Willy Russell in his play Educating Rita Essay Example for Free

Willy Russell in his play Educating Rita Essay Educating Rita by Willy Russell explores the relationship between the two characters involved in the play, Frank and Rita over a time span, of several months. A variety of themes are explored as Rita, a working class Liverpudlian, aspires to a higher social and academic level so that she may have choices, with Frank, a disillusioned and failed poet as her teacher. As Rita progresses, Russell uses a range of dramatic techniques and tensions between the two characters to explore themes of the personal, class, relationships, gender, dependence, superiority and education. This produces an effective and dramatic piece with clear character and plot development. The play could be staged in a number of ways, and when considering how staging would best reflect the themes and passage of time, I must consider set, costume and lighting, as well as how each of the characters should play their part. The play focuses mainly on the relationship between Frank and Rita, and the structure shows a clear crossover within their respective roles. Frank is initially the dominant male with more knowledge and experience than Rita; he is the well-educated and confident lecturer to whom Rita comes to for help to become educated. By the end of the play the roles are reversed, with Rita as the dominant educated character, with every option available to her, whereas Frank, who has turned to drink, is barely able to hold down his job. Within this structure, the interaction between the characters explores the themes mentioned above, which have both significance for them, as well as for the audience who are able to identify with the issues discussed. The way that the characters change as the plot develops shows what effect their different experiences have upon them, and how they shape the people that they have become by the end of the play. By choosing two scenes from different points in the play we can see how themes generated in an early part of the play are later developed as the characters progress. I chose Act one, scene two to explore first, as it is after the two characters have already been established. Their behaviour reflects certain themes as the second scene begins. There is also a significant incident involving poetry Frank has written, which has a link  with the later scene I have chosen, truly reflecting how the two characters have changed. While the first scene establishes the main themes of education and aspiration on Ritas part, Scene two really begins to explore such themes as well as exploring others to a higher degree. The scene begins in Franks office, as always, with Frank waiting for Rita to arrive, (he) glances at his watch. He is interrupted by a noise at the door, which turns out to be Rita oiling his study door for him, as she has noticed that it needs it. The way in which she comments, knew you wouldnt get round to it establishes the theme of gender stereotypes running through some of the play, and conveys the idea to the audience of Ritas housewifely mentality and motherly instinct, with Franks stereotypical male nature of allowing her to do the work for him. As Rita then proceeds to look around Franks office, and he watches her, it is clear how he views her from how he watches Slightly amused which indicates that he is entertained by her, and clearly views her as naive and unsophisticated when compared to him. The way Frank responds to her influences how the audience would respond, as the majority watching a professional production of this play would probably identify with Frank rather than Rita. Assuming it is a professional production, the majority of the audience would be middle class. However, although at the start they may identify with Frank, Willy Russells intent as the two characters develop is to challenge the audiences attitudes towards each. The themes of gender and superiority are closely linked here, and run throughout this scene. Typically, Rita, a young and impressionable young women, and Frank, an older educated man with a greater social position, she is naturally inclined to look up to him. Even if they were both middle class and educated, Rita would still probably view him of the superior of the two, and this opinion is reinforced by the mention of Franks girlfriend, Julia. He says she admires him tremendously, and mentions how she cooks and, cares for him. Julia is an ex-student, yet both respond in the same way to Frank, trying in a sense to, mother him and he accepts this, both sexes following their  stereotypical roles. The way Rita sees him as superior in the same sense as Julia brings up the theme of gender conflict, alongside class and social status, and is another reason why Rita sees him as superior and above mundane tasks. After oiling the door, Ritas next action reinforces this relationship. She refuses to sit down in the chair with its back to the door conveys how unsophisticated and insecure she is. The way that Frank offers her his chair, but she refuses with her comment, Youre the teacher shows how she sees their separate roles, with him with a greater status, again introducing the theme of superiority. Rita even feels Franks taste is superior to hers, Thats cos youve got taste. Although Frank has not yet commented how he feels that he is superior to Rita in terms of both education and class, the way he responds to her clearly shows how he feels they are not on equal terms. The fact that Frank is amused by Rita wondering whether or not she has reformed him reflects this, and throughout the scene he uses education as a resource to demonstrate his superiority. Rita is often ignorant of the phrases or words that Frank uses, for example a certain patina and he often corrects her in terms of the words she uses, Foster for Forster. As well as demonstrating through her ignorance of language that she is not like other students, Rita makes it known to the audience that she is not ignorant enough to not realise it. She comments on, the proper students and although it could be taken in terms of her meaning the students who go to the university all the time, without other obligations, she knows that she is in a different situation (she comments in the first scene, Degrees for dishwashers) and is probably comparing herself and her knowledge to theirs. The audience draw comparisons between Rita and Frank in terms of their behaviour and knowledge, and as the scene progresses the audience are made more aware of the different upbringings they must have had. Just before this however, there is a section of the scene in which Russell uses the language of each character to demonstrate their different social status. Rita comments Readin and studyin just after her comments on proper students, and Frank responds with the same phrase, Reading and studying.  