Act 1 - Scenes 7 & 8

In these two scenes, in my opinion, we are clearly presented with a 'growing' Rita since she really shows how her feelings, values and ideas are changing. She is awaking to the fact that, although her husband is totally against her changing into a new life, she is perfectly able to get and achieve that education at which she is aiming. She knows that no matter her age she has already given the first steps into changing her life: she has decided to leave her husband so as to go on with her lessons. She was determined to fight for her dream: 'it was an ultimatum. I explained to him. I didin't get narked or anythin'. I just explained him (Dennis) how I HAD to do this.' However, during scene 7, Rita and Frank have a sort of discussion because of her not going to his dinner party. Trying to make Rita feel better, Frank tells her that he wanted her to be there. He says that people at the party would have seen her as someone funny, delighful and charming... When Rita listens to what Frank tells her, she feels really awful and bad, she feels like an outcast... What she wants is not to be funny, she wants to be taken seriously and be able to take part in their seriuos conversations as if she were one of them. She says: 'I don't wanna spend the night takin' the piss, comin' on with the funnies because that's the only way I can get into the conversation...' She didn't go to Frank's party because of being afraid of being treated as someone who does not fit in, as someone who, no matter how many essays might write, would always go on being from the uneducated part of the society...Rita shows us how she feels about this idea of 'making herself believe that she won't ever be part of the educated people' (mind you! I don't agree with this thought she is showing us in this part of the play because I know that she is much more than a member of the working class; however, I just want to let you know how she feels at this moment) when she says '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, because she thinks that one day she'll be like the rest of them, talking seriously, confidently, with knowledge, livin' a civilized life.' When she finishes saying so, Frank feels terrible and he reminds her why he has invited her: 'You were invited because I wished to have your company...' When I come to think about Rita's reaction and all she says about that dinner, I have to say that I understand her perfectly. She is afraid of facing all those people because of their possible reaction... When she saw them through the window she had the feeling that she couldn't get in because she still sees herself as a member of the working class and not as a member of the well-educated people, i.e. she still feels that there is a very long trace between her and her aim and that's why she couldn't let herself in the house, she still has all those 'prejudices' that all of us have (in the case of Rita she feels that as well as her husband as a member of the working class does not approve of her trying to get a better life she believes that the one that are already members of the well-educated might not be willing to welcome her...) I think that she didn't go to Frank's dinner party because of being afraid of facing those people, being rejected and of not being able to make herself fit in...

Then, regarding Rita's essay on Macbeth, I have to say that, first of all, I loved how Frank decided to change what he was about to do in this lesson. When Rita comes in, Frank closes her essay and starts asking her about the suitcase she's brought. As a teacher he could have act as if nothing unusual has happened and go on with his lesson. However, he completly forgets about Rita's essay and starts talking with her about what has happened and tries to help her. I wanted to remark this attitude of Frank because, as teachers, we are daily faced with different situations in which our students tell us (without uttering a word) that something has happened and that they would love to have someone to talk about it... In this case, Rita's bringing the suitcase shows Frank that something is going on and that Rita might want to talk about it (if she hadn't wanted Frank to know about her moving to her mother's, she wouldn't have brought the case to the lesson) and, after seeing this, the decision of asking her or not is in Frank's hands...And, of course, he decides to go on being the good teacher he is (in my opinion), so he asks her about what's going on...
We don't have to forget how many and how important our decision are and how they will influence our students lives! :)

