Final Task on Educating Rita

While browsing through different links and discussions about Educating Rita I found one that I really loved:

'After What you Gave me I Had a choice And I Chose Me' Educating Rita.

I found it really interesting to analyse it so as to see what these words exactly mean. First of all, and almost obviously, I have to say that these words could have been said by Rita to let Frank know how she has experienced the tutorials with him. Although it is true that at the very beginning of the story Rita wanted to change herself so as to achieve the life she wanted, as time goes by and she lives different experiences in her life, she ends up realising that the best she could do to succeed in life was to be herself. While taking a look at these words of hers, there are plenty of things to be said. Firstly, as regards the word choice, it is exactly that what Rita wanted from the very first moment: she wanted to get an education so as to be able to have a voice, to have the possibility of choosing the way in which she would live her life. We always have choices. Yes, it's totally true! Rita, as well as others who lived in the same conditions as she did, had different possibilities and different choices. However, it is necessary for us to grow brave and courageous so as to be able to face what life presents us with and to be able to decide whether to accept it or to challenge it by means of trying to change it. Rita did it. From the very beginning of the story we are presented with a courageous and determined Rita who will fight for what she wants: a new life. So Rita had a Choice. However, what this choice represents will change throughout the story to finally become this 'and I Chose Me.' When the story begins, it is clearly shown what Rita wants: she wants to become one of 'them,' she wants to be like 'the proper students' (and like the members of Frank's social group: upper-middle class). When Rita comes back from summer school, she seems to have changed completely. She speaks and talks like 'the proper students' and tries to imitate their manners. However, no matter how hard she tried, she would find it really difficult to forget her own self: Rita White is Rita White and changing her life does not mean that she has to change her self. And Rita will learn it. By the end of the story she will realise that for her to achieve the better life she was struggling for it wouldn't be necessary for her to become someone else. In fact, she will realise that what allows her to achieve her new life is not being able to analyse Macbeth but her own knowledge of what life is about. She will learn that changing her own self is not worth it for her new life has already started since the very first moment in which she realised she was not happy with it. I don't really know if I'm allowed to but I would love to include in this final post one idea I have discussed in a previous entry since I find it really interesting for me to link it with Rita's story. Although she has learned a lot during the play, I think that the most important thing she learned was that 'to change for others is to lie to yourself.' By means of her attitude during the last scene we learned that Rita has realised that for her to be happy she needed to be honest with herself and not to pretend to be someone she is not (as she did at the beginning of Act 2). She learned that changing her essence in order to be able to become a member of a group (the 'formally educated people') was not worth it since her person, her self, her values, ideas and thoughts are by far more important than 'being a member of...' Finally, as we have talked a lot about decisions, I would like to say that, after getting a lot of knowledge and information about what 'her better' life was about, Rita has taken a good decision in the end. Her deciding to go on being herself was the best she could do since, apart from it being good in itself and not going against anyone by deciding so, she didn't go against the most important person in all this issue: herself.

Do not let yourself change who you are. Others will love the person you are and not who you can be...

Programme of Study (About Educating Rita) - Part 2

Now, it is the moment for analysing one excerpt taken from this beautiful story (Act 1 - Scene 4; pages 47-8). This excerpt is a speech made by Rita which referred to her views upon her family and all the people in the working class.
Rita said: "Cos there's not meanin'(...) But the thing is that now, I mean now that most of them have got some sort of house an' there's food an' money around, they know they are better off but, honest, they know they've nothin' as well. There is like this sort of desease, but no one mentions it; everyone behaves as though it's normal... There's something wrong. An' like the worst thing is that y' know the people who are supposed to represent the people on our state, y' know the Daily Mirror an' the Sun, an' ITV an' the Unions, what are they tellin' people to do? They just tell them to go out an' get more money. But they don't want more money; it's like me, isn't it? Y' know, buyin' new dresses all the time (...) so that the desease is always covered up."
Now the question is about what all this reveals and tells us about Rita's character, ideas and motivation... First of all, since we know that she is from the working class, we almost immediately learn from these lines that she is not like the ones she describes here as belonging to this class...We know that Rita is different because of her realising about what is going on in their lives and her wanting to change it...she wants to cure the desease, at least in her own self, for she wants to get an education since she know it is the only way in which she would attain that life she wants...Being aware of the fact that buying things and consuming new products all the time is not all about life is what makes Rita unique and so eager to fight for her wish of changing her life; all these thoughts, beliefs and ideas are her motivation to go on working hard and against all odds in order to achieve her goal...By the power of her words in this speech, we realise that Rita will not surrender easily and would give her best for preventing her falling in such an empty and aimless way of living, which reminds me of something she said earlier in Scene 2: 'Is this the absolute maximum I can expect from this livin' lark?'
Finally, regarding Frank's reaction to her words, I think that it helped Rita's becoming aware of the power of her words and her thoughts as well as the power she has to change her world! By asking her 'why didn't you take a course in politics?' I think that Frank encouraged her to go on talking, thinkg and reflecting upon her reality and the fact that, as politics are supposed to be of help in changing and improving our lives, she can improve her own life by means of reflecting upon what she feels is going wrong and doing her best to find the way of changing it...And she has already started! Her interest, desire to know, curiosity, dedication, hard work and eagerness to change her life have encourage her to ask, reflect, learn and criticise...
She is on the way to a wonderful education, isn't she?

