“Dialogue brings characters to life for us.
Discuss this with reference to your prescribed text and ONE other text of your choice.”
Dialogue involves both spoken and non-verbal communication between characters. The use of dialogue in the play Educating Rita (a spoken text, presented to the responders in written form) by Willy Russell and the film, Good Will Hunting by Gus Van Sant, explore the way dialogue brings characters to life for the responders. Through the use of language, humour, facial expressions, body language and stage directions, the themes of education, social class and change are conveyed to the responders and through these techniques, the characters are brought to life.
In Educating Rita, through the register, the responder is exposed to the characters’ backgrounds and identities. Rita speaks in local dialect, filled with slang and swearing which reflects her social and cultural background. Rita shortens and runs some words together, revealing her working class status. “Y’ wanna be careful with that stuff, it kills y’ brain cells.” Her expressions also reinforce her working class background as she uses such phrases as “taking the piss”. It is also shown through her initial pronouncement “You’re bleedin’ mad you, aren’t you?” This shows her honest, down to earth approach to life, which Frank admires, and which encourages the responders to empathise with Rita.
In contrast, Frank uses formal language, speaking like an academic, reflecting his status and educational background. “It’s supposed to embrace a more comprehensive studentship, yes.” Throughout the text, he maintains a strong grasp of descriptive language and chooses his words for effect, revealing his scholarly, elevated status. He uses words to impress and control conversation. “You’re going to have to suppress, perhaps even abandon your uniqueness.” However, he starts to relax his language and attitudes as his relationship with Rita deepen, seeing Rita as a breath of fresh air in his stale world. As the play progresses, Rita’s language, like herself, changes on purpose, as she struggles to fit into the academic society, to be like the other students in the university. However, her reaction to her flatmate Trish’s attempted suicide makes her realise that the real growth for her has been the realisation that she has choices now.
Furthermore, Russel provides interesting and vivid personas in his use of humour to shape and reveal characters’ emotions and relationships. An example of this type of wit takes place when Rita interprets what Frank says literally, which causes a misunderstanding between the two characters, making the characters more believable. “Howard’s End? Yeh. It sounds filthy, doesn’t it? E. M. Forster.” This emphasises Rita’s educational background, which is lacking in a knowledge of literature and also shows her directness of speech. Frank is often humorous, such as when he said he sometimes gets an urge to throw something through a window, a student usually. He is also sarcastic, for example “she left me for the good of literature.” Rita takes both of these comments literally, which results in a humourous play with words. Misunderstandings often arise from their humour, when Rita tries to joke about Frank’s name “Y’ know Frank, Frank Ness, Elliot’s brother”, he doesn’t understand, because the reference is too pop culture rather than literary. When Frank tells Rita that his girlfriend Julia “spends a great deal of time putting her head in the oven”, Rita replied “Does she try an’ do herself in?” interpreting whether Julia is trying to kill herself. The differences in the way they use language illustrate the difference in their temperaments and how Rita and Frank are from two different backgrounds.
In “Good Will Hunting”, Gus Van Sant presents the characters’ state of mind and emotions through the use of their facial expressions and body language, allowing the responders to analyse and be part of the characters. This is evident in the scene where Shane McGuire, Will’s psychologist gets Will to repeat, “It’s not my fault”, which helped him to break through his childhood scars and enabled him to cry. Will’s facial expressions show his fear of admitting his desires to embrace his new opportunities in life, for example working in the National Security Agency (NSA), as it would be betraying his friends and class status. In the scene where Will and Skylar break up and he says hurtful things, Will is pushing her away because he doesn't think he deserves her. The composer shows this by the use of Will and Skylar’s body language, reluctant to let their partners go but expressing the opposite physically. The utilisation of close up camera techniques is effectively used in illustrating the details of the characters’ body language and facial expressions, for the responders to analyse and gain greater understanding of the characters.
Dialogue reveals emotions, relationships and themes, and conveys aspect of the characters, bringing them to life. As Rita gains confidence through her education, she changes her language and attitudes. While Rita’s speech becomes more educated, Frank’s becomes more questioning and insecure. Will in Good Will Hunting is needy but doesn’t want to admit it, however through the dramatic interaction with Sean, Will begins to realise his opportunity and seizes the day-carpe dieum. Indeed, through the use of dialogue in these texts, characters are realistically revealed and brought to life for the responders.
