Educating Rita

As we watch Rita become educated, we are able to see the effects of education on both Frank and Rita. In a world that idolizes education as the ultimate means to improving quality of life and as a benchmark of success, the play is a challenging question about the true worth and effects of education, especially institutional education. I highly recommend this for anyone who's ever asked whether a graduate degree would truly be a good idea.

Another thrift shop bargain that I picked up by chance. Like most people I've seen the movie with Michael Caine and Julie Walters but I wanted to see what they "play" version was like with only "Rita" and "Frank" seen at any given moment. It is actually quite enlightening, the discourse is perky and colourful and the other characters we verbally "meet" in the play are only one dimensional in the sense they are talked about but never seen by the audience. However this does not make them any less real and we soon start to believe in their existence even though we never get to see them in the flesh. This particular Longman book is quite good in that it gives a sturdy and interesting preface from Willy Russell himself, along with a fairly comprehensive glossary at the end and a reasonable study programme, rather basic if you are a graduate student but still useful for anyone who is a literature buff, be they beginner or expert. Not bad for a book that cost less than a dollar is all I can say!