Educating Rita Analysis

Quotation ‘I am comin’ in aren’t I? It’s that stupid bleeding handle on the door. Y’wanna get it fixed!’

Analysis The playwright introduces the character of Rita as a forthright and crass individual. The continual rapping on the door shown in the stage directions and Rita’s struggle to get through the door is symbolic of the character’s difficulty to access both education opportunities and opportunities of personal progression in life.

Continued This foreshadows the difficulties that Rita will experience during her transition from being uneducated to educated and the metamorphosis that takes place regarded her own cultural self. Russell also highlights the main themes of freedom and choice to the audience in the first Scene – Rita chooses to fight adversity in order to gain what she now desires in life.

Quotation “Bur if you wanna change y’have to do it from the inside, don’t y’?

Quotation ‘I’ve been realisin’ for ages that I was...slightly out of step.’

Analysis Russell shows the audience that Rita is not only changing – she is going to partake in a complete metamorphosis. This will leave her bereft of her old culture. Rita realises that change is superficial unless there is strength and conviction to aid the process. The strength of Rita is revealed to the audience as the character addresses her own inner conflict which involved the clash of her old identity and the one which she wants to adopt.

Quotation ‘But I don’t want to be myself. Me? What’s me? Some stupid woman who gives us all a laugh because she thinks she can learn...’

Analysis Rita’s derogatory comments the she aims at herself highlights the difficulty the character is experiencing with the new cultural world she has entered. Rita’s dialogue reveals that she thinks of herself as an ‘alien’. This shows the character’s feelings of alienation and isolation as it is implied that she no longer in harmony with the old society she has come from and is still on the periphery of the new, educated society she previously aspired to be part of.

Quotation ‘I said ‘Why are y’ cryin’, Mother?’ She said, ‘Because – because we could sing better songs than those.’

Analysis The playwright conveys to the audience the desire of many to have a better life. Russell uses symbolism to portray that Rita’s mother thinks they should make more of their life and escape what Rita calls the ‘boring’ and ‘irrelevant’ life that Rita despises. Rita chooses to free herself from her old constraints and forge a new identity for herself.

Quotation ‘We did him at summer school.’

Analysis Russell continues to develop the themes of freedom and choice as Rita continues on the trajectory to educational success and personal fulfilment. Russell shows that Rita is gaining in confidence through his use of characterisation. Rita no longer relies on Frank and has the courage and conviction to form her own opinions regarding literature.

Continued This leads to minor conflict between the characters of Rita and Frank as Frank feels abandoned by Rita which contributes to his own identity crisis and self-doubt. Although Frank is academically brilliant, his personal life could be regarded as abysmal. Although Rita relied on Frank for an education, It can be witnessed that he still needed her.

Continued This incident conveys the power shift that begins to occur between the two characters. Frank’s symbolic burning of his poetry shows how worthless he thinks it is as he identifies it as ‘pyrotechnical’. He does not believe it has any merit nor worth, thus showing his own instability.

Quotation ‘...from now on I shall insist on being known as Mary, Mary Shelley’

Analysis Russell once again uses characterisation to show the monumental transition Rita has made. Frank uses an allusion and calls himself ‘Mary Sheller’. This is significant as the author create Frankenstein, thus showing that Frank believes he has created a monster. It could be implied that the character calls himself this as he believes Rita’s change has been detrimental as he condemns it.

Quotation ‘Found a culture, have you Rita? Found a better song to sing, have you?

Analysis Frank’s dialogue with Rita is heated as he reveals that her cultural transition has made her superficial. Rita now possesses an individual agency. However, Frank thinks the attention Rita has placed upon her cultural metamorphosis is misplaces as he defines it as ‘shrill’ and ‘hollow.’ The word choice implies that Frank does not believe that Rita has truly obtained a culture as she is no longer true to herself.

Quotation ‘All I’ve ever done is take from you. I’ve never given anything.’

Analysis In the closing scene of the play, Russell conveys that the characters are now equal. There is an underlying sexual tension in the scene and the playwright shows that Rita’s metamorphosis from uneducated to educated is now complete. It is significant that Rita offers Frank a haircut as this shows that the character is comfortable with her cultural change and identity as she has rejected the superficial and shallow one she previously believed was ‘cultured’.