Educating Rita Transition Analysis
Exploring Transitions - Educating Rita
Defining the concept
Transition means to move from one situation or place into another different situation or place. The transition from one phase of life or social context into another can change the person who is moving as well as those they meet along the way. (How is this related to Educating Rita?) The process of transition can affect people in various ways. Some may be challenged or confronted by the experience while others may find the transition exciting and transformative. (How is this related to Educating Rita?) In most cases individuals may grow and gain new knowledge resulting in a deepened understanding of themselves and of others. (How is this related to Educating Rita?)
This elective …show more content…
focuses on the possibilities of growth and the changes people undergo as they move into new phases of their lives. The play shows how Rita changes and grows and this is made possible because of education and her contact with Frank, her Open High School teacher. The play also explores how people can be resistant to change but can escape their circumstances.
It is also important to consider the knowledge which can be gained from transitions and how this can affect an individual’s attitudes and beliefs. Rita learns about herself and her attitude to education and her values change as she moves from one phase into another. Willy Russell uses a number of techniques such as dialogue, humour, allusions to literary texts and popular culture, contrast, symbolism, vocabulary and grammar to create a funny play.
It is important to examine Rita’s initial social context - the initial phase of the transition
What is Rita’s initial situation? Give a quote to support what you say.
Lower class
Ignorant
Occupation -
Expectations of women – pg 12
Popular culture is the main form of entertainment – Pg 9, 10, 11
What does she want?
To be educated. To know everything (See pg 6 & 7)
Freedom – pg 7
Change, to be different – pg 17
Discover herself
To be cultured
To have choice
Techniques used by Russell:
Irony – pg 10. Rita criticises women who walk into a hairdresser’s and expect to walk out a different person. It’s what she wants Frank to do for her.
Contrast between Frank’s and Rita’s social context – give an example from Act 1. She misunderstands literary references such as T. S. Elliott with Elliot Ness the gangster (p 9)
Dialogue – contrast between the way Rita speaks and the way Frank speaks – grammar, vocabulary and colloquialisms show the difference between Rita’s lower class and Frank’s middle class. “ I was off me cake” (p 16)
Humour through misunderstanding is used to show the differences between the two characters and their worlds: Pg 11 Flora, bread etc.
Stage directions – Rita cannot sit still. She constantly moves. What else? Find examples
Symbol of the dress which Rita wants (pg 18) and the one Frank gives her (pg 73)
In most cases individuals may grow and gain new knowledge resulting in a deepened understanding of themselves and of others. Rita learns a lot as the play progresses. The transition from her previous world into the middle class world comes as a result of a number of lessons Rita learns along the way. Frank invites Rita into his environment. At first she does not feel that she fits in but at the end of the play, Rita moves into a different social context/class and beyond even Frank’s. Change is a consequence of transition.
At first, Rita learns about literature and the difference between “appreciation” and “criticism”. (Pgs 18, 19, 21) She also learns that art and literature “feeds me, inside…..It makes me stronger comin’ here.”
Frank helps Rita to be more disciplined in her approach to learning. (Pg 20) She grows to understand that to get ahead in the academic world, it’s important to learn the rules needed to pass exams. Rita learns to discern between literature and “pulp fiction” (pg 24, 25, 26) Give examples and quotes to support this idea. Frank teaches Rita to learn for herself (pg 31) Compare the way Rita talks about texts at the beginning of the play and the way she has changed towards the end of the play.
Early in the play, Frank invites Rita into his social context but she feels like she does not belong. Explain why she does not turn up at dinner. In Act 2, Rita moves into a flat with Trish and leaves hairdressing for work in a bistro. She is more independent and no longer needs Frank. Give quotes to support this idea Rita’s speech patterns have changed. Although she still drops some of the endings to her words, she is more cultured and able to argue with Frank at his level. Give examples.
Rita continues to grow and change as she discovers more about herself. “I’ve begun to find me – an’ it’s great y’ know”. (pg 33)
Rita enters into a new phase where she is one of the ‘real’ students and is excited by the prospects open to her.
Examine her experiences at Summer School. Rita has changed. Frank’s office represents the start of a new phase for Rita but there is much more open to her. Frank tells her “I certainly don’t want to see you stay in a room like this for the rest of your life.” (Pg 54) Examine pgs 63, 64, 65.
