In the previous scene, Frank invites Rita to his dinner party but she doesn’t go. She gives lots of excuses to say why she didn’t go, for instance that she didn’t have what to wear or that she didn’t remember where Frank lives, etc. I think that the real cause of her absence was that she didn’t feel very confident about herself. She might have felt that she wouldn’t be able to talk about the same topics, issues, etc with Frank’s friends. This might have happened because Rita needs to gain more confidence on herself and on the knowledge she is getting. It’s not an easy job but it’s not impossible to achieve, it would take time.
By the end of the scene 8, Rita asks Frank to be completely honest as regards the way she writes and what she has to do so as to pass the exams and to write essays as the other students do.
What Frank tells makes her feel that she needs to change her writing style since she tends to express her inner thoughts and feelings. So she considers that they have to start again since she feels that her work till then is not enough to achieve her goal.
By the end of the scene 8, Rita asks Frank to be completely honest as regards the way she writes and what she has to do so as to pass the exams and to write essays as the other students do.
What Frank tells makes her feel that she needs to change her writing style since she tends to express her inner thoughts and feelings. So she considers that they have to start again since she feels that her work till then is not enough to achieve her goal.
3 comments:
I definitely agree with you on Rita's reasons for missing Frank's party, Laura...
So far, college has taught Rita that "everything" about her is wrong, unacceptable... How often does school do this? (thinking in terms of socio-cultural classes). Do we, as teachers, have any responsibility towards learners from different socio-cultural backgrounds?
As regards Rita's essay, remember our discussion about "social conformity" in class? What Frank is telling Rita is that, to be accepted by this community, she'll need to conform... What would this imply? As a teacher, do you think it right to "force" students to conform to standards set by somebody else? Who would that be?
We'll be in touch,
Gladys
I think that we as teachers are not responsible towards learners with different backgrounds, but we have some responsibility as regard their “staying” at school. That is, we teachers are the ones who should make feel all the students that what they know or the customs they have are not wrong or unacceptable as they may thought just because they are different than the rest of the students. I think that we are responsible in that way.
To me, it is not right to force students to conform to standards set by somebody else since through this they are asked in a way to “reject” their identity and this is not good at all.
WOW, Laura! I just felt like clapping and cheering with every powerful line of your short comment! 8-)
So, having agreed on the idea that teachers are morally responsible for promoting student retention and self-acceptance of their own identity, in particular in the case of students from different socio-cultural backgrounds... can you think of at least three concrete ways you might do this in your teaching?
Looking forward to reading your answer!
Big hug,
Gladys
PS: have you noticed Rita's search for her own identity all throughout Act 2? Enjoy!
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