Educating Rita Raises Serious Issues Essay -- Educating Rita Essays

Educating Rita Raises Serious IssuesEducating Rita was voted best fall outdy of the year when performed bythe Royal Shakespeare Company in 1980 and by 1983 it had rise to bethe fourth most popular gambol on the British stage. Russell uses witas a tool to engage and entertain his audience whilst at the same timedealing with serious topics. Without the humour, the play would beless accessible and would probably have reached a much more limitedand elitist audience.The play is naturalistic with a fixed and simple staging, which firmlyreflects the real world. The entire play is set in one study room in ared brick university. The room is Franks environment - cluttered withbooks representing both the world of knowledge and the disorderedstate of Franks mind and life. It is a far cry from the world towhich Rita is used, barely one to which she aspires in her quest to findherself. By contrast Frank is disillusioned with his life as anacademic and the audience quickly gathers the impressio n that Frankwould run from his world if only he could.This theme is handled hilariously from the opening of the play. Ritasbungled attempt to enter the room, fumbling with the door handle andcursing, is a metaphor for the seeming barriers between Ritasworking class environment and the middle class, educated world thatshe is trying to break into. The poor sod on the other side on theoutside wont be able to get in. An you wont be able to get out(Act one, scene one)The mismatch between Ritas language and academic setting provides agreat source of humour throughout the play. Ritas accent and dialectclearly sets her apart and so does the constant swearing and joking.At times however... ...ntually have to come to terms withtheir mediocrity.Although the play is hilarious the seriousness is never lost. Thehumour is mainly at a verbal level and slapstick situation comedy isavoided. The humour helps the author to bring out an essentiallyoptimistic flavour despite all the tragedy. Rita comp letes hertransition and ends the play as a well-rounded individual tonusherself to be in full control of her destiny. She has learned a keylesson on the way that she does not have to change her personality andbe analogous other people to become more mature. As Rita rises, Frank fallsas the drama unfolds. The play ends with his carrer at its lowestpoint after students kvetch about his drunkenness. However, even forFrank there is the hope of a new start and renewal with his sabbaticalto Australia a country which for him symbolises new beginnings.