The fact that phrase is repeated by Frank in succession makes the audience properly aware of how differently they speak, and Ritas native Liverpool accent is made evident with this clear contrast to Franks more refined voice. The phrase Rita then uses, off me cake which Frank responds to by questioning its meaning, is done so in such a way as that the audience knows he is being sarcastic, yet Rita does not seems to realise immediately. However, when Frank uses the phrase in a sentence of his own, Rita realises how he is being sarcastic, itd sound dead affected again highlighting the difference between them herself. This interaction demonstrates the different upbringing and environment they have been exposed to, and Frank does not only use his gender and age to appear superior, but through sarcasm and superiority in his use of language demonstrates how he knows he is. The themes of social class and education occur once more in Ritas next few speeches. During them, the way she sharpens Franks pencils again reminds the audience of gender stereotyping, the automatic tidying up, or carrying out of tasks that he is perfectly capable of doing himself, as well as showing how she is uneasy. Rita then conveys the sort of education she must have had from the description of her school, and how she was not really allowed to educate herself, which Frank cannot fully understand as someone for whom education has obviously always been available. He does not understand why she could not be different from her friends, and through this we see the gulf between their two upbringings, highlighting the theme of social contrast. Frank then passes her his ashtray to sharpen pencils, but the way she ignores it indicates how preoccupied she is, and how she really does have something important to say. Her ensuing monologue shows how she feels she wants more, is this the absolute maximum I can expect from this livin lark. The activities she speaks of club to go to to distract herself seem so unlikely the activities that Frank would indulge in that it seems as if he must have his life sorted and she is the one floundering, with what she really wants beyond her grasp. Frank cannot resist one more piece of sarcasm at the end of her outburst, to reassert himself as superior, and her wants as pathetic and of no value, you managed to resist another new dress? But Rita again does not realise.  By the end of this section of the scene the audience know a lot more about Rita and her character. It is clear that at the start of her education she appears stereotypical in terms of her gender, but not in terms of who she is and what she aspires to be. This re- establishes the theme of aspiration already suggested as Rita claimed she wanted to learn, Everything. Her speech about knowing how there was always something tapping away in her head, knowing she might have got it wrong indicates prior conflict within herself, but the fact that she has now come to be educated shows how this conflict has been resolved, and education is the way she will be able to become the person she wants to be, and she sees Frank as an example of that person. The conflict will later extend from herself to the rest of her family, and as she becomes alienated from them. The second half of the scene reveals more about Franks feelings and character, not just concentrating on his surface sense of superiority. The next incident explores the theme of conflict between the personal and the impersonal. Frank informs her that to write a good essay she must learn the art of criticism, which is ironic, as ultimately she will learn to criticise, and Frank will be the object of it. The way Frank informs her that good criticism is never subjective, and is almost a science is reflected in Franks character. He does not wish to involve himself, he wishes to remain absolute from his own feelings. Here the theme of the personal is really introduced as the next part of the scene really shows how each character deals with personal early on in the play. Conflict is initiated as it appears Rita is quite intent on dealing with the personal, and Frank has never come across such a view, astounded The way Rita comments on Forster, Sitting up there in his ivory tower encourages the audience to draw parallels between him and Frank, who also wishes to distance himself from the world, using alcohol as his escapism, and is in a sense sitting in his own, tower. He wants no subjectivity or sentimentality, and this is shown in the way he interacts with Rita, using attempts to be witty and sarcasm to evade the personal, as can be observed later in the scene. Throughout the play both characters struggle with the personal, Rita attempting to become distant and Frank to be in touch with his feelings. Before moving onto Franks marriage we see an example of how Frank also follows his stereotype, returning to the theme of gender. He comments of Rita that she has an undisciplined mind, which men often seem to think that that women have, and that they are disorganised and, scatty in general. Rita ignores the comment and immediately moves back to the personal, are you married? Frank answers reluctantly, stalling the question, but Rita refuses to accept this, and continues pressing Frank for personal information. He is reluctant to deal with the personal side of life, however, and when explaining why he broke up with his wife, he uses a reason which he presumes to be clever and witty, but which actually just makes evident to the audience how he is distancing himself from the pain of the break up, and presuming he is above it all. We split up, Rita because of poetry The way in which Frank says she left him for the good of literature and how the result was that he stopped writing at all is a use of dramatic irony, which is lost on Rita, however, and is there for the audiences appreciation. Rita refuses to accept his explanation, however, and even Frank admits they perhaps people do not split up for that reason. The way that that is how he remembers it simply shows that is how it is constructed in his mind, and he has created the fantasy to remove feelings connected with the event. The most obvious contrast between Frank and Rita in his scene is the way they deal with feelings, with Frank refusing to have anything to do with things of a personal nature, and Rita connecting everything to its emotional impact. After dealing with themes largely of a personal and impersonal nature, Russell reverts to the theme of superiority with reference to education, as Rita wishes to look at Franks poetry, but he denies her access of grounds of not having the literary references. This has reference to the theme of the personal also, as Franks poems are clearly very personal to him and he does not wish to show his emotional side to anyone. We next see another side of Frank, however, as Rita praises him, youre great and he says how there is less of him than meets the eye. Through this comment we see how Frank sees himself as somewhat of a fraud, however, Rita does not get the deeper meaning of his reply, she simply admires the way he can construct a  phrase like that, and as often happens in this scene, the audience, understanding Frank, should have one level of meaning, while Rita has another. This also occurs later in the scene, when Frank comments that he would like to take Rita by the hand and, run out of this room forever. Rita thinks he is merely being sarcastic, yet the audience can see the deeper level of meaning in his words, in that he feels trapped and unhappy. Frank appears to Rita the epitome of successful. He is middle class and educated, what she is aspiring to, yet from his reluctance to deal with anything other than scientific or involving feelings the audience can see how he is dissatisfied and in denial over many aspects of his life. Rita does not see this yet however, she merely sees his status as a professor, his sarcasm and evasion as witty tools of a learned man, not yet suspecting that unhappiness is the cause. The end of the scene does revel Rita as different from the common throng however. The audience draw a parallel between a bird she describes, dead out of place our way and her, and by the end of the scene she has even begun to adapt Franks sarcastic tones, doing a parody of an academic question. The audience see that although she s totally different from Frank in terms of class, and education, their relationship has begun to develop over the bond they form. Frank sees in Rita something he has not seen in a student before, and Rita feels that Frank is the kind of tutor she needs. Earlier in the play she refused to accept another one. As the play progresses we see how the themes established early on in the play are developed by Russell through his two characters. They develop through the changes they undergo in their lives as well as the effect they have upon each other, and reflect the themes established at the beginning of the play. As Rita becomes more educated she fulfils her aspirations, leaving her hairdressers job to work in a Bistro and making a successful transaction to the middle classes, whereas Frank