Our Day Out, by Willy Russell Essay Example

a mother to love and care for them: "Well if the antics in her department are anything to go by, she always reminds me of a mother hen rather than a teacher. " She is more of a mother than a teacher which was said by Mr Briggs.

The children respond to her as a mum by just saying no and yes and she tried to make the children say her real name, but they forgot it so the same response to Mrs Kay is positive.Before they left they were on the coach being told that there is only one rule today: "think of yourselves but also think of others as well. " I can tell that Mrs Kay has no respect for the school being presented or how the children really behave she just wants' them just to have fun. We learn about what Mrs Kay is like when we see her with Carol. Carol is asking Mrs Kay questions about the place that she lives and is comparing it to much nicer places but Mrs Kay says nothing and just comforts her.

In the stage directions: "smiles at her and links her arm. She cares for carol and doesn't say anything to her for that Mrs Kay knows that she won't be very successful in her life and be able to afford a nice house in a nice place, for that she isn't really smart enough to obtain a good job. This tells us that Mrs Kay treats the other children like this just for them to have fun, not to help them accomplish subjects: "teach them? , teach them what? " In this

Mrs Kay shouts this to Mr Briggs about the children that they can't learn anything mostly because nobody wants to educate them.In my opinion at this stage in the play, Mrs Kay shouldn't be a teacher for she is not giving anyone of her class students an education. We learn about Mr Briggs before we actually meet him when everyone is on the coach and ready to go when Brian and Digger who are students come back from Mr Briggs without a note they needed from him but they never since he was coming alone with them and Colin and Susan who are the staff say unhappily: "he's coming to keep an eye on us make sure we don't enjoy ourselves.

Here it is very obvious that Mr Briggs does not enjoy himself and is coming to make sure that the school secures a good reputation. When Mr Briggs steps on the bus, he suddenly barks out, "Sit down" then go's over his rules for today on the trip. He treats the children quite badly by yelling at them and he is thinking he is in the army: "chorus of no sir! " This shows that he is strict just like the people in the army. In my opinion of Mr Briggs in this stage of the play I can tell that everyone doesn't really like him for his shouting and attitude but I think that it is necessary.

There are several incidents through out the day that show very clearly the difference between the two teachers at the cafe and the zoo, first at the cafe. The teachers and children are out to stretch their legs

and all the children are at the shops buying but mostly stealing sweets as the shop owners turn their heads they start to fill their pockets. Mr Briggs wants to go in and have a look at what they are doing: "I think we should all be inside, looking after them. " So he knows that their must be something going wrong but Mrs Kay says: "oh.

.. leave them. Mrs Kay doesn't mind what the children are doing as long as she is ok.

At this stage in the play I think that Mr Briggs shouldn't be with Mrs Kay for he has a responsibility from the Head Master to obtain a good reputation and to look after the children when Mrs Kay just wants to leave them, so they could possibly to be thrown in jail. The next incident is in the zoo which was unplanned to go to by the decision of Mrs Kay. They leave some of the children to go by themselves and the rest went with the staff. Mrs Kay attempts Mr Briggs to go and leave the children alone and she succeeds again.

For not looking after the children they were able to collect an animal each and cared for it as it was their own. As they were about to go they were stopped by the zoo keepers who noticed all the animals that were gone from the zoo to their bus. The zoo keepers collected the animals which gave Mr Briggs a very high temper for the children stealing them. In stage directions: "his face is like thunder. " His reaction was that his face was cross and angry.

While Mrs Kay is really lazy about what happened or couldn't care as I would suggest.

I think that Mr Briggs handling of the situation was rightly given to the children because they stole the animals and deserve a row. At this stage of the play I fell again for Mr Briggs for he was the better teacher for giving them a row even though it's not nice I am still in favour for him. We obtain a good idea about what Mr Briggs thinks of Mrs Kay's teaching methods when they argue at Conway Castle. The conversation between Mr Briggs and Mrs Kay is all about the children and how they should be educated by the two teachers.Mrs Kay wants the children just to have fun because she says that it is too late for the children to learn: It's too late for them; most of them were rejects on the day they were born," In this it is very sad because Mrs Kay is saying that they are dumb, useless and a waste of time children.

As she said this Mr Briggs shouted out: "That's a fine attitude for a member of the teaching profession to have. " So this quotation is about Mr Briggs is protecting the children from being hard to teach by Mrs Kay. I agree with Mr Briggs because they children do have a chance to have a good education but Mrs Kay doesn't want to really help them just give them a fun time which is really appalling.The incident between Mr Briggs and Carol seems to act as a turning point in Mr Briggs attitude towards the whole day.

Carol was on a cliff and was getting ready to jump as Mr Briggs talks to her and is able to comfort her down to him. We learn things such as her home and what it is like.

In this quotation it sounds like she would like Mr Briggs as her dad for her dad must have been very bad to her: "if you'd been my old feller I woulda been all right wouldn't I? As he takes a few steps forward to hold on Carol's hand she suddenly slips and Mr Briggs just catches her and everything is good with the both of them.As Mr Briggs returns Carol to Mrs Kay she thinks it is time to go but Mr Briggs says: "it's only early," so Mr Briggs makes up a suggestion about going to the fair since they came all this way. At this stage in the play, Mr Briggs has made a gigantic alternation to his personality by saying that they are of to the fair and also when they are in it he has a lot of fun and laughs which the children have never heard him do before.However Mr Briggs' new attitude doesn't last long for when they are in the coach and he gazes at the school, he turns straight back into the one that left to go on the trip with the children. I think he does this in case anyone sees him having fun that they would start calling him more names for he has been strict since they had him in school.

In his car he has the film of the photos of the children and

him having fun so he destroys the film by unwrapping the film and exposing it in the sun.So he can't be proved by anyone of him having a good time so that's why he destroys the film. At this stage in the play I feel very sorry for Mr Briggs that he has finally had fun on this trip and now he wants everyone just to forget about it. The character who I sympathised the most is Mr Briggs although that he is strict, bossy and annoying I like him because he will teach children compared to Mrs Kay who just wants the children to have fun and doesn't teach them anything to gain qualifications.

With Mr Briggs he can have fun at times but doesn't need to be all the time.