Frank’s situation remains unchanged. He seems to resent the new Rita. (Pg 56, 57) Examine how Frank now uses the terms Rita originally used (pg 59, 60,) He has however, been affected by her. Frank feels that he has created a monster. Education has changed Rita into someone who is just like all the other students. He feels that she has lost her individuality (pg 67-69) Frank is trapped in his world of academia and eases his frustration through alcohol. As a result of his behaviour he is forced to change and to move out of his settled, Australia.
Initially Rita longs to have choice and is frustrated because Denny does not understand this. (Pg 34) Later, Rita discovers that she has choice and that Frank helped her to achieve this. Compare ‘Peer Gynt” essay Pg 27 to her efforts on pg 31, 32 and finally at the end of the play Pg 71. This is a much wiser Rita. Examine pgs 72, 73.
Ideas, Attitudes and beliefs, which are conveyed in the …show more content…
text:
Education can change one’s life and provide choices
Education can be a way of moving from one class to another
Art and literature can open up new horizons to different ways of thinking. It can excite and enthuse and help people to expand their world view.
Imagination and diligence can help to lift people from one strata of society to another. Rita can imagine herself in a better world and she works hard to achieve her goals.
There are expectations of women in society but these expectations are constantly changing.
In the context of the play, what expectations were there? How have these expectations changed?
The play questions what culture really is – Frank says to Rita, “Found a culture have you Rita? Found a better song to sing have you? No – you’ve found a different song, that’s all – and on your lips it’s still shrill, hollow and tuneless.” Frank felt that the honest Rita was preferable to the pretentious Rita. Examine pgs 68-69 The play asks us to question whether popular culture is less of a culture than literary, high culture.
Change often occurs when moving from one phase on life into another. There are positive and negative consequences to change. Give an examples.
More Techniques used by Willy Russell – Remember that it is a play so its structure will set it apart from other texts that you may choose as related texts. Provide examples and quotes for these.
The play’s structure – Two Acts. It is also a ‘two hander”, a play for two people. The setting.
Stage directions and actions to reflect the changes in Frank & Rita.
Symbolism of the “window”, “dress” and “better song” to highlight the process of entering into another
world
Colloquialism, swearing, grammar, vocabulary to contrast the different worlds
Literary allusions & popular culture contrasting to illustrate the differences between the worlds
Dialogue used to reveal character
Humour through mistakes and misunderstanding highlight the contrast between the two characters and their worlds.
Any more?
The focus in these notes has been on Rita. In what way has Frank changed and transitioned from one phase to another?
Defining the concept
Transition means to move from one situation or place into another different situation or place. The transition from one phase of life or social context into another can change the person who is moving as well as those they meet along the way. (How is this related to Educating Rita?) The process of transition can affect people in various ways. Some may be challenged or confronted by the experience while others may find the transition exciting and transformative. (How is this related to Educating Rita?) In most cases individuals may grow and gain new knowledge resulting in a deepened understanding of themselves and of others. (How is this related to Educating Rita?)
This elective …show more content…
focuses on the possibilities of growth and the changes people undergo as they move into new phases of their lives. The play shows how Rita changes and grows and this is made possible because of education and her contact with Frank, her Open High School teacher. The play also explores how people can be resistant to change but can escape their circumstances.
It is also important to consider the knowledge which can be gained from transitions and how this can affect an individual’s attitudes and beliefs. Rita learns about herself and her attitude to education and her values change as she moves from one phase into another. Willy Russell uses a number of techniques such as dialogue, humour, allusions to literary texts and popular culture, contrast, symbolism, vocabulary and grammar to create a funny play.
It is important to examine Rita’s initial social context - the initial phase of the transition
What is Rita’s initial situation? Give a quote to support what you say.
Lower class
Ignorant
Occupation -
Expectations of women – pg 12
Popular culture is the main form of entertainment – Pg 9, 10, 11
What does she want?
To be educated. To know everything (See pg 6 & 7)
Freedom – pg 7
Change, to be different – pg 17
Discover herself
To be cultured
To have choice
Techniques used by Russell:
Irony – pg 10. Rita criticises women who walk into a hairdresser’s and expect to walk out a different person. It’s what she wants Frank to do for her.
Contrast between Frank’s and Rita’s social context – give an example from Act 1. She misunderstands literary references such as T. S. Elliott with Elliot Ness the gangster (p 9)
Dialogue – contrast between the way Rita speaks and the way Frank speaks – grammar, vocabulary and colloquialisms show the difference between Rita’s lower class and Frank’s middle class. “ I was off me cake” (p 16)
Humour through misunderstanding is used to show the differences between the two characters and their worlds: Pg 11 Flora, bread etc.
