The Portrayal of Metamorphosis in Educating Rita by Willy Russell
In this essay, I am going to discuss the portrayal of metamorphosis in
Willy Russell’s ‘Educating Rita.’
I am going to write about how the play’s two round characters, Frank
and Rita, change their attitudes, confidence, lifestyle, appearance
and their overall look on life throughout the course of the play. To
do this, I will analyse Frank and Rita at the start of the play and
then go on to comment on how they change from the beginning to the end
of the play.
The writer who wrote this brilliant play is called Willy Russell. He
was born in 1947 in Liverpool and lived most of his life there. He
came from a typical working class background, with his father owning a
chip shop and his mother working in a factory. Russell enjoyed writing
from a young age but still decided to leave school at the age of
fifteen. After working as a hairdresser for a short period, he decided
that it wasn’t for him and thought that he would try his hand at
becoming a teacher. During Russell’s life, he wrote a number of plays,
such as, ‘Our Day Out’ and ‘When the Reds.’ Most of his plays involve
characters that have had a deprived upbringing or are set in working
class surroundings. He enjoyed writing about his own experiences as a
child and a couple of his plays incorporate metamorphosis as a main
theme. ‘Educating Rita’ is a good example of this. He tried to show
people who watched his plays that they can be whoever they want to be
and if they put their minds to it, they will succeed.
The play ‘Educating Rita’ is about a twenty six year old woman ‘Susan
White’ (preferred to be known as R...
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...ical change in ‘Educating Rita.’ As the writer of the
play, Willy Russell, came from a working class background, he tried to
portray his life through the character of Rita. What he was trying to
put across is that everyone in this world can succeed as long as they
put there minds to it and give it their all. Both of the characters in
this play definitely play an important role in helping the other to
transform into something that they wanted to become. The main thing
that I believe helped them to reach their goals was determination. If
people give up, nothing will be achieved. Yet as they stuck at it and
didn’t wallow in self-pity, they managed to transform themselves. Rita
showed a lot of courage by doing what she did. It helps to show people
that anything is possible if you have the confidence to believe in
yourself.
With only four characters in the play, each of these individuals plays a vital role in each other’s lives. Gary and Dave are juxtaposing characters in the play, with Christine and Sue-Anne being the other two. Prior to their first meeting, Gary was hardworking and determined, a classic Aussie tradie striving to build a house on a block of land he inherited from his passing father in hopes of providing a future for his unborn baby. Dave however, is quite contrasting in comparison to Gary. Dave is known for being laidback and lazy, playing a passive role. Despite not revealing much about himself, Dave is socializes well with the rest of the characters with c...
it took bravery for her to stand up for herself. It's that kind of stupid bravery that wins
...he shows us her character, not by how she gives herself respect, but by the continued respect that she gives to others: even her tormenters. Her secret shame was kept inside, and it was an impossible burden to bear. She was brave.
up the main plot of the novel. I will also be looking at how the
The Metamorphosis Research paper Franz Kafka, in his novel The Metamorphosis, explores two conflicting ideas through his protagonist Gregor: unity and isolation. Gregor’s transformation created a whole life of distress for him, but on the other hand also formed a deeper and better relationship for the rest of the family. Gregor’s transformation to a Vermin created a new life of separation and isolation for him. Before Gregor’s transformation he already felt isolated and stressed out because he was the only one working and he didn’t have that good of a relationship within his family. Kafka states “Constantly seeing new faces, no relationships that last or get more intimate.”
While growing up, it is better to try to get involved in society, even violently, rather than alienating one’s self. Growing up can be painful, especially for the protagonists in The Metamorphosis and The Catcher in the rye. The meaning of the work for The catcher in the rye is “People look to approval from others and a sense of belonging to derive their self-worth” and the meaning of the work for the t.m is “Society values only those who are useful to them - those who live without purpose in life are merely a burden”
People today live in an absurd world, where they are constantly working and on the go, they forget what matters most to them like their dreams and aspirations and become work zombies. That is why the stories of the Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka and The Death of Ivan Ilych by Leo Tolstoy speak to me, they comment on the absurdity of mundane daily life and tasks that we have become accustomed to and make you think about the life that you are living. The main characters of the two stories, Gregor Samsa and Ivan Ilych, become overwhelmed by the amount of pressures that they put on themselves and by their families. The two characters epitomize what the workers of today have become and the worst part is they never realize how unhappy they have become until it is too late. I know many of us feel the burden of working to much and not living the way we want to. These stories are very bleak and don't offer hope for the main characters, they failed to adapt and perished because of it. The stories make you feel that as if there is no escaping the absurdity of life, as is the
what has happened to him, and begins to rant "what an awful job I've picked! Day in,
The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman and “The Metamorphosis” by Franz Kafka both incorporate “irreal” elements throughout their works. These elements provide an alternative point of view where the lives of main characters are recreated and imagined as part of their surroundings. It’s almost as if the characters are watching their lives from an outside vantage point, rather than living in the moment, which makes it easier to cope with their difficult circumstances. These two works are complementary in establishing relationships, exposing internal conflicts, and escaping the reality that these characters yearn for in their lives.
is a travelling salesman who hates his job but is forced to keep it in
This particular introduction, unlike most other works contains the climax to the story. This paper will show the importance of these introductory lines. “When Gregor Samsa woke up one morning from unsettling dreams, he found himself changed into a monstrous vermin.” This line greatly moves the plot, more so than any other line. It is the climax of the novel, and everything following it helps build the conclusion of the story. The juxtaposition of “unsettling” and “dreams” is ironic, as dreams are peaceful and never unsettling, only nightmares are unsettling. Gregor has transformed into a “monstrous vermin.” The remainder of the first paragraph gives details of exactly what the monstrous vermin is.
house. This way of narrating it is very opened to us, and makes us feel like we
The feelings of loneliness and betrayal are feelings that we all feel one too many. Some have these feelings for a few simple days, and then those feelings soon pass. For others, however, this is a feeling that is felt for most of their lives. Our loneliness may make us feel alone, when our loneliness is actually common. In The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka, the topic of alienation is an ongoing theme from beginning to end. I have interest in this passage because it reveals the writers understanding of a feeling that we all get from time to time. This novella helps us relive these emotions with an understanding that we are not alone in our loneliness.
Frank Kafka is considered one of the most influential writers of all time. Helmut Richter would agree with this statement. Richter agreed that Kafka was a very prominent figure in world literature and was amazed by his mechanics and word usage. I feel that his essay is supportive of Kafka’s writing, but also leaves out many important details in its brevity. Richter did not include Kafka’s flaws and tendencies in his essay.
Life is a never-ending metamorphosis. It is always changing, always transforming. Sometimes a change is followed by positive results, but on the darker side, a metamorphosis can lead to damage or suffering. But of course, the concept of metamorphosis can also be related into the wonderful yet unrealistic world of magic and sorcery. Metamorphosis can mean a rapid transformation from one object to another or a distinct or even degenerative change in appearance, personality, condition, or function. The concept of metamorphosis is commonly used in pieces of literature to describe an extreme change in character or form.