degenerates, more and more frequently turning to alcohol. The theme of dependence running throughout the play has begun by the second act to invert, in that whereas Rita was once dependant  on Frank for all her educational needs, the time she spends during the summer at a literacy camp symbolises how she no longer needs to rely on him as much. She has already learnt about the poet Blake, for example, that Frank was planning to teach her about specially. Frank becomes more dependant on her, and as she breaks away, losing her individuality, as he sees it, to become a proper student he regrets ever educating her, and in despair turns to alcohol. As soon as Rita begins to become properly educated the relationship between the two begins to break down, and although class and education are still the main themes, it is no longer the contrast between Frank and Rita in terms of these themes that is evident, but how Rita has risen more to the same social and educational stance. As well as education being an ongoing theme, which changes the outlook of both, contrasting class is also a theme that features largely until the end of the play. Conflict and class, as well as gender conflict are closely linked throughout. At the plays opening it is clear that Frank and Rita are from different social classes. The way Frank uses this to assert his superiority could cause conflict between the two, except for the fact that Rita has accepted she is initially different from Frank, and seems to see his status as a warrant for his behaviour. Rita is obviously eager to learn however, so Frank tries to be tolerant, and as she improves he begins to accept her as more of an equal to him so conflict between the two over class is more minimal than it could be. Within Ritas own circle however, the conflict is obviously rife. As Rita develops as a person, the conflict with her husband and family increases. Her husband even burns her books in protest over her trying to break away from what he feels she should accept as her station in life, He burnt all me books. As Rita becomes more educated, in order for it to have an effect she has to change herself, and a husband feels that she has in a sense betrayed him. Conflict connected with class also occurs later in Act One as Frank and Ritas friendship progresses. Frank invites Rita for dinner at his house, with her husband, Denny. As well as this causing conflict between the married couple, in that Denny refuses to come due to his antipathy to the course and those connected with it, he blames them from distancing him from  Rita, Rita suffers conflict within herself about attending, centred chiefly on the wine she brings. She knows it is the wrong sort after she has bought it, and although it might appear to be a superficial detail, to Rita it symbolizes how little she knows about this kind of society and how to behave in such situations. It demoralizes her and she wonders how she can ever leave her social status and rise to Franks. She decides to not return to the course, however, her mother changes her mind.. Her mother crying and saying there must be better songs to sing (Ritas family and friends had been singing in the pub) really symbolizes how there must be a better life to lead, which encourages Rita to try and aspire to that hope, and so she returns to the course. Rita also experiences much gender conflict within her family. From the first scene Rita mentions how she is expected, at the age of twenty-six to settle down and have a family. Yet she rebels against this idea, even secretly using contraception, and her refusal to accept what her husband sees as her role eventually leads to the breakdown of her marriage, which allows her to, find herself even further. However, as she does try to find herself, using other people to develop her personality, this causes ever-growing conflict between her and Frank, which reaches its climax towards the end of the play. Apart from Rita, Franks main conflict is involved with the university and students themselves, as he bitterly continues to drink with their disapproval. By Act two, scene five, very near the close of the play, we can clearly see how both characters have developed and how they now interact with each other. The first thing Rita says to Frank upon entering his room is, are you sober, are you? and the way in which a whisky bottle is placed in front of him indicates the extent of his dependency on the drink. Now he can no longer rely on Rita to give him hope and entertain him he has become even more dependant on the alcohol, which is plaguing his career. Frank, even now cannot resist a sarcastic comment, which Rita ignores and proceeds to tell Frank what she thinks of his poetry. The fact that Frank has given Rita his poetry to look at is a very  significant act, which shows real character development on both sides. Earlier in the play Frank denied Rita access to his poetry, on the grounds of her not understanding literary terms. The fact that he has given them to her, and has seriously asked her for a critical analysis shows how much she must have progressed in terms of her education. Whereas she was once ignorant in this area, Frank has now deemed her sufficiently able to comment on them, and regardless of his motive, we can see how her character has developed in order that she can appreciate such work. However, on another level, Frank giving Rita his poetry shows how he has developed as a person also. As well as indicating he no longer feels his skills are superior to hers, the emotional angle of his action indicates that he is no longer dealing with only the objective side of things. By giving Rita his poetry to look at, Frank is exposing his emotional side. His poetry is such a personal thing to him that it is the most significant thing he can do, to show how he is willing to expose his vulnerable side to her as opposed to other people. By asking for a critical assessment of a lesser known English poet Frank knows that what she says will ultimately depend upon the outcome of their relationship. The way Rita analyses the poems clearly shows how she has developed in terms of her education, the main theme running throughout the play. The language she uses, witty/profound to describe the poem is a complete development of the simple terms she used earlier in the play. The fact that she can understand Franks work as opposed to the poetry she used to enjoy, Its the sort of poetry you can understand shows how she has developed her literary knowledge. However the way she quotes her flatmate, Trish when commenting on the poetry, shows how from having Frank as her only mentor and teacher at the start of the play, she has now developed a critical style from others also. Rita herself admits how she would not have understood the poetry previously, and the way she is sure she can now see wit and classical allusion in it indicates that as her education has progressed she has adapted accepted educational views of such works. The audience are next reminded of the aspirational theme, as they can compare how Rita would have reacted then and now from Franks comments, You would  have thrown it across the room. The way Franks sarcasm still washes over Rita indicates how she can see nothing wrong with her situation. She comments that she can, see now shows how her opinions of herself and her life have changed, she is no longer so discontented, and she sees nothing wrong with the social standing she now has. Franks allusion to Frankenstein, however, shows he feels that what he has created is a terrible thing, that he has made Rita a monster and his assessment of his poetry gives a deeper insight into his feelings. Frank denounces his poetry as worthless talentless shit, simply posing as something witty and clever. His poetry is such a close and personal thing to him, however, that as he criticizes it he is really criticising himself. By trying to convey how pretentious and worthless his poetry really is, he is really trying to explain to Rita