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Year 10
AQA

An exploration of Scene Seven of Winsome Pinnock's 'Leave Taking'

I can explain what happens in Scene Seven of ‘Leave Taking’ including exploring its main themes.

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Year 10
AQA

An exploration of Scene Seven of Winsome Pinnock's 'Leave Taking'

I can explain what happens in Scene Seven of ‘Leave Taking’ including exploring its main themes.

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Share activities with pupils
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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Brod wakes up at Mai’s house after a night of excessive drinking.
  2. Enid has thrown Brod and Viv out of the house.
  3. Brod tells Del that her father’s attitude towards her mother changed after facing daily racial discrimination at work.
  4. Brod tells Del that her mother left her father to protect her and Viv.

Keywords

  • Vulnerable - If you are vulnerable, you are in a position where people can hurt you emotionally or physically.

  • Nanny of the Maroons - 18th century leader of the Jamaican Maroons; led formerly enslaved Africans against British colonialists.

  • Domestic abuse - Behaviour by a person in a family unit that is threatening, controlling, violent, degrading, or manipulative.

  • Migrate - When you relocate from one country to another.

  • Discrimination - Unjust treatment of people based on certain characteristics. For example race, gender, age.

Common misconception

Brod's drinking is appropriate and meant to be funny.

Both Enid and Del challenge Brod's drinking, and his scenes expose his unhappiness, isolation and vulnerability.

Consider how you will read Brod's speech about the domestic abuse Enid endured, and Brod's justification or explanation for it. Questions, class rules and classroom management should be carefully planned.
Teacher tip

Equipment

You need access to a copy of Winsome Pinnock's 'Leave Taking' published by Nick Hern Books.

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
  • Depiction or discussion of sexual violence
  • Depiction or discussion of mental health issues

Supervision

Adult supervision required

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Over the course of Scene One to Six of 'Leave Taking', what do we learn about Enid's husband?
Correct answer: He sent Enid a ticket to migrate to Britain after saving for a full year.
He was jealous of Brod.
Correct answer: Viv has no memory of him.
He drank excessively.
Correct answer: He left the family when the girls were extremely young.
Q2.
In Scene Two of 'Leave Taking', we learn about a friend of Brod's who was subject to a racist attack. What effect did this have on him?
He left England.
He started drinking excessively.
Correct answer: His heart was broken.
Correct answer: He started suffering from very poor mental health.
He returned the attack.
Q3.
In Scene Two of 'Leave Taking', Brod asks Viv if she has heard of 'Nanny a the Maroons'. Who is Nanny of the Maroons?
a relative of Enid's from Jamaica
Correct answer: leader of the Jamaican Maroons
a member of the Windrush generation
Correct answer: a warrior who led formerly enslaved Africans against British colonialists
Correct answer: an obeah woman, like Mai
Q4.
In Scene Three of 'Leave Taking', Enid expresses frustration with Brod, accusing him of spending 'half you life flat-out .'
Correct Answer: drunk, Drunk, drunk., 'drunk', Drunk.
Q5.
In Scene Four of 'Leave Taking', Enid recalls a night with her husband when they had both decided they would migrate to England. She says, 'We sit by we self and through the night.'
Correct Answer: plan, Plan, plan., Plan., 'plan'
Q6.
In Scene Five of 'Leave Taking', Viv gives Del the money Enid gave her for her university education. She tells Del that Enid would want Del to have it because 'You're her .'
Correct Answer: favourite, 'favourite', Favourite, Favourite., favourite.

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
In Scene Seven of 'Leave Taking', what does Brod reveal about Enid's relationship with her husband?
Correct answer: He faced racist discrimination at work.
Correct answer: Enid left him to protect her children.
He migrated back to Jamaica.
Correct answer: Her husband was abusive.
He drank excessively.
Q2.
In Scene Seven of 'Leave Taking', what do we learn about Brod's personal life?
He wants to marry Enid.
Correct answer: He rarely sees his children.
Correct answer: His wife and children live in Jamaica.
He is interested in Mai.
He never married.
Q3.
In Scene Seven of 'Leave Taking', what does Brod say when Del asks him if he loves Enid?
Correct answer: 'Not in that way.'
'Yes.'
'Love has teeth.'
'I'm finished with women.'
Correct answer: 'After everything we been through it hard to find you have any love left.'
Q4.
In Scene Seven of 'Leave Taking', Del says she doesn't want to know about her father's abuse of her mother. Brod challenges her, asking 'Why not?...Because you want to think of her as a ?'
Correct Answer: monster, Monster, monster., Monster., 'monster'
Q5.
In Scene Seven of 'Leave Taking', Brod reveals Enid's husband's behaviour: 'If they [colleagues] won't treat him like a human being outside, him make sure she [Enid] treat him like a '.
Correct Answer: king, King, king., King., 'king'
Q6.
In Scene Seven of 'Leave Taking', Brod tells Del that Enid kicked him and Viv out the house, justifying her actions by saying she ' too many people for too long.'
Correct Answer: carry, Carry, carry., 'carry', Carry.