Educatin Rita

Educatin Rita

In the play Educating Rita by Willy Russell it represents moving into a new world by overcoming obstacles through learning and changing. Through changing and entering a new world we get rewards, some we expect and some surprise us. It also demonstrates that moving into a new phase of life makes everything a risk that you once had and it cannot be how you expect it to be.

Moving into a new world can be challenging, and there are certain changes a person has to make. In the play Rita’s Open University teacher, says to her “if you’re going to write this sort of stuff you’re going to have to change”, Rita says “I want to change”. Through the use of the verb ‘want’ we can see through a euphemism that Rita is expressing her willingness and determination to change and enter this new world. Frank’s use of the word ‘stuff’ shows his cynicism about the change Rita has to make.

Through moving into a new world people can often be uncertain or mistaken on the change, which has to be made. Rita changes her looks from the outside to fit in but it is the inside she has to change, she says “y’have to decide whether it’s going to be a change of dress or change in yourself”. This is ironic as Rita is only changing her outside, but throughout the play, with the use of a recurring motif, we can see that Rita is overcoming these obstacles and challenges to move into the new world, and be the person she wants to be.

When moving into a new world, people can see themselves as not fitting in or being different, people need to overcome these obstacles for them to be accepted in society. Rita feels like she is not fitting in with her social context, values and expectations in her old world. As she does not want to settle down, get married and have kids, she feels she is “out of step” as she wants see something more, and have opportunities in life. “I wanna see”, these metaphors are used to show Rita wants to learn and be free.

Entering a new world involves overcoming obstacles,...

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