Finally, and going back to Rita's essay, I wanted to explain why (I think) Frank uses both the adjectives 'worthless' and 'wonderful.' The main reason why he uses this two different words has to do with the 'lens' through which he is evaluating it. On the one hand, when he says that it is worthless it has to do with the 'lens' of the teacher who is correcting an essay in terms of the use of Standard English. On the other hand, when he uses the word wonderful, he refers to his own 'lens' as Frank: the person who is living and watching Rita's improvement and process of becoming the woman she wants to. He says that it is wonderful in 'it's own terms.' He really likes her reaction upon Macbeth, what she feels about it and the fact that she is able to understand it and build her own opinion about it...It is wonderful because it is a clear proof that learning is taking place in her and that she has already started her process of achieving the better life she wants. Although her essay is not still ready to be given a passing mark in a test (a formal one, with teachers following the established standards), it is wonderful for Frank...
After having analised these two scenes, I would say that, throughout them, there is one idea that is always present in some way or another: when Rita didn't go to Frank's dinner party, when she shows that she feels different from the people that went there, when she says that she is a stupid woman, when Frank tells her that he wished to have her company, when he says that the essay is worthless but at the same time wonderful... we are shown that...

'Everything depends on the lens through which each person sees the world.'

Act 1 - Scene 6

First of all, and regarding Rita's enthusiasm about Macbeth, she seems to be really excited and joyful about this tragedy (Frank has to explain her and show the difference between something tragic -i.e. something bad or unpleasant that happens to someone- and a tragedy -i.e. the genre in drama which is represented by something inevitable and pre-ordained when something is meant to happen). However, and regardless all her excitement, she will find it very difficult to express her opinion according to the 'standards' by which the quality of an essay is measured (simply because she does not know how yet, or at least she is still learning it). For her to be able to express her opinion in an essay, she should do so using Standard English. Although what she feels and thinks about Macbeth is completly O.K. and important, it is necessary for her to learn how to express and show her feelings in an 'academically expected' way (mainly because she is attending Frank's lessons to improve her 'knowledge' of literature, the language and the world). If she wants to get that better life she is fighting for, she will have to learn many things that are going to be the tools that she will have in the future for her to defend herself and her ideas.
Finally, and regarding their sharing the apple and the can, I think that Willy Russell is trying to show us how the idea of reciprocity works in a teacher-student relationship. By means of this exchange, we are shown how the teacher and the student act/react while giving and receiving something. When Frank throws Rita the apple, she immediately offers him the can of soft drink. I think that whenever someone gives us something, no matter if it is big, small, for eating, for writing, for drinking and so on, we tend to almost automatically start thinking about what we can give them in acknowledgment of their being kind with us...And, in my opinion, this is even strongly felt when we are teachers or students, don't you think?

Act 1 - Scene 5

First of all, I think that Rita won't go to the pub with Frank simply because he asks her to go in order to talk about her husband and as Rita doesn't want to talk about him she wants to stay in his office for Frank to explain her why Chekhov is a comic genius. Then, when Rita asks him to go with her to the theatre he first says no because he excuses himself by saying that he doesn't like theatres and that the production is played by amateurs. However, we come to know that the true reason has nothing to do with him liking theatres or not because he says that he can't go with her for Julia would be jealous if he does so. When Rita says 'what's she got to be jealous of me for? I'm not gonna try and rape you' and he answers 'what an awful pity. You could have made theatre exciting for me again' we come to learn that Frank feels some sort of attraction for Rita. 'If she knew (Julia) I was at the theatre with an irresistible thing like you.' If this is not obvious enough for me to say that he finds her attractive, I don't know what else do you want him to say! :P