that that is how he feels about himself. Earlier in the play he commented that there was less to him than met the eye, and this speech shows how low he feels he has really sunk. He is trying to show Rita how what she has gained he feels is without meaning, that what she has aspired to is worthless in his eyes, and this display of emotion indicates how his emotions have developed so that he is now in touch with them. The way Frank responds to Ritas analysis shows that he really is no longer objective, but subjective, taking what she says not as an objective critical analysis but as an indication of who she has become. Whereas before he wanted mere objectivity and nothing dealing with the personal, now that Rita has that critical skill Franks response shows that he regrets what he has done as there are now none of her views stated when she gives an opinion. He liked Ritas novelty very much, yet her analysis shows it has been taken away, and she talks like any other student. Frank now wants her to be subjective again, another example of how their characters have reversed. That as they have developed, Rita has become the objective one, and Frank the subjective, desperate for some kind of Ritas sentimentality in her work. Frank then comments that he can no longer bear Ritas presence, and she responds in a way that shows the audience she now really is his equal. Whereas before, his word was the authority, Rita stands up to Frank and  provides an argument against his. In fact she is now the dominant character, and she makes reference to this, comparing their previous relationship to one of a farther and daughter, him teaching her as she gazes back in, wide eyed wonder. Rita is trying to show that she has lost her naivety, and he is no longer the dominant male, returning to the theme of gender stereotyping. They are now on equal terms. It is here we see where the conflict has really developed in their relationship, as Rita shows she has reached what she aspired to and Frank reduces its worth, so very very little. Frank feels that in becoming educated, Rita has lost all individuality and originality, whereas Rita feels satisfied with what she has achieved, and does not understand why he cannot accept th is. The theme of Education runs throughout the play. This aspect of life is traditionally thought to lift people out of one lifestyle and give them a range of options. Rita is developed through the theme of education to reflect how it can change your lifestyle. She comments that she now knows the right kind of wine to buy and the clothes to wear in terms of reflecting a middle class status. She has become a typical middle class women, and Frank hates himself for his part in it. At the beginning of the play Frank enjoyed lording over Rita to an extent and using his superiority to gain control of the situation. It might appear that he is simply annoyed that he has lost that hold over her, and can not reassert himself with her, so is trying to drag her down and not enable her to become superior to him. It is not that simple however. Throughout the play we have seen Frank and Ritas characters developing, and although it seems Frank has been trying to keep her from escaping, and he alone wants to shape her, as the play progresses, it becomes evident that he admires her uniqueness. As Frank watches her turn into just another student it enables him to see how her unique qualities are simply wasted, and what she ends up with, has nothing of her in it. Frank, who at the start of the play was already educated, shows how education can have a degenerative effect when that is really all you have, and he reflects this in his degenerative behaviour. Although he enjoyed the way he could use his knowledge and wit to distance himself from reality, the  arrival of Rita shakes up all of his preconceptions of students and life in general . Although she might think that he really did want her to remain ignorant for his own satisfaction, Frank has simply realised how education can make you pretentious and characterless, and that although Rita has want she wanted, he feels the person she has become in order to achieve it is of little value. The theme of education is developed from the first act, and whereas it first appears to be a good thing for both Rita and Frank, the way the characters develop to reflect what an effect it can have on people show that this is not a straightforward theme. There are clearly a number of themes involved within this play, and to best reflect them the staging of the play must be carefully considered. The two acts that I have analysed display the most contrast through the way in which as the characters have developed their views and how their roles have crossed over. As well as obvious changes in the characters costumes, I would use more subtle differences including changes in lighting and the way the characters react and speak, to reflect the changes they have undergone. Firstly, costume must be considered as the audience will take initial impressions from the way each character dresses, and the way they appear at the beginning of the play and at the end must reflected in their change of dress. Frank, at the start of the play, although he does indulge in alcohol is much more together then a t the end of the play. Therefore his dress should be fairly smart, indicating how he is both middle class and a lecturer. It should include a shirt and tie, with the shirt tucked in and tie tightly tied with his top button fastened. As the play progresses however Franks change in character could be shown through subtle changes in his dress. As his and Ritas relationship slowly begins to degenerate, his appearance should become untidier, beginning with him untucking his shirt, then undoing his top button and loosening his shirt collar. By Act two, scene five his tie should have disappeared altogether. Although this is not much of a change, a mans tie, at work, is often considered by others to be smart, and about taking a pride in his appearance. He degenerate appearance by the end of the play should reflect what has happen to Frank himself, in that he no longer cares about work and through alcohol abuse, he himself has  degenerated. Ritas dress however should become gradually more flamboyant. In Act One scene two, Rita is still uneducated and working class, with the restraints of her husband and family upon her. Her clothing should be conventional and very unexceptional, to reflect her position in life. However, as she learns, gradually her clothing should become different, more creative, as she becomes educated and more creative herself. In Act Two Scene five, when Rita feels that she has fulfilled her potential, and that she knows how to act and, what clothes to wear her dress sense should be a complete change, as she now sees herself as an educated woman. Both characters clothes need to reflect how the characters feel about themselves to reinforce how they develop. In my second scene, Rita should remain standing for the entirety of the scene, with Frank slumped in his chair. Rita should also wear heels. This clear difference in height between the two should clearly convey to the audience how Rita is now highe r than Frank in terms of life also. A subtle change would reinforce for the audience the changeover in their roles. The set itself, as Franks office, is another useful reflective tool in showing how Frank degenerates. In Act one, Scene two the office, although not pristine, with books and plants spread around, should have some kind of order to it. As Frank turns to alcohol the disintegration of him must be mirrored in the degeneration of his office. By Scene five in the second act there should be much more disorder, with what were once piles of books, books scattered across the floor, and higher piles of paper, which Frank has obviously not dealt with. Posters, which Frank should have on his wall at the beginning of the play, should begin to curl halfway though the play, and by scene five should have