How does Russell present theme through his characters in Our day out Essay Example

nihilism in the play. This feeling of deprivation is not only experienced by the students but also some of the teachers due to the employment crisis.

During the school trip, Carol is portrayed as innocent and dependent on Mrs Kay, as she lacks friends and fears returning to the deprivation of her hometown. Despite preferring Wales to Liverpool, Carol is unsure about her future prospects. At a cafe and a zoo stop, Mr Briggs displays his anger by belittling a child's intelligence and aggressively confronting the zookeepers. As a coping mechanism, the pupils use humor to avoid confronting their harsh reality. However, at Conway castle, Carol briefly disappears and expresses her desire to escape reality. When Mr Briggs finds her, his character transforms from a harsh disciplinarian to a compassionate caregiver. Meanwhile, Mrs Kay has resigned herself to believe that the students are destined for menial work. Russell employs various techniques, from dialogue to stage directions, to convey these themes. For example, Mrs Kay remarks, "Teach them?"The pupils are not taken seriously and are categorized as individuals who are not considered real people. This is highlighted by the quote "Teach them what? You'll never teach them because nobody knows what to do with them." Furthermore, there is a contrast between Mr Briggs and Mrs Kay, where Mr Briggs refers to the pupils as "animals" when they are treated as real people. Mrs Kay, on the other hand, takes a kinder approach.