Our Day Out by Willy Russell Essay Example

Our Day Out by Willy Russell Essay There are many ways in which Willy Russell uses comedy and pathos in our day out to entertain or to influence his audience and make them consider social and educational issues of the time in which the play was set. The social issues we are asked to consider include inner city deprivation, the futures of less able children and the 1970s economic recession. The main educational issue explored in the play is how to educate children like those in Mrs Kays progress class, whether to follow Mrs Kays liberal or Mr. Briggs traditional view. The most immediately clear characteristic of the play is that it is humorous. One of the ways Willy Russell uses comedy through out the play is to use humorous incidents or scenes. In scene twenty-nine the children are leaving the zoo, just as the coach is about to leave the zoo keeper is forced to run out and stop the bus because the children have stolen all of the animals. The children had succeeded in smuggling the animals onto the bus without a member of staff realising, and this sudden appearance of the animals would also be surprising and amusing for the audience. The scene is also funny because of the reaction of Mr. Briggs. He shouts at the children saying I trusted you. We will write a custom essay sample on Our Day Out by Willy Russell specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Our Day Out by Willy Russell specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Our Day Out by Willy Russell specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer This is ironic and funny because Mr. Briggs has been the only teacher whos been suspicious of the children from the start and knew they were up to no good. This is an example of how Russell often creates comedy at the expense of Briggs. Another way in which Russell creates comedy is through character. The funniest character is probably Reilly who is a typical teenage kid, meaning he mainly speaks his mind etc. A good example of why he is amusing is the scene in which Reilly answers back to Colin, a member of staff, Ill show her the woods for y sir. Reilly is talking about Colins girlfriend, who is also another member of staff. By saying this he knows he is annoying him and shows the audience how he speaks his mind. The way Reilly speaks is also typical of the kids in the play. Reilly speaks in a stereotypically scouse way when he says things such as Ta, me old man, y and yve. Also, Russell writes his script phonetically to make sure the actors speak in a scouse accent. The audience find this amusing because a scouse accent, to other people, may sound funny to start with and most people relate scousers to being ether thugs or funny. It is also important because there are issues to do with stereotyping in the play. Russell may be challenging his audience through their initial reactions to these kids and the way they speak. One of the most important aspects of the play is the way Russell combines comedy and pathos in order to make the audience react in a powerful way. For example, there is the scene where Briggs asks Andrews why he smokes, Andrew replies Sir, Sir, me mum says nottn about it but when me dad comes home, Sir, Sir, he belts me because I wont give him one. This is funny because any typical parent would not allow their child to smoke, never mind asking for one. However we are then made to analyse why we are laughing and afterwards, we may feel guilty because we think how we are brought up compared to him, knowing right from wrong. Therefore, Russell has made us consider the social issues through making us laugh. There are areas in the play where Russell appears to be using pathos deliberately in order to influence and affect the audience. When the children visit the zoo, they see a brown bear in a pit, Russell is actually using symbolism to explore contrasting opinions about the kids situations. And dont forget it was born in captivity so it wont know any other sort of life, this is Mr. Briggs talking to the children about the bear, it also makes the audience think, he could also be talking about the children. It kills them cos theyre cruel to it. They keep it in a pit so when it gets out its bound to be mad an wanna kill people. Dont you see? This also makes us think about their life and their connection to the bear. I think Willy Russell wants the audience to side more with Ronson (the last quote) than with Briggs in this scene. He shows through Carol Chandler that the kids do know other ways of living. I like them nice places Y know them nice places on the telly. Where they have gardens an trees outside an that. This proves that Mr. Briggs was wrong and unlike the bear, the children do know other sorts of lifes and understand the situation that they are in, meaning inner city deprivation. Carol is used throughout the play to illustrate social and educational issues. At the very start of the play we are made to sympathise with her, Carol rushes along the street wearing a school uniform which doubles as a street outfit and her Sunday best. This makes the audience side with Carol straight away as they feel sorry for her. Carols appearance illustrates the poverty in inner- city Liverpool in the 1970s. There was a large amount of unemployment owing to the closure of factories and the docks. This is linked to inner city deprivation. When the Children finally arrive at Conwy Castle Mr Briggs and Mrs Kay disagree about how best to educate the children. Teach them? Teach them what? Youll never teach them because nobody knows what to do with them , Mrs Kay disagrees with Mr. Briggs who thinks that to teach the children you should be firm (the old fashioned way). Mrs. Kay however clearly states that the children should be treated fairly and has little hope for their futures. When Mrs Kay speaks about how the kids are being brought up to be nothing more than factory fodder, she could take her argument even further. Unemployment was so widespread in Liverpool in the 1970s, that the progress children had little prospects of any job at all. The fact that Carol is willing to stay in Wales at the end of the play, and even considers jumping off a cliff rather than returning, illustrates how hopeless her life and prospects are. The same for all the other children in Liverpool at that time. In my own opinion, I think that Willy Russells main aim was to influence his audience by entertaining them. There are so many examples in the play were a funny incident is in fact more than it seems and makes the audience think. For example the best incident is were Brigs is talking to Andrews about smoking, Andrews says that his dad beats him up because he wont give him one. This is just one of many examples were by Russell uses what seems to be funny incidents but when thought about them more carefully, turns into pathos.