fallen completely and be lying on the floor. Also, whereas in the earlier scene the whisky bottle should be hidden behind books, indicating discretion on Franks part, as mentioned in the play, the bottle should now simply be on the desk showing how he feels there is no point hiding the fact any more. This reflects his feelings about Ritas transformation; it shows the despair he feels in that now she has conformed, Frank sees only despair. There should also be several empty bottles strewn around to emphasise Franks dependency on the alcohol. All this reflects  Franks degeneration. The way the room has gradually fallen apart is mirrored by what has happened to him. Lighting could be a very effective tool in these two scenes to emphasise the contrast between the mood of the play towards the beginning, and the scene, which reaches the climax of Frank and Ritas dispute. In the first scene, to reflect the mood of hope and what looks like an interesting opportunity for both characters, the lighting should be bright throughout, to reflect this feeling. The lighting can also be used effectively however, to focus the audiences attention on a particular character, and emphasise the importance of what they are saying. At the beginning of Act One, scene Two, there should simply be a bright yellow light enveloping the whole stage. However, as Frank begins to ask Rita questions about her life, and she begins to respond openly to him, the lights should fade out, except for a bright spotlight focused upon Ritas face. This should be done from Ritas line Like what youve got to be into and this will emphasise her speech to the audience, as their attention will be all focused upon her and they should listen closely to the deeper meaning o her words. As Frank makes his sarcastic comment about the dress, and the tension lifts the bright lights should fade back in, and remain for the rest f he scene. However, in my chosen scene for act two the lighting must be different to reflect the gloomy atmosphere and environment Frank is now subjecting himself too. The stage should be lit only by a bulb from a desk lamp, all light which would have previously come in through the window is now shut out, to make clear how Frank, in his depression, is trying to keep the world out. In this scene spotlights on characters should be used as tension increases between the two characters, as this is a pivotal scene, and emphasising each characters line(s) will heighten the tension for the audience. Lighting could also be used effectively to show characters responses to each other. For example in the first scene, during the use of spotlights, when Frank and Rita are having a serious discussion, Franks confusion over why Rita could not have had an education earlier in life could by emphasised by fading her spotlight out to highlight the confusion on his ace then fading it in again. During Act Two, Scene 5 this technique could be used again.  When Rita is commending Franks poetry, Why did you stop writing? her spotlight could fade out to show the despair on Franks face. This technique, if used effectively would be good at highlighting the characters responses to each other in the two different scenes. Most importantly, how the characters speak react and move on stage will convey their character to the audience, and the changes in their behaviour later in the play will show their new attitude towards each other. In my chosen first scene, the two most have totally different airs. Rita, although she appears confident when speaking to Frank at the beginning of the scene, conveys her agitation through the way in which she refuses to sit down, and instead wanders around Franks room. To emphasise her uncertainty she should make some unconscious hand motion, which would convey the audience the nervous tension she is feeling. As Frank watches her he should appear totally at ease in his chair, reclining slightly to emphasise how relaxed he is. The way that Rita talks should also be different from the way that Frank delivers his lines. Frank should reply almost instantly to Ritas comments, conveying to the audience that he is confident, and feels that he has no trouble dealing with someone of Ritas calibre, whereas Rita must deliver her lines with a vaguer more uncertain utterance, more as if she is thinking out loud then having a conversation. This will emphasise the point that Frank is a confident organised teacher dealing with life, whereas Rita is uncertain and trying to clarify what she wants to do. By Act Two, Scene Five, the two characters should move and talk completely differently, conveying their different positions. Rita, who now feels happy and confident about herself, should show this by how she walks into the room. Instead of wandering uncertainly, she should stride purposefully up to Franks desk, indicating she now knows exactly what she is doing and what to say to Frank. For example, Rita must speak with conviction during her defence of Franks poetry, Its not! (pretentious) When walking around the room Rita should walk as she should when entering the room, with her head held high and striding confidently. Frank, however, should be slumped in a defeatist position, reflecting how life has defeated him. Ritas tone, when addressing Frank must be confident, and she should make much more eye  contact with him then before. Franks tone when he speaks should be much vaguer and less direct to convey his uncertainty to the audience. The passage of time could be marked in a number of ways. Changes in the characters and the set should show time passing clearly, as done in the film of Educating Rita. Firstly, an obvious way could be having a calendar on the back wall with the months changing as the play progresses. However, more subtle changes would reflect time passing just as well, and the subtler they are, the climax of them by the end of the play should surprise the audience by how gradual they have been, and indicate that it has taken a while for them to occur. Gradual changes in the set would probably reflect the time passing most effectively. The way it degenerates slowly should reflect how Franks degeneration happens over time. The office should slowly begin to become messier, with more papers scattered around, etc, but it should be gradual so that the audience are surprised when by Act One, Scene Five they realise just how dilapidated the set is. Also, when Frank is listening to his radio in some of the scenes, the broadcast could be about weather for example, and how it is changing as the seasons do. This could also indicate how time is passing as the seasons move on. Gradual changes in the characters way of dressing also should indicate how they are slowly developing and that it is taking time, and the clothes the characters wear could start off being light, summer wear, then gradually become more suitable for winter, then gradually become more summery again, also reflecting a change in seasons In conclusion, Educating Rita is a play that explores complex issues through a variety of themes using characters to develop them. The interesting characterisation means that this is not an abstract piece, and through the characters interaction the audience are captivated by their development. This makes the themes shown through them, come alive. By the end of the play we have an understanding of both characters point of view, and our sympathies lie with both characters. We can see why Frank was desperate for Rita to remain unique, but it is clear why she feels education is what she needed to uplift her. The way that neither character is depicted  as the right or wrong one show that the issues involved with both are not straightforward, and that their is not a simple answer to the questions raised by the themes which include education and class. The staging of the play if well done should add to the richness of the audiences experience, and help to show what effect the experiences have had upon each character and how they are changed by them.