Act 1 - Scenes 3 & 4

First of all, regarding Rita's view upon working-class culture I have to say that, although I agree with her on most of her ideas, I don't think that the working class has no culture at all. Of course that for deciding whether they have or not one I should first of all provide a definition for culture, so let's say that in this context, for me, culture entails everything that may result from the relationship and the exchanging obtained through the co-existence of people (language, behaviour, customs, habits, likes, dislikes, conflicts...). Considering this definition of culture, working class people do have their own culture. However, I do agree with Rita when she says that she sees 'everyone trying to ger from one day to the next,' she finds no meaning in this sort of life as they find themselves not living but surviving. She finds a very good way of explaining herself and showing what she means when she says that they have no culture. She gives the example of the Daily Mirror, The Sun and ITV bombarding people with ads for having them wanting more and more money to buy more and more things that they don't actually need but with which they try to convince themselves that they are happy when they are not...I found it really interesting when she says 'and the papers tell them what to spend the money on so the desease is always covered up.' (These absence of meaning, thoughts, beliefs, ideas and values in their lives is what Rita calls the desease)
Secondly, as regards what Rita learns by the end of these two scenes, I think that she learns to make connections. In fact, what she learns is the fact that she is perfectly able to make connections between many different things (her dresses, ITV, the Daily Mirror, addicts, her and her husband), and, as result of becoming aware of this, she will be able to start making connections for writing her essays.
Thridly, in my opinion, what is wrong with her essays is the fact that not only they are too short but they are also written quoting authors/writers that are not exactly writers of literature (here is when Rita learns that not every book is literature). However, I think that there is something more important that the mere fact that she's written them in this way: she hasn't taken enough time to prepare them, and here in when Frank learns more about Rita's life and her husband. He seems to be rather concerned about Rita's having to write her essays at home because of her husband's not allowing her to do it at home. This situation shows us more about Rita and her convictions: 'art and literature feed me inside... and Denny hates me comin' here. It's like drug addicts, they hate it when one of them tries to break away.' She knows that she is trying to break away, she is trying to break away from the meaningless and empty life that her husband is (and she was) living...
Finally, I think that Rita says that 'it makes me stronger coming here' simply because by doing so she is trying and fighting to get the life she wants for her...'I don't see any culture, I just see everyone pissed, or on Valium, trying to get from one day to the next. There's no meaning...' She is perfectly aware of what is going on with them and that's why she wants to do something. She wants to give herself the chance of breaking away and being different from those people (like her husband) that pretend to ignore what's going on, to ignore the desease.

'I just see everyone pissed, trying to get from one day to the next...Cos there's no meaning!'

Act 1 - Scene 2

As the story develops, we come to know more about both Rita and Frank. She finds it very difficult to leave behind her previous experiences in life in order to be able to be 'educated' by Frank. That's why she has problems with her first essay. She (as many of us most of the times) cannot 'criticise' Howards End without feeling discouraged by the author's opinion ('We are not concerned with the poor'). However, Frank finds the way to show (teach) Rita that we may not always agree with what we read (or with what we are faced in life) and, all the same, we will be always able to take something good from it (there are people with whom we agree and people who does not agree with us). I really believe that Frank is trying to show her that we have to be respectful upon others, their views and values...However, it is true that Rita may not be ready to accept this diversity yet, but I do believe that she will learn it sooner or later. We just have to give her more time! Because we can be sure that she'll be able to do it!

'Is this the absolute maximum I
can expect from this livin' lark?'
Rita

Regarding what Rita thinks about the proper students I would say that she thinks so simply because they are the ones that 'come here all time', she seems to have the 'typical' and 'ordinary' view of what a student is, i.e. students are the one that go to school. Consequently, Rita does not see herself as a proper student simply because she does not go to school. So, it doesn't matter if she is studying or learning she won't be a proper student as she does not go to school.
Finally, regarding Rita's opinion about Frank's room, I think that she just likes it. She said that although it's a mess, it's a perfect one. I think that Frank's description is great 'I just moved in. The rest sort of happened.' What Rita likes is the fact that he has not even taken a moment for arranging it. 'It's like wherever you've put something down it's grown to fit there.'

Educating Rita (Act 1 - Scene 1)

Rita seems to have a very 'Socratic' way of being intelligent since she is perfectly aware of her own ignorance and that gives her the possibility of being able to ask for more 'knowledge' in order to achieve what she wants: to succeed in life. She knows that the only way of doing so is by means of fighting against ignorance (the most powerful weapon to kill and destroy humanity)
Rita is a very clever and strong woman since, as far as this scene is concerned, she shows a clear awareness of what life is about when she tells Frank that she has tried to make her husband realise that she wants a better life for them but, she explains, he does not understand a word of what she is trying to tell him. And that's why she wants to study, that's what she does not want her to be... she does not want to live in a world of 'happy ignorance' (as her husband does) because she knows that a good life is not something exclusive for wealthy people but for everyone... and she knows that being from the working class, she will have to work very hard to achieve it, and I'm sure she will do it because she has already given the first step into her new life...

