Exploring Significant Themes and Social Issues in Education Rita and Pygmalion

Both Educating Rita and Pygmalion explore significant themes and

social issues, how effectively do you think these two playwrights

dramatise these issues.

'Educating Rita': A play written by Willy Russell in the eighties and

'Pygmalion': A play written by Bernard Shaw in 1914 both effectively

explore significant social issues and relate to significant themes. To

successfully answer the question of how effectively the playwrights

dramatise the issues raised, the use of settings, dramatic devices and

characterisation will have to be taken into consideration.

Using the technique of inter-textual referencing, when the audience

recognizes that one play is referring to another is a way for an

author to condense more meaning into his play. Russell takes up the

issue of class, what it is, what it gives, what it takes away, in the

differences between Higgins and Frank, Eliza and Rita. As well as

class Russell also explores the themes of culture, tradition, roots,

beliefs among many others.

The plays host many similarities but also many differences. Each play

has a parallel character e.g. Higgins and Frank, Eliza and Rita,

Trisha and Freddy. Focusing on Higgins and Frank, although they play

similar parts in the plays as the two main male characters they are

vastly different in character. Frank and Higgins are very different

breeds of men. Higgins is a complete egotist. Others exist for him

only as they cater to his interests and needs. Frank is a much gentler

character, but he is also a mess, professionally and in his personal

life.

Eliza and Rita encompass the biggest likeness to each other. For one

they are both female pupils, from a lower class, who seek a teacher to

educate them. Both pupils quarrel wi...

... middle of paper ...

...to tell Frank he is a good teacher, she accepts the

Frankenstein monster charge he has thrown at her. Intelligently, she

admits she has taken in all middle class values and ideas too fast and

therefore uncritically. She is a parrot. But she will grown through

this stage.

What Frank has given her is choice, that is control over her own life.

We have seen Rita tempted to allow others to control her, like Denny.

We have seen her grow beyond Frank's control, choosing not to come to

his tutorials, because he cannot offer her anything. Like Higgins she

is alone at the end of the film, but her sense of herself is more

inclusive than his. She is not a bus, bouncing over people, but a very

strong, yet caring individual. Like Eliza she has become a woman, but

if Frank had a hand in her making, now she is her own possession and

will continue to be her own creator.