The Problem of Plagiarism Essay -- Definition Essays

â€Å"Plagiarism is bad† isn't a definition, but (coming from a public high school) that might be all you've ever been taught. There's not much being done to keep students from plagiarizing in their high school courses. Teachers of junior and senior English classes work the hardest at stopping plagiarism. Still, most of us have no concept of why we shouldn't plagiarize. Then we come to college where we are faced with things like academic honesty committees and honor courts; those days of cut and paste writing assignments are over. So, what is plagiarism, other than bad? What do you do to keep from plagiarizing? And how might your professors bust you? Plagiarism is basically theft of written intellectual property. â€Å"What's intellectual property?† you ask. Dictionary.com defines intellectual property as â€Å"the ownership of ideas and control over the tangible or virtual representation of those ideas. Use of another person's intellectual property may or may not involve royalty payments or permission, but should always include proper credit to the source† (http://www.dictionary.com). If you fail to give proper credit, then you have plagiarized. Wilson Mizner once said, â€Å"Copy from one, it's plagiarism; copy from two, it's research,† (Campus Planner). At first, this seems purely humorous, but if you think about it, it makes a lot of sense. If you write a paper, and all you do is copy the thoughts and opinions of one person, then you are plagiarizing. Even if you avoid plagiarism by siting your resource properly, you're not getting a good grade -- all you are doing is copying someone's work. If, on the other hand, you take the ideas and opinions from multiple sources, give proper credit and make your own connections with the... ...ation. If you are looking to learn lessons for life, then learn how to play fair and give credit where credit is due. If you are actually in college to learn from books, then you won't plagiarize because your teachers and text books tell you not to. And even if you are only in college to have a good time, remember this, the party is over if you flunk out or are expelled. Works Cited 1999-2000 Campus Planner. CSA Inc. Dayton, Ohio. Hinchliffe, Lisa. "Cut-and-Paste Plagiarism: Preventing, Detecting and Tracking Online Plagiarism." May 1998. Online. http://alexia.lis.uiuc.edu/~janicke /plagiary.htm (12 Oct.1999) Hults, Pat. "Plagiarism." Online. http://www.cobleskill.edu/Irc/Ethics/plagiarism.html. (12 Oct. 1999) "Intellectual Property." March 27, 1997. http://www.dictionary.com/cgi-bin/dict.pl?term=Intellectual%20property. (28 Sept 1999)

Economy of the United States Essay

The time is considerably improved for the distinctive American citizen of 2007 than for a citizen of the 1800s. An array of economic policies known as import substitution is frequently quoted as the central reason of Latin America’s crises in the 1980s. The stratagem had outsized harmful upshots on economic growth in the 1980s reacting to the 1970s and 1980s progress. However, in the mid 1990s, import substitution policies had slight hit in renovating Latin American countries into sellers of feigned products. In fact, the condition was even worse in 1980s, as anxieties about non-payment raised; mean yearly price rises climbed radically from 1980 to 1985. And the economic deformations linked with hikes in inflation are stern. From last 1990s, numerous efforts have been carried out to alleviate the dilemma related to Latin America’s huge outside debt. A few restructurings in the 1990s had no brunt or were untied almost immediately as they were brought in. Just the once recent economic development and dependable growth in input & output, and output per person commences, it is liable to persist on a usual source and progress public’s being. It is constant with the world’s practice in the 80s and 90s era. For now, in the United States, the introduction of Information technology generated an innovative market that created the hardware and generated the software required to suit the ignition claim for these appliances that had grown to be reasonable to about everybody. That market substituted the previous; a belief of capitalist theory called creative destruction which envisaged that outcome, truly emerged to be operational, even as the economy appeared to be strong. Obstinately, United States government tax policy also offers inducements for U. S. multinational firms to set up abroad. In current tax laws, firms are allocated without letting up to suspend disbursing business revenue taxes on incomes made offshore. The suspension is fine in anticipation of these firms send back the incomes to the home, upon which occasion they are taxed at the typical business income tax charge. However the U. S. business income-tax charge is one of the biggest in the planet, there is an extremely well-built inducement for firms to reinvest those profits outside of the United States. As a result, United States Government; the Congress agreed to provide tax relief per annum, in order that firms could send back incomes back to the home at a lesser tax charge. Firms made it in having this 2004 tax break by saying that it would facilitate them to employ those incomes to invest in the home and make employments for US citizens. Certainly, it’s almost unfeasible to establish they performed the deed or not. The initial phases of globalization and outsourcing charge millions of U. S. manufacturing employments but different specialists declared us that this was nil to agonize about since they were blue-collar Rust Belt employments. United States of America was converting itself into an overhaul economy, and facilitated all along by the Information technology. Internet tune-ups, cutting-edge research and growth made the transparent, high-paying employments that kept U. S. ahead in the current era. However, supporters of globalization disagree that outsourcing millions of mechanically transportable service jobs will decrease rates and increase productivity in the U. S. Except the assets of globalization don’t seem so gentle from the perspective of an American computer analyst or auditor. They have performed what they were expected for but their effort was obstinately spoilt when the home employers hired overseas staff working so cheap. When lucrative manufacturing and service jobs shift abroad, relocated American employees are frequently obliged to accept low pay jobs and upward mobility. Paradoxically, at the instance millions of jobs are being outsourced and millions of unlawful migrants are overflowing into the U. S. , to get away form their domestic scarcity and joblessness; hence purely spoiling U. S. internal economy. Ironically, the good news is that, while United States governed Congress helped out to generate this chaos with poor economic and foreign policies, she can assist to overcome it. Still, U. S. is the best-positioned to make sustainable advantage of the growing world economy in the global marketplace. Modern economic trends, together with a huge trade shortage, on its last legs of norm revenues, comparatively weak job growth, have been to state the slightest rather intimidating. However there is one thing encouraging, the strong growth of productivity in the