Introduction:

We are going to be discussing the theme of Education and Class Systems, and
how those factors affect.
What Rita:
Wants: Knowledge & to find herself
Gets: Looses innocence of learning for the first time, looses her family &
community, gains knowledge & independence she seeks.
How: Open University- Frank
What Frank wants out of teaching Rita
*Wants: To inspire her to use the potential she already has. Help her find a way
out of her life that she isnt happy in (shift classes). Find inspiration for himself.
*Gets: helps Rita become more confident and learn how to pass exams. Loses his
job (isnt accepted by his peers). True friendship
*How: by teaching her and letting her teach and get to know him.
Power Balance (Between Frank and Rita)
Tension (Rises and Falls)



Education:
Not necessarily academic
Bridge- brings people together
Self knowledge

Rita: You work for the ordinary. (Page 4)
She feels as though she isnt a real student
The actual university students are younger

Frank:
*was an expectation that led to a job.
*Left him feeling uninspired by learning due to the culture he grew up in.


WHAT DO FRANK AND RITA EACH GAIN FROM EDUCATION SUMMARY
(Diagram on PowerPoint)
Rita: finding herself, literature, independence
Frank: Artistic outlet, loneliness, the power to live up to social expectations

We chose to do this type of diagram as it shows all of the components being
mixed to form the character.


(ANALYSIS OF POEMS)

Excerpt from Franks Poetry: #1

A breath of fresh air,
wide-eyed innocence.
Nave,
full of intrigue.
Seeking knowledge
Consequences. Unknown.
Experience has led astray
locked away the muse.
Bourgeois?
Just an act.
Sentiments removed,
time to sail away.

Excerpt from Franks Poetry: #2

Supported by an ancient structure,
a sanctuary of so many before me.
Aloofness, hidden behind the walls.

The scent of paper and black ink,
give purpose to the words.
Repressing the emotions,
to satisfy expectations
Prospect of intelligence,
though uninspired.
Placid acceptance of this existence
from reservation.


(After the poems)
We chose to do the assignment in this way so that we could really focus on the
themes and give a characters perspective on it.
We felt that options like a soliloquy or a monologue would possibly detract from
the messages we are trying to convey by getting to caught up in the drama and
performance.
So instead we wrote two poems, one describing Susan, when she was Rita and
another to show the change she goes through towards the end of the play.


Class Systems:

The effects of Class systems and education were shown in many ways
throughout the book and these also had a great effect on the character's
relationship with each other and with themselves.

Agency What choices are available for the characters
Rita- Works as a hairdresser- Wants to change- (Time period of play
was during the feminist movement. Rights wouldnt have been available 10 years
prior to the setting.)

University education fresh new start- What Rita wants is
autonomy.

Discipline (what she chooses to study)


Rita is seeking knowledge rather than higher grades



Frank:

The society frank lives in has high expectations of what you should be so
doesn't let him feel like he has achieved anything by being intelligent.
Drinking helps him escape this and the rejection of his peers for Pershing
artistic mediums as opposed to purely academic
Frank starts off being very closed off and very stuck in his ways. When he
meets Rita he is unsure at first but she starts to help him see all the things
he has and as the social barriers of class are broken down he becomes
more open and they can both learn more from each other









Line Graph- Tension builds Visual Response

Act 1 Scene 1: Starts of with a basic level of tension. Ritas slightly evasive with
her actions.

Act 1 Scene 2: Discipline & Reading of text

Act 1 Scene 3: Rita agrees with Franks statement in the previous act.

Act 1 scene 5: The tension rises as Frank and Rita question each other about Julia
and Ritas husband.

Act 1 Scene 8: The tension is moderately high as Rita has to change herself
(Generally in the structure of a play, an Act is ended in high tension)

~~~~~~

Act 2 Scene 3: Frank wants the old Rita back

Act 2 Scene 5: The tension raises significantly and Rita says that frank Cant bear
that I am educated now

Act 2 Scene 6: Acceptance of each other

Act 2 Scene 7: Resolved down a bit


We chose to make graphs and diagrams to show the themes and tensions
throughout the play in a visual manner. The reason we chose to do this is
because it is easier to see the change in tension with a graph and the charts
summarise the point clearly.

Using visual things such as graphs also allows us to show, without a theatrical
aspect, the relationship and tension between the characters that was greatly
influenced by these themes.