Stage directions – Rita cannot sit still. She constantly moves. What else? Find examples
Symbol of the dress which Rita wants (pg 18) and the one Frank gives her (pg 73)
In most cases individuals may grow and gain new knowledge resulting in a deepened understanding of themselves and of others. Rita learns a lot as the play progresses. The transition from her previous world into the middle class world comes as a result of a number of lessons Rita learns along the way. Frank invites Rita into his environment. At first she does not feel that she fits in but at the end of the play, Rita moves into a different social context/class and beyond even Frank’s. Change is a consequence of transition.
At first, Rita learns about literature and the difference between “appreciation” and “criticism”. (Pgs 18, 19, 21) She also learns that art and literature “feeds me, inside…..It makes me stronger comin’ here.”
Frank helps Rita to be more disciplined in her approach to learning. (Pg 20) She grows to understand that to get ahead in the academic world, it’s important to learn the rules needed to pass exams. Rita learns to discern between literature and “pulp fiction” (pg 24, 25, 26) Give examples and quotes to support this idea. Frank teaches Rita to learn for herself (pg 31) Compare the way Rita talks about texts at the beginning of the play and the way she has changed towards the end of the play.
Early in the play, Frank invites Rita into his social context but she feels like she does not belong. Explain why she does not turn up at dinner. In Act 2, Rita moves into a flat with Trish and leaves hairdressing for work in a bistro. She is more independent and no longer needs Frank. Give quotes to support this idea Rita’s speech patterns have changed. Although she still drops some of the endings to her words, she is more cultured and able to argue with Frank at his level. Give examples.
Rita continues to grow and change as she discovers more about herself. “I’ve begun to find me – an’ it’s great y’ know”. (pg 33)
Rita enters into a new phase where she is one of the ‘real’ students and is excited by the prospects open to her.
Examine her experiences at Summer School. Rita has changed. Frank’s office represents the start of a new phase for Rita but there is much more open to her. Frank tells her “I certainly don’t want to see you stay in a room like this for the rest of your life.” (Pg 54) Examine pgs 63, 64, 65.
Frank’s situation remains unchanged. He seems to resent the new Rita. (Pg 56, 57) Examine how Frank now uses the terms Rita originally used (pg 59, 60,) He has however, been affected by her. Frank feels that he has created a monster. Education has changed Rita into someone who is just like all the other students. He feels that she has lost her individuality (pg 67-69) Frank is trapped in his world of academia and eases his frustration through alcohol. As a result of his behaviour he is forced to change and to move out of his settled, Australia.
Initially Rita longs to have choice and is frustrated because Denny does not understand this. (Pg 34) Later, Rita discovers that she has choice and that Frank helped her to achieve this. Compare ‘Peer Gynt” essay Pg 27 to her efforts on pg 31, 32 and finally at the end of the play Pg 71. This is a much wiser Rita. Examine pgs 72, 73.
Ideas, Attitudes and beliefs, which are conveyed in the …show more content…
text:
Education can change one’s life and provide choices
Education can be a way of moving from one class to another
Art and literature can open up new horizons to different ways of thinking. It can excite and enthuse and help people to expand their world view.
Imagination and diligence can help to lift people from one strata of society to another. Rita can imagine herself in a better world and she works hard to achieve her goals.
There are expectations of women in society but these expectations are constantly changing.
In the context of the play, what expectations were there? How have these expectations changed?
The play questions what culture really is – Frank says to Rita, “Found a culture have you Rita? Found a better song to sing have you? No – you’ve found a different song, that’s all – and on your lips it’s still shrill, hollow and tuneless.” Frank felt that the honest Rita was preferable to the pretentious Rita. Examine pgs 68-69 The play asks us to question whether popular culture is less of a culture than literary, high culture.
Change often occurs when moving from one phase on life into another. There are positive and negative consequences to change. Give an examples.
More Techniques used by Willy Russell – Remember that it is a play so its structure will set it apart from other texts that you may choose as related texts. Provide examples and quotes for these.
The play’s structure – Two Acts. It is also a ‘two hander”, a play for two people. The setting.
Stage directions and actions to reflect the changes in Frank & Rita.
Symbolism of the “window”, “dress” and “better song” to highlight the process of entering into another
world
Colloquialism, swearing, grammar, vocabulary to contrast the different worlds
Literary allusions & popular culture contrasting to illustrate the differences between the worlds
Dialogue used to reveal character
Humour through mistakes and misunderstanding highlight the contrast between the two characters and their worlds.
Any more?
The focus in these notes has been on Rita. In what way has Frank changed and transitioned from one phase to another?