U. S. Commencing in the mid-1990s, productivity has recovered after 20 years of comparatively meager presentation. Regrettably, economists have hardly any solutions for progressive economic growth, as conservative neo-traditional growth forms pay no heed to technological modernization. On the contrary, a â€Å"neo-Schumpetarian† examination proposes that the revitalization and immobility of productivity are tied to the materialization and succeeding collapse of new techno-economic manufacture procedures. While an old economy attains its perimeters from the perspective of innovation and the dispersal of the technology structure, it grows to be ever more intricate to spin out productivity growth. Just after an innovative technology system suits reasonably priced as much as necessary and invasive adequate is it capable to rejuvenate the engine of productivity patterns. This examination recommends that though the modern information technology based technology system is probable to prolong to impel strong productivity growth for at any rate the coming 20 years, an innovation-exhaustion hold up may be very soon above the prospect. In fact, IT is really improving productivity, however merely in peculiar segments. Since the 1990s, productivity grew 1. 1% per year in segments spending greatly in computers and about 0. 35% in segments spending less. During 1990 and 2003, productivity growth in IT-exhaustive production averaged 3. 03% per annum, in contrast to just 0. 2% per annum in less-IT-exhaustive industry. In effect, the increase in mechanical automation was the really enormous growth of the economy of the era. Since many economists declare that globalization and technology have merged to generate up-to-the-minute tenets for the U. S. economy. However this economist considers old economics still offers the unsurpassed elucidation for current happenings. However, the new-economy model is not only a design that is obviously cleared by a particular economist and an extensive choice of thoughts descends below the new-economy streamer. Relatively than reviewing the concepts of a range of new-economy researchers, the subsequent argument assembles the thoughts into three extensive reports of the new economy; a long-run-growth, a sources-of-growth version, and a business-cycle version, which reveal the combined concept of several economists. Even as these reports disagree in particular calculations and inferences; butt all contribute to a widespread center that constructs them ingredient of the new-economy structure. In the past few years, the U. S. conomy has gained from a pointed deterioration in oil and commodity costs, a well-built American dollar, a tendency on the way to handled concern and reserved health-care prices, an impartial budget, and a fall in military expenses. Each one of these transient causes may have assisted the economy and guided to the unforeseen blend of falling inflation and unemployment rates. While distinguishing between temporary factors and structural changes, it is a hard chore that entails cautious empirical analysis and, additionally significant is a lengthier instant sequence of information. Simply by scrutinizing unemployment and inflation under a broad variety of economic circumstances for several years will it be achievable to wrap up if a structural change has in fact risen? Fast track and fiscal policy for the International Monetary Fund are merely fractions of a better scheme the United States Government must create to facilitate its citizens retain their leadership in what is, incontrovertibly, an accurately global economy. Moreover, the Federal Reserve should reduce interest rates, at this time sprinting at approximately four times the rate of inflation, with no less than one-half of 1%. Moreover, Conformist economics observes economic growth as a consequence of input accumulation and technological growth in a world of nearly invariable come backs to level. At the same time, there is a little argument about how to determine inputs and how to describe technological growth, there is an agreement that a great deal of economic growth engages trade-offs, such as increasing capital means investment, forgone consumption and savings, though increasing labor input needs education expenses and relinquished freedom. Whichever unsolved growth is branded the input of total factor productivity (TFP), also called the famous Solow residual, which reveals technical progress, improved efficiency, spillovers, scale economies, demand side policy, pull inflation and so on. Countless economic studies of foreign direct investment center on the features of the companies in creating its resolution to spend overseas. While the rest employ features of host nations as independent variables, that U. S. oreign direct investment runs to Europe contain such independent variables as growth of market size and size in host countries, levels of protectionism in host countries, and capital control programs of the U. S. Government. The causes for the disparity in corresponding the employment and productivity growth amid the two regions may be vibrant, except mostly dialogue they go down into three types. At the outset, the expansion of the pay, the rental ratio is a typical macroeconomic elucidation for modifications in labour and capital intensity influencing the employment growth productivity. During the 2000-s, pay control and active labour market policies elevated labour force membership statistics in Europe however, simultaneously decreased the growth of labour charge comparative to the capital cost. The quicker employment growth but lower growths of labour productivity are probable consequences of these policies of the U. S. Government. Seeing the initiation of the global economy and amplified tax competition, businesses and other shareholders employ geographically fungible capital to reduce their tax charges by shifting their assets to lower tax regions. Hence the capacity for capital flight compels limitations on the point of taxation that in order compels fiscal discipline on the U. S. Government. However the normative economic research have demonstrated that the optimal tax rate on capital is zero, while the optimal tax rate on labor is positive, proposing that the expressive decline of taxes on capital, during tax competition, would offer wide-reaching advantages in the global market. In addition, in a more competent market, investment will be owed more effectively, escorting to worldwide welfare profits in the all-embracing race. The interconnected concepts comprise nonlinear growth once a critical mass is attained, worthy rounds of positive feedback in manufacturing and communal firms for example Silicon Valley, and declining costs and amplified excellence by means of technology and scale economies. These concepts are not new-fangled to conservative US economics; however the new economy offers them far better magnitude and looks them as the dynamic energy of growth economy-wide (Fretz, 4-15). The recent facts propose that it is yet excessively untimely to let know if a new economy has actually materialized. The new economy is resolutely constructed on the supposition of structural changes in the economy; however there is just not sufficient information yet to differentiate elemental transformations from unconventional accounts, for example transitory shocks can escort to the identical upshots. By building up these concepts at this instant, economists and policymakers would be capable to come to a decision if there truly is a new economy in the United States

