Willey Russell's Educating Rita presents a modern version of Pygmalion, depicting the protagonist, Rita, as an unrefined and poorly educated individual from a working-class background.
Rita is dissatisfied with different aspects of her life, causing frustration. Pursuing education offers a way to break free from working-class culture, with significant effects on her life - both positive and negative. It provides new opportunities for freedom but takes away her distinctive individuality. The "door swings open" scene in Act 1 sets the tone for the play's subsequent events dramatically.
At first, Rita comes across as confident and blunt, finding the funny side in her own experiences, such as "cuttin' hearin' aid cords." However, as she talks more with Frank, her vulnerabilities and desires start to show. She admits to wanting to "discover myself" and often us
...es humor to mask her unhappiness and lack of confidence, saying "I take the piss because I'm not, y' know confident." Although Rita initially has low self-esteem in the play, as the story progresses, she develops more self-assurance.
Rita senses the weight of her age, societal expectations regarding marriage and children, and the resulting barriers they impose. She has a strong desire for education, viewing it as a means to improve her life. She is aware that time is ticking and the obstacles may become overwhelming if not addressed promptly. Rita is resolute to achieve her goals, and trusts that Frank will provide the necessary guidance. Conversely, Denny, her husband, feels apprehensive about Rita's determination, perceiving it as a threat to his status as a spouse.
According to Rita, Denny is intimidated by the idea of her becoming superior to him, as he believes sh
might change into a different person. To win her back, he sometimes brings her presents. However, Denny's fear is evident in his anger towards her decision to pursue education. He burns all her books in an attempt to assert his dominance. Despite this, Rita remains undeterred and is determined to continue learning, stating that as long as the knowledge is in her head, Denny cannot take it away from her. Denny's behavior may have pushed Rita to move forward with her education.
Despite her realization that being with him means being stuck, he has fueled her desire to learn, making her feel stronger. Despite Denny's disapproval and attempt to lure her to the pub, Rita compares her situation to that of drug addicts, where breaking away can cause tension. For Rita, her education is a lifeline, and she feels that Denny wants to take that away from her.
Starting off, Rita's transformation isn't immediately apparent to the audience, but her husband notices a change in her perception of the world. While Denny views her decision as a small choice akin to picking between Everton and Liverpool or Stork and Butter, Rita sees it as a momentous decision that impacts her entire life. In Act 1 Scene 6, Rita attends a showing of Macbeth expecting to be bored, but to her own surprise, she thoroughly enjoys the play.
As Rita delves deeper into literature, her mindset undergoes a remarkable transformation. The link between her infatuation with Macbeth and her own aspirations implies a deep connection. Like Macbeth who fulfilled his ambition of becoming king, Rita's increasing adoration for literature motivates her to strive for personal growth. Expanding the
range of books she reads alters her perspective on the world, resulting in a fresh sense of self-discovery. In referring to herself as "half caste", Rita indicates that she no longer identifies solely as working class, but also not entirely middle class.
During the play's midpoint, Rita experiences conflicting emotions. She declines Frank's invitation to dine at his house and later explains her absence, revealing her newfound awareness of the cultural disparity between herself and Frank. Although Frank acknowledges that Rita may never assimilate into middle-class society, he still hoped she would attend. However, Rita vocalizes feeling like she was asked over only as a source of entertainment: "I didn't want to come to your house just to play court jester". Despite this exchange, a confrontation with Denny and Rita's mother at a bar prompts her to reassess her own circumstances: "We could sing better songs than those".
Encouraged by Frank's words, Rita feels more confident during this part of the play as she begins to express herself and challenge Frank's views on literature and situations. She asserts her independence, stating that she can have her own opinions. Frank, however, disapproves of this change, as Rita is no longer a unique student but rather one of the "proper" ones. Rita's growth is evident after returning from summer school; she writes more complexly and has even altered her language, to which Frank objects by telling her to "just be herself".
In comparing Frank to Rita, it can be observed that they have differences. While Rita successfully achieves her objective by confronting her inner struggles alone, Frank requires some external motivators to spur him on towards success.
Towards the end of the play, Rita decides to adopt a different name "Susan," which she considers less pretentious than her previous name. Although she was initially named Susan, she had picked the name Rita in honour of her favourite author of books speaking against oppression. As she becomes more educated and attains enlightenment, Rita opts to revert to her original name as she deems it more formal.
Rita considers Rubyfruit Jungle to be "crap" as she can now comprehend and enjoy complex novels. Additionally, she transitions from being a typical hairdresser to a bistro waitress. These alterations have an impact on Rita's life. Based on the essay, it can be inferred that despite her evolution during Frank's tutorial, Rita lacks the necessary qualities to enter middle-class society.
Despite the fact that her flatmate Trish was on the verge of taking her own life due to a lack of education, Rita understands that education is the key to achieving a higher position. As she continues to undergo changes, Frank has not changed as significantly.
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