Programme of Study (About Educating Rita) - Part 1

The question to answer now is if Educating Rita is a play about the clash of class and culture. Well, let me tell you that it is so. For us to realise that there are culture and social differences between Frank and Rita it is not necessary to go any further than just a couple of pages. By the way in which both speak (Rita showing in her speech her coming from the working class and Frank's one showing that he is well-read and formally educated), we almost immediately learn that they are both from different backgrounds. And here is where the clash appears! Although at the end of the story the both learn how to 'co-exist' without having to discuss every single aspect of life in order to agree on something, it took them really quite a lot of time to understand each other, to learn from their differences and to be able to negotiate ideas, values and thoughts. Since they come from different backgrounds, they have different ideas and concepts about the same things. For instance, when Rita came back from Summer School acting in the way she did, pretending to be someone she was not, she showed us that she really believed that for her to be educated she had to be like the former students and like the people at the party in Frank's house (do you remember the party to which Rita didn't go because of not feeling properly dressed and because of not knowing which wine to take?). Rita believed that being educated meant to be able to get in touch with well-educated people to discuss about Blake (all this clearly shows how the working class sees education: as something just meant for wealthy people and, if you were to try to get your own education -as Rita did-, you would have to become one of them -as Rita thought-).
On the other hand, according to Frank's belief, education has nothing to do with dressing up, going to parties, being wealthy and choosing a proper wine. When Rita comes back from Summer School and he sees her acting like that, he shows her that he does not agree with her doing so for in order to get an education she does not need to leave out her essence, but on the contrary, learn by means of it...
Both Frank and Rita, as I said, learned a lot from each other and managed to cope with their being from different classes and cultures. Educating Rita is a play about the clash of class and culture which, fortunately, has a good and positive and encouraging outcome since, after a long process of exchanging and negotiation, both cultures (both Rita and Frank) could find the way out...

Educating Rita: the play about intercultural discovery and learning

Act 2 - Scenes 6 & 7

We have finally reached the end of this incredible story! Have you enjoyed the trip? I have! :)
As we read these last scenes we come to know (or at least we are trying to do so) about both Rita's and Frank's learning experience. During the course of the play, Rita has learned many things but the most important one, for me, is the fact that she became aware of the fact that she was the only one that could do something to change her life. She learned that, although some decisions might make us feel prouder than others, our possibility of fighting for the life we want is in our hands. And, since in the last scene she realised that pretending to be someone she is not was not something that would really help her, we can see that Rita has succeeded in achieving what she said she was looking for at the very beginning of the play 'I want to get an education.' It is wonderful to have lived and walked with her all the steps she had gone throught and to finally see her thanking Frank for all he had done for her. Rita is an educated woman for now she knows that it is by her own will, hard work and commitment that she will attain any goal she might seek...Isn't it exactly what we, as teachers, want to transmit to our students? I definitely think so! And, if you agree with me, you will also believe as I do that Rita has learned a lot more than just what she needed for taking the exam...Now she is a completely different person from the one we saw entering Frank's room in the very first scene for now she is the new Rita who has built herself by means of both studying and reading and, at the same time, learning that the only thing she needed to construct the new Rita was not forgetting about her essence. Education improves us, makes us grow.Education won't ever dismiss our own self since we learn through who we are...
By now you must be asking yourself 'and what about Frank?' Yes, you are right, I also have to talk about Frank and his own learning. By the and of the play, we are shown how much Frank has learned and how important has been Rita in his learning. Rita taught Frank that, in the same way as she did with her life, the only person that could help him to change and improve his life was no one but himself. By some reason, not explicitly stated in the play, Frank seemed, throughout the story, to have lost his faith in his teaching. If a teacher comes to a classroom to deliver a lesson drunk, it is by far clear that his most important concern in life is by no means teaching that lesson...However, while teaching Rita (or learning with her), Frank learns that the teacher has sometimes to be the student and learn from the 'teaching' of his students, which was something that, for me, happened to him. He learns from Rita that living is something that goes beyond getting drunk, reading a book and having a cigarrette. As Frank sees Rita's fight against the difficulties that arose in her life in order to go on with her education, he slowly becomes aware of the fact that he can also do something with his own life and, although we are not told what he does (if he does something), I would personally like to infer that he will, at least, try to change his life.
Could "Educating Frank" have been an alternative title for this play? It could have but, however, I would use another one. I believe that 'Educating Us' could be an appropiete title since it would imply not only the education of both Frank and Rita (Us standing for both Rita and Frank since both of them have learned a lot throughout the play) but also our own education and learning as readers because, after having read it and analysed it so deeply, we cannot deny that we have learned a lot from both Frank and Rita.

