The presentation of the matriarchy in Winsome Pinnock's 'Leave Taking'
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain the ways in which ‘Leave Taking’ is a social commentary on the experiences of women.
Key learning points
- ‘Leave Taking’ is dedicated to Pinnock’s mother.
- ‘Leave Taking’ starts with two epigraphs from two feminist critics.
- Enid, Mai, Mooma and Del are all presented as strong matriarchs.
- Enid, Mai, Mooma and Del’s experiences could reflect the expectations of strength placed on Caribbean matriarchs.
- ‘Leave Taking’ could be interpreted as social commentary on the experiences of women.
Keywords
Feminist critic - an academic who explores how texts present the role and place of women in society
Social commentary - a text which explores and critiques particular problems in society
Matriarch - a woman who rules, leads or controls a family
Epigraph - a short quotation at the beginning of a text which suggests some of its important themes
Centrality - the quality of being the most important or significant to something, or being central to it
Common misconception
'Leave Taking' is a commentary on the experiences of all women.
Pinnock presents the unique stories of her created characters. The centrality of women suggests she is making some sort of social comment, but she is not generalising about every single woman's experience of the world.
Teacher tip
Alice Walker and Simone de Beauvoir are both important and controversial figures. Consider if your pupils will know of them, and how you will manage (and time) the discussion to focus on their relevance to the interpretation of 'Leave Taking'.
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
6 Questions
Q1.A matriarch is a woman who rules, leads or controls a family. Which of the characters in 'Leave Taking' are presented as matriarchs?
Q2.In 'Leave Taking', why is the character of Mai important to the Caribbean community in North London?
Q3.In Scene Four of 'Leave Taking', Enid tells Viv things about her mother. What do we find out?
Q4.In Scene Five of 'Leave Taking', Viv offers to help Del with the her baby when it is born. How does Del respond?
Q5.In 'Leave Taking', the characters of Del and Enid are often present in conflict. How does Pinnock draw attention to their similarities?
Q6.In Scene Six of 'Leave Taking', what does Mai describe as "dead" to express her her emotional exhaustion?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Who does Pinnock dedicate 'Leave Taking' to?
Q2.In her introduction to 'Leave Taking', Pinnock says that when she re-reads her play now, she sees her "younger self consulting with my ...".
Q3.In Scene Six of 'Leave Taking', what one-word quotation does Enid use to describe the feeling of pressure on her chest?
Q4.Is the answer true or false? In her introduction to 'Leave Taking', Pinnock says that her mother was a "single parent" at a time when there was still "stigma" surrounding such things.
Q5.An is a short quotation at the beginning of a text which suggests some of its important themes.
Q6.Pinnock begins 'Leave Taking' with two epigraphs from which two feminist critics?
To help you plan your 11 English lesson on: The presentation of the matriarchy in Winsome Pinnock's '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 matriarchy in Winsome Pinnock's '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.