the deliberate omission of certain events in a narrative, focusing on the aftermath rather than the events themselves

the act of leaving out or excluding something

having subtle or slight differences that add complexity and depth to something

the results that follow a significant event, often one that is destructive or disruptive

Exploring Pinnock's use of temporal ellipsis in 'Leave Taking'

English

In this unit, pupils explore how Pinnock's use of stragecraft in 'Leave Taking' contributes to the play's themes and ideas. They first look at an overview of the play's stagecraft before exploring different settings and techniques in detail. They finally write an essay on generational conflict.

Modern text: third deep dive

Subjects which particular individuals may be sensitive to, eg, adoption, migration, bereavement or death, divorce, poverty, deprivation.

Depiction or discussion of sensitive content

What is being described here: 'the omission of certain events or actions in the timeline of a play'?

Which of the below are true of temporal ellipses?

a character entering the stage describing a battle that has just happened

a character dying in front of the audience

a conversation where characters discuss a recent wedding that has taken place

Which of these are examples of temporal ellipses?

it gives the audience more details about the events

it allows the audience to speculate and infer about the missing events

it creates a less immersive experience for the audience

What effect does temporal ellipsis have on audience engagement?

How might showing an event on stage instead of using ellipsis change the impact on the play and audience?

the focus on the consequences and emotional impact

the clarity of Viv’s actions and motivations

In 'Leave Taking', what might be lost if Viv walking out of her exam was shown on-stage rather than omitted?

What is being described here: 'the act of leaving out or excluding something'?

A quickly written idea without much thinking

An idea that showed one interpretation of the text.

Which sentence best shows something nuanced?

In 'Leave Taking', Mooma's death takes place...

Enid has agreed that she can take a gap year

she wants to become an obeah woman rather than go to university

she wants to rebel against the formal education system

Why does Viv skip one of her A-level exams in Scene Five of 'Leave Taking'?

is taken to an obeah reading; wants to ask about her exam results

expresses that she wants to take a gap year

Viv appears in five scenes of 'Leave Taking'. Match her scenes to their plot points.

In 'Leave Taking', which character suggests that Viv should question what she is being taught at school?

Content guidance

Depiction or discussion of sensitive content

Adult supervision recommended

Starter Quiz