'In order to be able to change something, we will first have to realise that it needs a change...'

'Mona Lisa Smile' Katherine's Decision

What I will try to do in this post is to analyse a decision taken by a teacher in a movie to see if it was a 'Human Act' and a 'Good Decision' and to see if other options were available... The decision taken by Katherine Watson, who takes a job in the art history department at Wellesley College in the fall of 1953, takes place when she is told that in order for her to go on being a teacher in the College she will have to avoid showing her own ideas and telling anything 'off-subject' to her students... This College was too strict and traditional to let Katherine show her students that life is more than 'being the wife of...'
When the moment comes for Katherine to decide whether to go on giving lessons at this College with the condition of forgetting about all of her beliefs and convinctions or to quit, she decides that it is better to leave the place than to stay there simply because she wouldn't let herself go against her beliefs and her ideas... She does not agree with the ideologies of the College and going on teaching there will force her to lie to herself and pretend being someone she is not...
Having seen this movie and taking what I've just written into account I will start by explaining why is it that this decision was a Human Act.
First of all, she is perfectly aware of what she is choosing and the other options available and what their consequences might have been. She is conscious while taking the decision and, therefore, capable of reasoning and thinking out all the different options and paths she might have followed.
Secondly, her decision is not conditioned or limited by any kind of mental desease or problem so she is perfectly conscious and aware of her acts and, as a consequence, it can be analysed from a moral point of view.
And finally, she has the possibility and the intention of choosing among other options; i.e. freedom (if there had been just one option available, then the 'act' of deciding could not have taken place and, therefore, she would not have been free to choose but forced to follow the only path available)

Going on with the analysis, I would say that this decision is Morally Good since it is something good in itself (she isn't going against anyone by doing so and, what is more, she avoids going against herself by following her beliefs); it has a good intention since she has always done her best to help her students open their eyes and see beyond what they are taught at College or by their families and when Katherine is forced to leave her beliefs behind and act against them she decides to leave the College since in that way she can show her students that the most important thing is to defend your ideas and not to lie to yourself... so her purpose is this... her purpose is to show the girls that defending what you believe in is the best way of living your life; and finally, her decision was taken in good circumstances because, although she takes her decision a few months before the end of the year (before her students' graduation), she decides to stay at the College and go on teaching until the end of the year for her students not to feel at a loss and helpless during the very last weeks before their graduation (Katherine shows us here that her decision was made in the right moment and place since she bears in mind all the consequences of her decision and their implications.)

Furthermore, and this is my personal opinion, I would say that, it was a very good decision because sometimes it is very difficult to defend your thoughts and ideas at any moment and place but she has chosen the best way to teach something: through your own example... Katherine has always tried to show her students that there was a lot more about life beyond what college may taught them or what traditions may require them to do...By deciding not to go on teaching there, she showed them that what she has taught them was true and valid for her...If she had chosen to stay there following the conditions imposed on her, Katherine would have lied to herself and, consequently, would have killed her beliefs and thoughts. Her decision was, for me, good and perfectly coherent with herself.

Finally, and for me to finish with the analysis, we don't have to forget that when we decide (something) it means that we are choosing one from two or more options, and, in this case, there was just one more option available: to go on teaching in this College accepting the conditions imposed on her (no interaction with her students, no advices to them, no 'subversive' ideas, no 'modern' or 'progressive' ideas...) but, as you can imagine, this was not an option for Katherine...


'To change for others is to lie to yourself'

I've prepared a short video with this scene I'm describing for you to take a look at it if you happen to be interested. However, there is a problem with it, the movie is in Spanish since it was the version I had available at home... I'm sorry!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDNPsCrkj_A