The Genocide in Rwanda - 1001 Words

Paul Kagame, the President of Rwanda, once quoted that, â€Å"When we are unified, working together, no challenge is insurmountable† (Arnlaugsdottir). His quote holds meaning and truth as within the past twenty years, Rwanda has worked miraculously to rebuild and reunite the country that was left disheveled by social conflict and genocide. There are many factors that have contributed to the reconstruction of Rwanda, including international assistance, gacaca courts and International Criminal Tribunal, annual commemoration ceremonies, and wellness and counseling efforts. However, the influence and role of women within Rwanda is considered one of the most significant forces and contributors to the unification and restoration of the country. The†¦show more content†¦The genocide greatly impacted women and their roles in society. After the conclusion of the genocide, women of all backgrounds and experiences came together to transform and rebuild Rwanda. After all, women d id make up a majority of the post-genocidal society. As a result, many women have been able to find roles in government and leadership that have enabled them to take a proactive stance to reforming and rebuilding the country. Rwanda could easily be considered one of the world’s leading examples of how empowering women can transform post-conflict societies. In 2003, the women of Rwanda gained a significant achievement in the means of being able to participate in government and reform efforts. A referendum was enacted in the country’s constitution that enforced that 30% representation of women in the levels of government (Powley). In the most recent 2013 election, in the lower house of the Rwandan parliament, women were elected to hold 64% of the seats while women were elected to hold 38.5% of the seats in the upper house (Republic of Rwanda). According to the Republic of Rwanda official website, these statistics rank Rwanda as #1 in the world for the highest number of w omen in parliament. These facts truly highlight the role of women today. As well, the influence of women go beyond political roles as they are also holding crucial positions of leadership in business, education, health, and other sectors affecting the lives of all Rwandans (Republic of Rwanda).Show MoreRelatedRwanda Genocide892 Words   |  4 Pages November 12, 2013 MAHG 5028 Religion and Genocide: Rittner Conversation Starter #12 Rwandan Genocide The Angels Have Left Us by Hugh McCullum, discusses the African tragedy that took place in Rwanda, which resulted in the murder of over one million victims. The Rwanda genocide was between two groups, the Hutu and the Tutsi. Hutu were considered to be the natives and indigenous to the land, where Tutsi were considered to be the non-native settlers who were non indigenous. ThroughRead MoreThe Genocide Of Rwanda Genocide2044 Words   |  9 Pages It is estimated and recorded that, the 1994 Rwanda genocide, resulted to over 800,000 to a million deaths of the Tutsis that where brutally eliminated and murdered. This figure includes men, women and children who constitute three-quarter of the entire Tutsi population and 20% of Rwanda population at large. Rwanda Genocide generated a lot of criticism especially the role of France, the lip service attitude that resulted to the late intervention of the international community after the endRead MoreThe Rwanda Genocide808 Words   |  3 PagesApril 7, 1994 marked the beginning of one hundred days of massacre that left over 800,000 thousand dead and Rwanda divided by a scare that to this day they are trying to heal. The source of this internal struggle can be traced back to the segregation and favoritism established by Belgium when they received Rwanda after the signing of the Treaty of Versailles in 1918. At the time the Rwandan population was 14% Tutsi, 1%Twa, and 85% Hutus; the Belgian’s showed preferential treatment to the Tutsi, whoRead MoreThe Genocide Of The Rwanda Essay2065 Words   |  9 Pages In 1994, Rwanda was a situation of hatred and revenge tailored by European influence that mixed together to form the recipe for Genocide. Classical control of third world nations and exploitation by the west is nothing new. In Africa, the direction of the government is often manipulated by countries that have had historical control over them. The Genocide of Rwanda was a transfer of position that placed the Hutu people in a seat of power over the former rulers, which were the Tutsis elite. ThisRead MoreThe Genocide Of Rwanda s Genocide1624 Words   |  7 PagesThe Genocide in Rwanda INTRODUCTION Genocides happen when ethnic divisions become apparent. Many times, these ethnic divisions were due to colonization from people of different race. These cases are especially true in Africa when Europeans colonized their territory, with clear racial divisions between them (Gavin). These genocides go on because of nations acting on ignorance and refusing to help out the nations in turmoil, allowing the genocides to continue, without wasting their own resources.Read MoreThe Rwanda Genocide Essay1113 Words   |  5 Pagesthe characteristics of the Rwanda Genocide and the Jewish Holocaust. The Rwanda Genocide targeted the Tutsis because of their ethnicity, while the Holocaust targeted the Jews because of their ethnicity and religion. To really understand the Rwandan Genocide and the Final Solution, one must understand the background of the two exterminated peoples. The Tutsis are an ethnic group that resides in the African Great Lakes region. 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He discusses the rise of Juvenal Habyarimana in politics with his Catholic background, church and state relations, and obedience to political authority. His slogan â€Å"Peace, Unity, and Development† were his political plans for Rwanda. On April 6, 1994, president Juvenal Habyarimana’s plane was shot down marking the beginningRead MoreHistory Of Rwanda And The Genocide1579 Words   |  7 PagesHISTORY OF RWANDA AND THE GENOCIDE It is believed that the Hutu and the Tutsi were originally one community who shared some value culture and even religion until the colonialist announced their arrival. Rwanda has experienced a disturbing and prolonged cycle of violent conflict since 1959. The conflict which has been characteristically political and socio-economic in nature has played out mainly on the basis of ethnicity and regionalism. It was first German and Belgium colonialism that createdRead MoreGenocide in Rwanda Essay1910 Words   |  8 PagesGenocide is â€Å"the deliberate and systematic destruction of a racial, ethnic, political, or cultural group†. In Rwanda for example, the Hutu-led government embraced a new program that called for the country’s Hutu people to murder anyone that was a Tutsi (Gourevitch, 6). This new policy of one ethnic group (Hutu) that was called upon to murder another ethnic group (Tutsi) occurred during April through June of 1994 and resulted in the genocide of approxi mately 800,000 innocent people that even included