The presentation of the male characters in Winsome Pinnock's in 'Leave Taking'
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain the choices Pinnock made about the male characters in ‘Leave Taking’.
Key learning points
- Arguably, Pinnock centres women’s voices in ‘Leave Taking’.
- The character of Brod is the only onstage male character.
- Brod serves many important dramatic functions.
- Enid’s husband is an important off stage character.
- References to Enid’s husband help audiences understand the character of Enid and aspects of 1980s Britain.
Keywords
Dramatic function - the purpose of the character: how they help a playwright develop, emphasise and reveal certain ideas
Catalyst - something that causes a change or event to occur
Foil - a character who contrasts with another character
Insight - the ability to gain precise and profound (deep) understanding of someone or something
Develop - to increase, deepen and grow
Common misconception
You can't explore the dramatic function of off stage characters.
Off stage characters can help develop a world beyond the stage itself, grounding the play in its own reality.
Teacher tip
Consider how long pupils will need to create the table in learning cycle 2. It requires looking at 5 of the play's 8 scenes, with a focus on Enid's husband- often fleeting references. Once you have worked out the timing for this (and feedback), you can work out the timing for the rest of the lesson.
Equipment
You need access to a copy of Winsome Pinnock's 'Leave Taking' published by Nick Hern Books.
Content guidance
Contains strong language
Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
5 Questions
Q1.In Scene Seven of 'Leave Taking', what does Brod tell Del?
Q2.Why does Del leave home in Scene Two of 'Leave Taking'?
Q3.The character of Brod is in three scenes of 'Leave Taking'. Match these scenes to their plot points.
Brod questions Viv's Eurocentric education.
Brod talks to Enid about their past in Jamaica.
Brod tells Del about her mother's experience of domestic abuse.
Q4.In Scene One of 'Leave Taking', Mai asks Enid if she wants her husband back. How does Enid respond?
Q5.In Scene Eight of Leave Taking, what does Del mean when she refers to what the "that man" did to Enid?
Assessment exit quiz
5 Questions
Q1.Each of the words below will help you to analyse 'Leave Taking' as a play. Match the key words to their definitions.
the purpose of a character in a play
something that causes a change or event to occur
a character who contrasts with another character
the ability to gain precise and deep understanding of someone
to increase, deepen and grow
Q2.In 'Leave Taking', in what ways is Brod a foil to Enid?
Q3.In 'Leave Taking', Brod serves as a for Viv's questioning of the education system.
Q4.In 'Leave Taking', Enid's husband doesn't appear on stage but he is reference in a number of scenes. Match the scenes to the reference.
Enid tells Mai she doesn't want her husband back.
Del accuses her mother for being the reason her father left.
Enid tells Viv about her and her husband's plans before they migrated.
Brod tells Del that her father used to abuse her mother.
Del speaks of her father as "that man" knowing he abused her mother.
Q5.In Scene Seven of 'Leave Taking', Brod tells Del that her father faced racist attacks at work. What word beginning with 'e' is used to describe her father's eyes?
To help you plan your 11 English lesson on: The presentation of the male characters in Winsome Pinnock's in 'Leave Taking', download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 11 English lesson on: The presentation of the male characters in Winsome Pinnock's in 'Leave Taking', download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 4 English lessons from the Leave Taking: an intersectional analysis unit, dive into the full secondary English curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.