Comparing Act One Scene One and Act Two Scene One of Educating Rita :: Educating Rita Social Classes Essays

Comparing Act One Scene One and Act Two Scene One of Educating Rita In willy Russell's play "educating Rita" the first scenes of each acts are very different from each other. In act two scene one there is almost a complete reverse in characters attitude, status and behaviour from the first scene of act one. This is because in act one, Rita really admires Frank and wishes she could be just like him because of his vast knowledge. However in act two Frank admires the change in Rita but at the same time he is also upset because he has lost the Rita he used to know and he thinks that Rita no longer needs him because she knows 'what wine to buy and what clothes to wear' but Rita doesn't realise that there's more to education than just this! ACT ONE FRANK From the first scene of act one the first character we begin to learn about is Frank. Frank is middle aged, uses standard English and is well spoken. He appears to be a stereotypical middle class academic but he has hidden qualities. Frank likes to drink; "Yes I suppose I did take it on to pay for the drink." He constantly refers to the drink and drinks throughout the play which suggests that Frank is an alcoholic. He drinks to help him step delicately through the pressures of his life- Not only is he teaching a course he doesn't want to teach, He's got a girlfriend who is constantly getting him. As well as drinking, Frank also smokes which makes him quite a weak character because in scene one, Rita offers him a cigarette and he has one even though he has supposed to have given up; "I made a promise not to smoke." Throughout the play Frank's frustration is shown by his sarcastic humour ; "I like my lamb done to the point of abuse... You could incinerate ratatouille and it still wouldn't burn!" Like this, Frank's attitude towards most things is negative ;" I'm actually an appalling teacher." Like the alcohol, Franks negativity is brought on by his life. Frank gets no enjoyment from teaching, he'd much rather be with his friends at his local pub. But besides Frank's negativity, Frank doesn't patronise Rita ;" What would you like to know... Everything? That's rather a lot... where would you like to start?" He listens and empathises. ACT ONE RITA In the first act, Rita comes across as a stereotypical working class Liverpudlian woman! She is twenty six, working class, speaks with a scouse dialect and lives in a council house with her husband Denny.