___________________________________

Finally, regarding the very end of scene 7, I think that Willy Russell chose to end the play with Rita cutting Frank's hair for different reasons: first, as a way of showing that she wanted to acknowledge somehow all he has done for her; secondly, because she wants to help Frank to built his new self (although it is just a visual change, it is one of the most common ways of starting a change in our lives) and finally, because this is a very good way of showing us that the new educated Rita still keeps her essence and doesn't forget about her past: she has changed immensely but, at the same time, her cutting Frank's hair shows that she is still the hairdresser who was eager to learn and who is still eager to learn. Both Rita and Frank are still ready and waiting for learning since the more we learn, the more we get to know; the more we want to go on learning...

Act 2 - Scenes 4 & 5

After reading these two scenes, we come to know how disappointed Frank feels towards Rita's attitudes. I say disappointed because he feels that Rita has completely forgotten about all they have done together and all they have shared. He feels that Rita doesn't care anymore about attending Frank's lessons as she hasn't gone to the previous one and she is late to the one in Scene 4. He even feels terrible when he realises that Rita is not working anymore as a hairdresser and she hasn't told him about it. He says 'it struck me that there was a time when you told me everything.'
When she says 'who cares that I've left hairdressin' to work in a bistro?' Frank answers 'I care.' With this we are shown how sad and helpless Frank feels about Rita's changes and her leaving behind what has made Frank care about her: her simplicity, naturalness and humility. Frank feels that Rita does not take in into account his feelings upon her and his care. Furthermore, not only does she arrive late but she also tells him that she has to go earlier to meet Trish. I have to say that at his moment of the story I complete empathise with Frank since I understand and can feel what he is feeling at this moment: he feels that Rita is disposing of him in a way since now that she is educated and well-read she feels that she does not need him anymore for now she is able to read and analyse any book on her own...
Haven't you ever felt like Frank? Haven't you ever felt that after having got what someone needed from you he then disappeared without saying even 'thank you'? Maybe I'm being too extremist in a way by saying this but I think that in a certain way this is what Frank feels now: he feels that after having learnt how to read and analyse a book on her own, Rita is giving an end to this 'period' of improvement and change in her life, and by doing so she seems to have decided that after this period of maturity there is no room left for Frank in her new life (as is many times the case with father-daughter relationships just as Rita makes the comparison between her relationship with Frank and that of a father with his suddenly grown-up daughter).
However, though I agree with Rita's comparison, what Rita believes is that Frank does not want to see her growing up and that is not true! Of course that Frank wants to see her improving, learning and growing up (as we as teachers want for our students)! The problem with all this situation is that Frank is afraid of Rita's changing what makes her being the excellent woman he got to know during this story. That is why, after Rita's saying that now that she knows what clothes to wear, what wine to buy, what plays to see, what papers and books to read she can do without Frank, he says 'is that all you wanted? Have you come all this way for so very, very little?'
Finally, regarding Rita's changing her name, I have to say that she decides to do so because of her wanting to show that she is not the same woman that she has changed and that now she is not the ignorant and innocent Rita... Now she is another person, now she has grown up and changed into a well-read and educated woman who cannot be called anymore Rita because now Rita and her essence does no longer exists... She wants to show that the essence of Rita is gone and which could be the most telling way of showing that Rita does not exist anymore? Acting as if she weren’t here... Now she is Virginia or Charlotte, or Jane or Emily (as Frank says). She can have any of those names or even any name but Rita because who she is now is not important. Who she has turned into is not as important as the fact that she isn't Rita anymore and that's why, for me, we are not told what her name is now... Her new name is not important. She is no longer Rita. And that's it.

