I need help in an essay about educating rita?I need to say how the2 charecters change and influence each other

Question

If u have read it please can u help me and it can be based on any scene, all I want is ideas not someones work, thank you UK and Ireland

Answer 1

Watch the film with Julie Walters and Michael Caine, see how the main characters change - how has Rita changed from the person she was at the beginning, in terms of her self confidence and how she feels about herself. It's been a long time since I've seen it but hope that helps. It's always best to use your own ideas you know.

Answer 2

the film is a modern twist on pygmalion/my fair lady - where the central message is again that there is no such thing as class in nature and that anything can be learned. Pygmalion dealt with the victorian aristocrat pulling the guttersnipe Eliza up by elocution and a fancy dress, while Rita pulls herself up by educating herself and in doing so runs the danger of losing her identity. In this, though, the professor's role is that of helping her find herself and not to become a parody of the educated she initially tries to emulate.
Ultimately, it shows that in modern society, the role of women is no longer rigidly defined within the home and the focus is more empowering us to fulfill our potential. Ritas eyes and mind are opened to new possibilities, her ability to communicate is improved and she can redefine her life - if she so chooses.

Answer 3

The scene where Rita cuts the profs hair is quite revealing. She has been on a journey of self-discovery where she has learnt that the world is wider than the little town she was born in-education has opened her eyes to the opportunities out there as well as to the beauty of language etc. She has mixed with people of a different class who have no notions of barriers -the world is their oyster and yet she has seen how they often throw it all away (the suicide attempt). She has become so self-aware that she no longer needs to hide behind a fake accent and like something just because it is "art"-her self awareness is made manifest when she cuts his hair-almost cutting her own ties to her class and background by choosing who she wants to be.

The prof has his own journey through the horrors of alcoholism and self-doubt-much like Rita's. She is someone unique to him and her journey provides him with a framework to become what he has always desired. They support each other.

One of my favourites-can you tell?!

Answer 4

Their characters change very much over the course of the film and the dynamics of their relationship changes as well. At the beginning Rita is very naive and dependant on Michael Caines character and as the film progresses she becomes more worldly and knowledgeable and less reliant on him. Rita seems to have a very positive effect on Michael Caines character, he loves her wit, humour , honesty and the down to earth side of her, he seems to live a very stifling and boring life which is false in many ways(for example his girlfriend cheating on him and him knowing about it and unhappy in his job.) I think when Rita gains more knowledge academically he fears he will lose her in two ways, she will need him less and that he will lose the very things he likes about her when he first met her . Both the characters are extremely influential to eachother and they both give insights to eachother about breaking the constraints of the worlds they live in and show them there's more to life.