“Our Day out” by Willie Russell Essay

Our daylight out by Willie Russell is an ener nailic and humorous play, near a train trip to Conwy castle. The progress var., a class for illiterate children, argon on a trip to Wales where the liberal Mrs Kay and the severe Mr Briggs arrest completely different ideas about the day should be organised.Mrs Kay and Mr Briggs possess two distinct personalities that clash frequently throughout the play and Willie Russell presents both(prenominal) in an disporting and comical way in his drama.Mrs Kay is a large-hearted and fun teacher who treats the children as if they were her own. She always reminds me of a mother hen rather than a teacher. Mr Briggs says this and it sums up exactly what Mrs Kay is handle and her military capability to the children.Her aim on the school trip is for everyone to have fun with the however rule being approximate of yourselves but also think of others. She authentically cares for the children and wants them to have an pleasant day out to ass uage the social harm that they find themselves up against.Mr Briggs ideology of the children is contrary to Mrs Kays. Mr Briggs is a strict, intolerant and ex teacher who is has firm standards and is scratchy towards the students. Stop Slater, walkwalk You, soncome here. Now stop. All of youstop Mr Briggs is shouting as the children get off the coach but Mrs Kay casually walks past and pours out any(prenominal) coffee.At the zoo, Mr Briggs lightens up a little and we get to master more than of the soft and loving side that he conceals in favour of the harsh and angry one. He is enjoying himself when he explains about all of the different carnal types to the children, and in the caf with Mrs Kay, he even offers to do a small launching at school with some slides. I didnt think the kids who came to you would be too interested in animals. He is pleasantly surprised with the interest of the children in a topic that he holds close to this heart. However, all the refs hopes of Mr Briggs turning squeamish are dashed when the children attempt to slide the animals and he returns with vengeance back to the old Mr Briggs, and, with a face of yaup, shouts at the childrenagain.Mrs Kay understands that a lot of the children come from a deprived scene and sympathises with their predicament. She shows this when she chooses to go on the side of the Progress Class when they attempt to steal some animals from the zoo. Well Id suggest that if you want the topsy-turvyness to stop then you should stop seeing it as chaosIts too late for them. Most of them were rejects the day they were borncant we try and give them a skinny day out She realises that it was plausibly the closest that they would ever get to an animal and many were just over-excited at the prospect of having something that they would never have.Mr Briggs encounter with carol Chandler is a defining importee of the play because when Carol is on the top of the cliff we can see that Mr Briggs does not kno w what it is like to be Carol and children like her in that situation. He is pointn aback at the fact that Carol dialogue back at him which he is not use to. Carol doesnt want to go back to school, she dreams of living in a nice place and has really enjoyed the outing. Briggs thinks she is just being stubborn but what has Carol got to go back to in Liverpool? Briggs begins to see that she is a unforesightful, innocent girl whom no one loves. After the incident with Carol, Mr Briggs changes, he sees the world from her perspective.He becomes more relaxed, insists on a visit to the fair and lets the children treat him like they do Mrs Kay. At the fair he starts to have fun with the children and more or less are astounded at his military posture change I didnt know you was like that, sir. Y know, all right for a joke an that. However, as the coach nears Liverpool, reality returns, and Mr Briggs purposely destroys the photo film, which held evidence of his changed kinship with t he Progress Class.It is plainly evident in the play, that Mr Briggs is the better teacher academically than Mrs Kay. The headmaster asked Mr Briggs to go along on the school trip carry things in some sort of order and the headmaster describes Mrs Kays lieu to education as one long game. This epitomises Mrs Kays attitude to teaching as something that should be fun, entertaining and not too serious. Mrs Kay whitethorn be an incompetent teacher, but the questionthat needs to be asked is fag end the Progress Class be directd? Mrs Kay doesnt seem to think so and is more interested in letting them have an enjoyable childhood than in expanding their knowledge.Teach them? Teach them what? Youll never teach them because zippo knows what to do with themthey havent got anything to aim forI think Willie Russell intends us to sympathise with Mr Briggs and with the children in the Progress Class, especially Carol Chandler.The children are from poor background and have no hope for the future. Carol Chandlers school uniform doubles as a street outfit and her sunlight best. This shows just how poor the children are their best clothes are their school uniform. Carol, who dreams of being in a nice place, is probably the child worst affected because she has no one to love and no one to love her. She comes from a rough neighbourhood because she says Thats why we never have nothing nice round our way cosine wed just smash it up. She took the guinea pig and was ardent towards it because it was something that was her own and something that she could love. Also, the other children seem to ostracise her and the only person she seems to have a proper conversation with is Mrs Kay.Mr Briggs is an intelligent man trying to educate puerile students. All throughout the play he means sound to the children and it is a real stab-in-the heart when Carol says I know you loathe me. Ive seen you goin home in your car, passin us on the street. And the way y look at us. You hate all th e kids When he tells off kids, they take it but afterwards they just ignore him and carry on as normal. He is also the only teacher who doesnt realise (until after the Carol Chandler incident) that the Progress Class are incapable of being educated.Our Day Out by Willie Russell is a funny and light-hearted play but with lashings of hidden messages. Wille Russell presents the characteristics of Mr Briggs and Mrs Kay very interestingly and with good humour. We are left with a feeling of ambivalence at the end when Mr Briggs destroys the camera film.Has he changed for good or was it just a one off?