Discuss this with reference to your prescribed text and ONE other text of your choice.”
Dialogue involves both spoken and non-verbal communication between characters. The use of dialogue in the play Educating Rita (a spoken text, presented to the responders in written form) by Willy Russell and the film, Good Will Hunting by Gus Van Sant, explore the way dialogue brings characters to life for the responders. Through the use of language, humour, facial expressions, body language and stage directions, the themes of education, social class and change are conveyed to the responders and through these techniques, the characters are brought to life.
In Educating Rita, through the register, the responder is exposed to the characters’ backgrounds and identities. Rita speaks in local dialect, filled with slang and swearing which reflects her social and cultural background. Rita shortens and runs some words together, revealing her working class status. “Y’ wanna be careful with that stuff, it kills y’ brain cells.” Her expressions also reinforce her working class background as she uses such phrases as “taking the piss”. It is also shown through her initial pronouncement “You’re bleedin’ mad you, aren’t you?” This shows her honest, down to earth approach to life, which Frank admires, and which encourages the responders to empathise with Rita.
In contrast, Frank uses formal language, speaking like an academic, reflecting his status and educational background. “It’s supposed to embrace a more comprehensive studentship, yes.” Throughout the text, he maintains a strong grasp of descriptive language and chooses his words for effect, revealing his scholarly, elevated status. He uses words to impress and control conversation. “You’re going to have to suppress, perhaps even abandon your uniqueness.” However, he starts to relax his language and attitudes as his relationship with Rita deepen, seeing Rita as a breath of fresh air in his stale world. As the play progresses, Rita’s language, like herself, changes on purpose, as she struggles to fit into the academic society, to be like the other students in the university. However, her reaction to her flatmate Trish’s attempted suicide makes her realise that the real growth for her has been the realisation that she has choices now.
Furthermore, Russel provides interesting and vivid personas in his use of humour to shape and reveal characters’ emotions and relationships. An example of this type of wit takes place when Rita interprets what Frank says literally, which causes a misunderstanding between the two characters, making the characters more believable. “Howard’s End? Yeh. It sounds filthy, doesn’t it? E. M. Forster.” This emphasises Rita’s educational background, which is lacking in a knowledge of literature and also shows her directness of speech. Frank is often humorous, such as when he said he sometimes gets an urge to throw something through a window, a student usually. He is also sarcastic, for example “she left me for the good of literature.” Rita takes both of these comments literally, which results in a humourous play with words. Misunderstandings often arise from their humour, when Rita tries to joke about Frank’s name “Y’ know Frank, Frank Ness, Elliot’s brother”, he doesn’t understand, because the reference is too pop culture rather than literary. When Frank tells Rita that his girlfriend Julia “spends a great deal of time putting her head in the oven”, Rita replied “Does she try an’ do herself in?” interpreting whether Julia is trying to kill herself. The differences in the way they use language illustrate the difference in their temperaments and how Rita and Frank are from two different backgrounds.
In “Good Will Hunting”, Gus Van Sant presents the characters’ state of mind and emotions through the use of their facial expressions and body language, allowing the responders to analyse and be part of the characters. This is evident in the scene where Shane McGuire, Will’s psychologist gets Will to repeat, “It’s not my fault”, which helped him to break through his childhood scars and enabled him to cry. Will’s facial expressions show his fear of admitting his desires to embrace his new opportunities in life, for example working in the National Security Agency (NSA), as it would be betraying his friends and class status. In the scene where Will and Skylar break up and he says hurtful things, Will is pushing her away because he doesn't think he deserves her. The composer shows this by the use of Will and Skylar’s body language, reluctant to let their partners go but expressing the opposite physically. The utilisation of close up camera techniques is effectively used in illustrating the details of the characters’ body language and facial expressions, for the responders to analyse and gain greater understanding of the characters.
Dialogue reveals emotions, relationships and themes, and conveys aspect of the characters, bringing them to life. As Rita gains confidence through her education, she changes her language and attitudes. While Rita’s speech becomes more educated, Frank’s becomes more questioning and insecure. Will in Good Will Hunting is needy but doesn’t want to admit it, however through the dramatic interaction with Sean, Will begins to realise his opportunity and seizes the day-carpe dieum. Indeed, through the use of dialogue in these texts, characters are realistically revealed and brought to life for the responders.