Educating_Rita

“To grow and change or resist change” How does society offer individuals freedom of choice' Morning class, Society provides individuals with freedom of choice through education, I will relate my statement to the play “Educating Rita” written by William Russel and my related text “Devil Wears Prada” a modern film directed by David Frankel. The main themes that in incorporated in the play Educating Rita and closely mirrored in the film Devil Wears Prada is self discovery and change. “The key to change... is to let go of fear.”-Roseanne Cash In Rita’s case, fear is symbolised by her lack of confidence, which is built up from her family holding her back from the world. She over comes this throughout the play and achieves change through the help of her school. Rita decides to ‘change’ herself through education, she wanted grow out of her normal unintellectual state of mind and blossom into something different, something more. “...I wanted a better way of livin’ me life”. She didn’t like the way she was living her life, and she hated the expectations she had to uphold. Similarly in the DWP, the protagonist Andy a Northwestern University graduate aspiring to be a journalist scores a job “...a million girls would kill for” in the fashion industry as an assistant. Her fear for the materialistic industry gets to her mentality as she does not have any knowledge about fashion, experiences dramatic changes in her lifestyle. In the opening scene of the play, Rita finds it hard to get through the door to Frank’s office. The door symbolises Rita’s struggle to enter this new life she’s been wanting, but as she grows throughout the movie, she finds it easier to get through the same door, this relates to her getting used to her new life. Another barrier that prevents Rita from achieving change is the glass window overlooking the school lawn where the student sit and mingle. The window acts as a translucent veil that isolates her from the other students. Signs of struggle and hardship in DWP of Andy trying to adjust to her new job/life include Andy stressing out to complete tasks that is set to her by Miranda (Chief of Runway magazine). Her costume in the movie acts as an imaginary barrier between her and the people around her, she doesn’t own any expensive materialistic clothing and therefore makes it hard for her to fit into her new lifestyle. Frank on the other hand is the complete opposite. He is an alcoholic teacher at a university who takes his job as if it was a joke and has lost complete hope in what he does. “...I think you are the first breath of air that has been in this room for years”-he sees Rita as being his light in the very dark tunnel he dwells in (his office). He tries to hide his alcoholic problem behind his work and education; this is evident when the camera shoots him looking through his bookcase but only to find his bottle of whisky hidden behind a book. Equally mirrored to frank, Miranda also hides her life and relationship issues through taking her job seriously masking the truth from her employees. Russell differentiates both protagonists by typing Rita’s dialogue in a very thick Irish accent, examples of her accent “y’” as in you, and “won’ I” as in won’t I. Frank’s words are spoken like out of a book, full of intelligent words, sentences are well structured and punctuated properly and he thinks before he speaks. Frankel established differences between Miranda and Andy through their working status and fashion sense. Miranda is the chief editor for Runway magazine, a top well known magazine in the fashion world, having that title she has a far superior fashion sense. Whereas Andy is a mere assistant of Miranda and a recent university graduate with barely any fashion sense, which lowers her standard in the company. In conclusion, society offers individuals freedom of choice by providing them with facilities such as education and also in DWP the workforce. Both Rita and Andy experience change through the use of central themes and dramatic techniques these changes that are experience by the protagonists is evident for the audience. “There’s nothing wrong with change, if it’s in the right direction”-Winston Churchill