S5 English

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S5 English
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Good Afternoon S5!

• In todays lesson, we will...
• Look at the context of Russells play.
• Read Act 1 Scene 1.
• Think about character.

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Willy Russell
Pages 1-6
Liverpool
Grew up in a working class family
Many of his plays are semi-autobiographical
Worked as a ladies hairdresser
Trained as a teacher
His writing puts forward the philosophy that
anyone is capable of change whatever obstacles
may be in their path
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Educating Rita

• The play deals with...
• Englands class system
• The shortcomings of institutional education
• The nature of self-development
• It is about...
• Ritas attempt to break free from her mundane
  existence as a hairdresser and enter Franks
  academic, middle-class world.

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Act 1 Scene 1

• Setting Franks office (1980s).
• Rita makes a clumsy first entrance.
• Frank attempts to persuade Rita to find a
  different tutor.
• The audience are made aware that Frank has a
  drink problem.

Pages 13-26
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Act 1 Scene 1

• Cultural references...
• Open University
• Roger McGough
• Men Only
• Rita Mae Brown
• Farrah Fawcett Majors
• E.M Forster
• Frank Harris
• Dylan Thomas
• W.B Yeats
• Henry James
• Elliot Ness/Al Capone
• Oscar Wilde
• TS Eliot

QUESTIONS PAGE 12 - discuss
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Act 1 Scene 1

• What do we learn about Frank in this scene?
• FRANK
• Early fifties
• Drink problem
• A disenchanted English lecturer
• He is not impressed by Ritas wider reading
• He is severely lacking in confidence
• He likes Rita, thinks she is a breath of fresh
  air.

Find quotations to support your points
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Act 1 Scene 1

• FRANK
• His lack of confidence is highlighted in his
  attempt to persuade Rita to find another tutor.
• Is he frightened of the challenge? Doesnt want
  the burden of responsibility? Or doesnt want to
  miss out on drinking time?
• Rita is totally reliant on him for her education
  this scares him. (page 25)

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Act 1 Scene 1

• What do we find out about Rita in this scene?
• RITA
• The first scenes opens up her character to the
  audience, letting us see why she has been driven
  to join the course.
• Her clumsy entry reflects her social inferiority.
• Her lack of education is clear but so is her
  desire to learn.

Find quotations to support your points
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Act 1 Scene 1

• RITA
• Much of the humour in the play comes from the
  mismatch between Ritas language and the academic
  setting.
• More in touch with the real world than Frank.
  Which world is more real?
• Education is a way for her to escape her working
  class surroundings.
• Her parting line reflects the confidence and
  security she feels in Franks company.

Find quotations to support your points
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Act 1 Scene 1

• Frank and Rita come from very different social
  classes upper middle class and working class.
• Their different backgrounds are very apparent
  when they talk and there are often moments of
  confusion.