A Look at The Changes Women Go Through as Depicted in The Movie "Educating Rita"

Introduction to the Concept of Belonging

Belonging is a term that refers to the individual and involves embracing something new, leading to feelings of security where members feel included, accepted, related, fitting in, conformed, and subscribed. This sense of belonging enhances their well-being, particularly through the appreciation of the beauty in all literatures. You discover that your longings are universal, and you're not lonely or isolated from others. You belong to substantial experiences that provide opportunities for growth and development through education, changing the course of life, and potentially elevating one's status, akin to an upper-class family. Going ‘into the world’ means moving from familiar experiences to new horizons or vanishing points. When transitioning from familiar experiences to new ones, obstacles are usually overcome before achieving success. Individuals might receive advice and guidance through their transformation to reach new horizons, with great rewards and opportunities arising during the process of growth and development, as depicted in the script of "Educating Rita" by Willy Russell, written in 1980. This transformation is paralleled in the visual text of the movie "Rabbit-Proof Fence" in Australia. Both texts express the concept of belonging to a new place, family, culture, and societal norms (Russell, 1980; Noyce, 2002).

A Look at The Changes Women Go Through as Depicted in The Movie "Educating Rita"

Although Rita understands that intellectual enlightenment is crucial to her education, which offers much more, her learning journey extends beyond mere academic achievement. Her transformation from an uneducated individual to the educated Susan is all-encompassing. Rita recognizes the importance of being well-educated as a means to overcome her background and break away from the traditional roles expected of women in the 1970s. She embarks on a path of self-discovery, determined to control her own life and make her own choices, believing that education will provide her with these options. Education for Rita transcends simple intellectual enlightenment, entirely changing her life, as she was prepared for a transformation that significantly impacts her life.

Rita's background has held her back and placed her at a disadvantage. Research in the 1970s showed that middle-class children were more likely to succeed in school and attend university than working-class children like Rita (Reay, 1998). Rita's schooling disadvantage is reflected in her recollection of school life: “As a proven sentence in the book” “…borin’, ripped-up books, broken glass everywhere, knives an’ fights. An’ that was just in the staffroom. Nah, they tried their best I suppose, always tellin’ us we stood more of a chance if we studied. But studyin’ was just for the whimps, wasn’t it? See, if I’d started takin’ school seriously I would have had to become different from me mates, an’ that’s not allowed.” Rita consistently uses informal slang language, consisting of words and expressions not deemed appropriate for formal occasions.

Initially, Rita felt the need to conform to the lifestyle of those around her until she realized there was an alternative. The class antagonism that pressures Rita is evident through language misunderstandings between Frank and Rita: Frank: You are? Rita: What am I? Frank: Pardon? Rita: What? Frank: Now you are? Rita: I’m a what? Education is the only way Rita can fulfill her desire to overcome the working-class background she was born into. She believes that education can help her break away from traditional expectations placed on working-class women in the 70s. The pressures and influences on Rita, primarily from her family, particularly her husband, are significant: “I told him I’d only have a baby when I had choice. But he doesn’t understand.”

Another influence on Rita’s drive to become educated and resist conforming to the stereotypical working-class woman is her mother: “…when I looked round me mother had stopped singin’, an’ she was cryin’…I said, ‘Why are y’ cryin’, Mother?’ She said, ‘Because- because we could sing better songs than those.’…And that’s why I came back. And that’s why I’m staying.” (Russell, 1980, p.46) Rita came to believe that she wasn’t just doing this for herself; she was doing it for all the women like her mother, who never had the chance to make something of themselves and were forced into the traditional ‘house-wife role’.

Education is Rita’s ‘journey of self-discovery’ to fill the void in her life. This path of self-discovery is central to the play, as through education, Rita searches for the answers to life: “I’ve begun to find me-an’ it’s great y’ know…” (Russell, 1980, p.33). Rita has a strong determination to control her life by making her own choices, and she believes education will provide her with this. Rita feels the need for confidence and the ability to gain independence to make her own choices. By the end of the play, Rita knows that education has given her the freedom of choice: “…I had a choice. I chose me. Because of what you’d given me I had a choice.” (Russell, 1980, p.72) As a result, Rita faces many challenges in choosing herself, one of which is discovering the symbolic struggle of opening the door to Professor Frank's office, representing the struggle on the road to knowledge.

The power of choice is crucial to Rita, as it underlies all her motivations for pursuing education. Rita believes education is valuable as it extends her range of choices and enables her to make informed decisions. Rita sought to change herself entirely, feeling she could use education to achieve this transformation: “…these womens, you see, they come to the hairdresser’s cos they wanna be changed. But if you want to change y’ have to do it from the inside, don’t y? Know like I’m doin’.” (Russell, 1980, p.11) Rita’s transformation can be compared to the original story of Pygmalion. For instance, the statue in Pygmalion transforms from ivory to flesh, and metaphorically, Rita transforms from flesh to ivory. ‘Flesh’ refers to her uniqueness and down-to-earth nature, while ‘ivory’ refers to her character being sculpted to fit society’s mold.

Although Rita feels that the change within her, brought by education, is beneficial, Frank feels responsible for Rita’s loss of individuality. Frank views Rita’s transformation as the creation of a monster: “You know, Rita, I think- I think that like you I shall change my name; from now on I shall insist upon being known as Mary, Mary Shelley- do you understand that allusion, Rita?” (Russell, 1980, p.68) Through education, Rita undergoes an entire transformation.

Conclusion: The Value of Education in Rita's Journey

To Rita, education is more than intellectual enlightenment. Rita sought to change herself, provide herself with options, and used education to achieve this. Rita felt she understood the true value of formal education and what it could offer its recipient. Though Frank was disappointed with the results, Rita obtained what she desired. Education filled a void in Rita’s life, setting her on a path of self-discovery. Rita sought to improve herself beyond the working class, raising the question at the end of the play of whether Rita succeeded and whether such a transformation is truly possible.

References

• Noyce, P. (Director). (2002). Rabbit-Proof Fence. [Film]. Australia: Miramax Films.
• Reay, D. (1998). Rethinking social class: Qualitative perspectives on class and gender. Sociology of Education, 71(3), 155-175.
• Russell, W. (1980). Educating Rita. London: Methuen.