a balance between her two selves.

After some searching, Rita discovers a middle ground. It transforms her into a more sophisticated, wise, and composed person while maintaining her unique edge and quirkiness. Her social class no longer restricts her; she feels liberated and emancipated. The most significant change is that she now has numerous choices at her disposal, stating, 'I've got choices now.' Her chains no longer bind her; she can live the life she desires, go wherever she wants to go, and do what she wishes. Rita acknowledges that education and culture don't guarantee happiness and admits that both social classes have flaws.

In a naturalistic play, it's rare to find an uplifting message, but this woman's story is just that. Though it may seem unbelievable in the context of everyday life, she portrays the struggles of a married woman who

is undervalued by society and feels out of place. However, by the end of the play, she has successfully merged her ideal self with her true self and is now fully in step.