Read the extract below two or three times, until
you feel you are reasonably familiar with it. As you do so, remember the
schematic assumptions we explored on the previous pager about tutors,
mature students and how you would expect them to interact in a first tutorial.
Jot down how you think these characters, and this interaction, compare
with what you would normally expect.
There are no ‘answers’ on this page
for you to compare your views with. Instead, when you have finished your
work on this page, go the next one, where we will analyse the extract
more carefully. You can then see in detail whether your reactions are
justified by an analysis of the text.
| FRANK stares at
RITA who stands by a desk |
| 1. FRANK: |
You are? |
| 2. RITA: |
What am I? |
| 3. FRANK: |
Pardon? |
| 4. RITA: |
What? |
| 5. FRANK |
(looking for the admission papers):
Now you are? |
| 6. RITA: |
I'm a what? |
| FRANK looks up
and then returns to the papers as RITA goes to hang her coat on
the door hooks. |
| 7. RITA |
(noticing the picture): That's a
nice picture, isn't it? (She goes up to it.) |
| 8. FRANK: |
Erm...yes. I suppose it is...nice. |
| 9. RITA |
(studying the picture): It's very
erotic. |
| 10. FRANK |
(looking up): Actually I don't think
I've looked at it for about ten years, but yes, I suppose it is. |
| 11. RITA: |
There's no suppose about it. Look at those tits. |
| FRANK coughs and
goes back to looking for the admission paper. |
| 12. RITA: |
Is it supposed to be erotic? I mean when he painted it do y'think
he wanted to turn people on? |
| 13. FRANK: |
Erm...probably. |
| 14. RITA: |
I'll bet he did y'know. Y'don't paint pictures like that just
so that people can admire the brush strokes do y'? |
| 15. FRANK |
(giving a short laugh): No...no
... you're probably right. |
| 16. RITA: |
This was the pornography of its day, wasn’t it? It’s
sort of like Men Only isn’t it? But in those days they had
to pretend it wasn’t erotic so they made it religious, didn’t
they? Do you think it’s erotic? |
| 17. FRANK |
(taking a look): I think it's very
beautiful. |
| 18. RITA: |
I didn't ask y' if it was beautiful. |
| 19. FRANK: |
But the term 'beautiful' covers the many feelings I have about
that picture, including the feeling that, yes, it is erotic. |
| 20. RITA |
(coming back to the desk): D'y'get
a lot like me? |
| 21. FRANK: |
Pardon? |
| 22. RITA: |
Do you get a lot of students like me? |
| 23. FRANK: |
Not exactly, no... |
| 24. RITA: |
I was dead surprised when they took me. I don't suppose they
would have done if it'd been a proper university. The Open University's
different though, isn't it? |
| 25. FRANK: |
I've...erm...not had much more experience of it than you. This
is the first O.U. work I've done. |
| 26. RITA: |
D'y'need the money? |
| 27. FRANK: |
I do as a matter of fact. |
| 28. RITA: |
It's terrible these days, the money, isn't it? With the inflation
an' that. You work for the ordinary university, don't y'? With the
real students. The Open University's different isn't it? |
| 29. FRANK: |
It's supposed to embrace a more comprehensive studentship, yes. |
| 30. RITA |
(inspecting a bookcase): Degrees
for dishwashers. |
| 31. FRANK: |
Would you...erm...like to sit down? |
| 32. RITA: |
No! Can I smoke? (She goes to her bag and
rummages in it.) |
| 33. FRANK: |
Tobacco? |
| 34. RITA: |
Yeh. (She half laughs.) Was that
a joke? (She takes out a packet of cigarettes
and a lighter.) Here - d'y'want one? (She
takes out two cigarettes and dumps the packet on the desk.) |
| 35. FRANK |
(after a pause): Ah...I'd love one. |
| 36. RITA: |
Well, have one. |
| 37. FRANK |
(after a pause): I...don't smoke.
I made a promise not to smoke. |
| 38. RITA: |
Well, I won't tell anyone. |
| 39. FRANK: |
Promise? |
