Topic 13 - Shared knowledge and absurdist drama (Session A) > Our schematic knowledge of a typical tutorial > Task A

Our schematic knowledge of a typical tutorial

Task A – Our answer

Former Language and Style students, like us, expected the tutor to be male (even today there are more male lecturers than female ones, even in Arts subjects, and in 1980 the balance would have been even more male-dominated). They also expected him to be middle class, speak standard English and (in spite of the fact that almost none of their own male tutors are like this) be conservatively dressed, with a (brown tweed?) jacket and tie. They came up with ‘respectable-sounding’ names like Peter and David.

These schematic expectations are all realised in the film of the play – in other words the tutor conforms solidly to our schematic expectations. He is called Frank, a name which correlates with the expectations, and is played by Michael Caine. Frank is dressed in a tweed jacket and tie, and has short, well-groomed hair.

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