Act 2 - Scenes 2 & 3

It is incredible how much has Rita changed (or, in my opinion, pretends to have changed) during the last scenes! I've just said that, for me, she pretends to have changed because she seems to be acting this new self and not really be living or experiencing it. For example, this can be easily seen in her change of voice and in the way she speaks. She tells Frank that now she has to speak like that because Trish says that there is not a lot of point in discussing beautiful literature in an ugly voice. Como on! What is Rita making say so? Deffinitely Rita is trying to show that she has changed and that she is not the same ignorant Rita that she thinks she used to be. And we can perfectly see how Frank feels about her trying to change: he says 'you haven't got an ugly voice; at least you didn't have. Talk properly.' Here we can see how Frank tells Rita that he does not agree with her 'new' self: he says that 'at least you didn't have (an ugly voice)' because he wants to show her that her voice now is not nice simply because she is pretending and it is not her real voice. Frank shows throughout these two scenes that he feels uncomfortable with this new Rita and that he just want her to be the same person that he has met in the first tutorial. He says 'Rita! Just be yourself!' He wants to show her that in order to get the better life that she wants it not necessary for her to change her essence but, on the contrary, she has to keep on being the person she have always been! With all her pretending to be someone she is not is will end up being one of those she used to criticise before. What she wanted to do from the first time we met her in this play was to improve her knowledge for her to be able to face life differently and I trully believe that what Frank feels is that, by acting in this way, she is not trying to improve herself but trying to change her self: when Frank tells Rita that for him her essay on 'The Blossom' is not well done he wants to show her that, although he cannot say that her essay is not wrong, he wants to make her aware of the fact that what she has written is not based on her own views. He says: 'What I'm saying is that it's up to the minute, quite acceptable, trendy stuuf about Blake; but there's nothing of you in there!' When Frank says this, Rita answers him saying that when she started coming to Frank's he asked her to find her own views and, according to her, what she has written in her essay are her views. She says that he has asked her to consult recognised authorities and, according to her, that's what she did. The only answer that she would get from Frank after saying that is: 'It means - it means be careful.' But, what did he mean by saying that? Well, for sure, it's not an easy question to answer, don't you think? But well, I'll try to do my best ;) I think that what he meant was that he really wants to have Rita think (critically) on what she is doing with her essays (and, for me, what she isn doing not only with her essay but also with her life). He does not want her to change her views and her way of expressing them because of wanting to be seen as something she is not: a 'recognised' woman as someone literate and from a social group that will spend most of her time 'talking' and 'discussing' about literature because now she has changed and has been taken as another member of the 'students' she has, some scenes before, seen as very far from her reality. Frank warned Rita to be careful because he does not want her to leave her own views (not only about essays but also about her life and her own self) behind as she did, for example, while wanting to change her vioce because of being told that that wasn't the proper voice for discussing beautiful literature. Frank cannot believe how has Rita come to believe that her voice was ugly and not proper for talking about literature! He says 'Be Careful!' because he thinks that Rita is changing. He thinks that Rita is leaving her self aside for getting into a world that, in my opinion, Frank believes not to deserve Rita's changing her essence...

Act 2 - Scene 1

From what we are shown in this scene, we learn that, during the time Rita spent at Summer School, she has been going through some changes and they are shown not only in the way she dresses but also in her attitude towards Frank and the lesson. Her having being at Summer School makes her acting differently and also answering Frank in a different way. I would say that now she feels really more confident: she really believes that being there has improved a lot her knowledge in poetry and (why not?) her knowledge about 'the world' (that world that she was trying to reach no more than one or two scenes before). Though she admits that at first she was 'dead scared,' she shows and tells Frank how she gained confidence and knowledge from the moment she met a tutor with whom she spent a lot of time talking about American poetry and when she stood up and, in front of two thousand people, she asked a question to a professor...
Yes, it's true... Rita has changed! And, in my opinion, she has changed a lot... I mean, of course that being able to live such an experience will probably make anyone feel like her but there are different ways of showing so... I think that, because of being the first time in her life that she lives such an experience, she is not able to 'measure' the way in which she shows her 'new' feelings... I feel that she is acting 'boastfully' (for example, when she starts reciting the poem from memory) and, although I don't know yet how this goes on in the next scenes, Frank may not feel really pleased or happy after finding this new Rita...
Finally, and regarding Rita's words 'you don't do Blake without doing innocence and experience, do y'?' I would say that, judging by what has just happened with her reciting Blake's poem from memory, her attitude is, again, boastful because when Frank asks her if she has done innocence and experience at Summer School her answering in this way, at least for me, shows that now she feels that she has more knowledge and confidence so as to tell Frank 'yes, we did' but in a different way (in such a way to show him that the Rita that has come back from Summer School is by no means the 'ignorant' and 'not educated' that she feels she has been before). However, and despite her 'new' attitude, I think that we just have to wait a bit more for Rita to get used to having all these new feelings...She still needs to learn from this Summer School experience but, at the same time, she needs to learn how to cope with her new self but without leaving behind her essence: her humility, selfconciousness, naturalness and simplicity...