Educating Rita is a play written by Willy Russel about a 26-year-old woman called Rita. Rita was no longer happy with the way she was living her life in the working-class lifestyle so she decided to change and better herself through education. Her unconformity with the working class caused her to become an outsider but she was not able to assimilate herself with the higher classes. Rita’s education ultimately transformed her as a person and she was no longer the same woman she once was, causing her to lose friends and family members along the way. Frank, Rita’s open university lecturer, on the other hand found he belonged with Rita but as she became more cultured and eloquent he started becoming disassociated from Rita.
It was only when Rita turned twenty-six she realised she was not content with the working-class lifestyle, nor did she belong within it. She did not want to just have a baby and continue hairdressing, she wanted to learn about the world. Enrolling in Open University started to cause a rift between her and her associates. She was no longer bothered about buying new dresses, but instead simply wanted to pass her exams, “I haven’t had a new dress in twelve months. An’ I’m not gonna get one either, not till – till I pass me first exam” (page 18). Rita’s further education meant that she no longer belonged within the working class. Although Rita no longer fitted in with her own class, she did not understand how to assimilate herself into the higher classes. Rita started viewing herself as isolated between the working-class and the middle-class; she did not belong to either. After failing to show up to Frank’s dinner invitation, she started to explain why she felt she could not attend: "I can't talk to the people I live with anymore. An' I can't talk to the likes of them on Saturday, or them out there, because I can't learn the language. I'm a half-caste. . . because she [Rita] thinks she can learn, because she thinks that one day she’ll be like the rest of them, talking seriously, confidently, with knowledge, livin’ a civilized life." (page 45). Rita felt unable to contribute positively towards a conversation held by a group of middle-class people; however, she also recognised she was becoming too cultured to belong within the working-class. When Rita was growing up, she was inherently inquisitive about the world and wished to discover it. However, her actions were viewed as an oddity amongst her peers. Rita quickly learned that curiosity was not something regularly exhibited within the working-class and she repressed that side of her personality so that she could fit in with the rest of her classmates. This was a narrow way of thinking and it was uncommon to step outside the norm. Rita explained …show more content…
He felt a sense of belonging being around people within the working class. Frank was a man of high intellect and led a decent life within a higher class and often people in his position would not regularly associate themselves with the working-class. Frank, however, spent a large majority of his free time drinking at the local pub; where many other middle-class patrons would not willingly attend. When Rita began Open University, Frank viewed Rita as someone that could make his unmotivated teaching life a little bit more interesting, asserting: “I think you’re the first breath of air that’s been in this room for years” (page 11). Frank found a refuge via tutoring Rita. Her stubborn, yet inquisitive, nature kindled their unlikely friendship. As Rita’s education continued she became ever more like the rest of Frank’s students, she was not well-spoken and eloquent consequently leading Frank to no longer feel as if he belonged within the friendship. As she became more cultured, Rita recognised the disassociation between them. Rita believed the cause was Frank who could not understand he was no longer needed by her. As Frank and Rita argued she made the point Frank "Can't bear that I am educated now. . .I'm educated, I've got what you have an' y' don't like it because you'd rather see me as the peasant I once was. . . I don't need you anymore. I've got a room full of
It was only when Rita turned twenty-six she realised she was not content with the working-class lifestyle, nor did she belong within it. She did not want to just have a baby and continue hairdressing, she wanted to learn about the world. Enrolling in Open University started to cause a rift between her and her associates. She was no longer bothered about buying new dresses, but instead simply wanted to pass her exams, “I haven’t had a new dress in twelve months. An’ I’m not gonna get one either, not till – till I pass me first exam” (page 18). Rita’s further education meant that she no longer belonged within the working class. Although Rita no longer fitted in with her own class, she did not understand how to assimilate herself into the higher classes. Rita started viewing herself as isolated between the working-class and the middle-class; she did not belong to either. After failing to show up to Frank’s dinner invitation, she started to explain why she felt she could not attend: "I can't talk to the people I live with anymore. An' I can't talk to the likes of them on Saturday, or them out there, because I can't learn the language. I'm a half-caste. . . because she [Rita] thinks she can learn, because she thinks that one day she’ll be like the rest of them, talking seriously, confidently, with knowledge, livin’ a civilized life." (page 45). Rita felt unable to contribute positively towards a conversation held by a group of middle-class people; however, she also recognised she was becoming too cultured to belong within the working-class. When Rita was growing up, she was inherently inquisitive about the world and wished to discover it. However, her actions were viewed as an oddity amongst her peers. Rita quickly learned that curiosity was not something regularly exhibited within the working-class and she repressed that side of her personality so that she could fit in with the rest of her classmates. This was a narrow way of thinking and it was uncommon to step outside the norm. Rita explained …show more content…
He felt a sense of belonging being around people within the working class. Frank was a man of high intellect and led a decent life within a higher class and often people in his position would not regularly associate themselves with the working-class. Frank, however, spent a large majority of his free time drinking at the local pub; where many other middle-class patrons would not willingly attend. When Rita began Open University, Frank viewed Rita as someone that could make his unmotivated teaching life a little bit more interesting, asserting: “I think you’re the first breath of air that’s been in this room for years” (page 11). Frank found a refuge via tutoring Rita. Her stubborn, yet inquisitive, nature kindled their unlikely friendship. As Rita’s education continued she became ever more like the rest of Frank’s students, she was not well-spoken and eloquent consequently leading Frank to no longer feel as if he belonged within the friendship. As she became more cultured, Rita recognised the disassociation between them. Rita believed the cause was Frank who could not understand he was no longer needed by her. As Frank and Rita argued she made the point Frank "Can't bear that I am educated now. . .I'm educated, I've got what you have an' y' don't like it because you'd rather see me as the peasant I once was. . . I don't need you anymore. I've got a room full of