In what ways is ‘Leave Taking’ a social commentary on 1980s Britain?
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain the ways in which ‘Leave Taking’ is a social commentary on aspects of 1980s Britain.
Key learning points
- 'Leave Taking' could be interpreted as social commentary on 1980s Britain, particularly racist and classist attitudes.
- It could be argued that difficulties the characters face are based on the colour of their skin and their social class.
- Arguably, Enid places so much value on education as she believes it is a way of escaping their social class
- Pinnock includes two minor, off stage characters to develop her social commentary.
- Pinnock’s exploration of racism could reference racial tensions felt in Britain after increased migration following WW2.
Keywords
Intersectionality - a term describing how certain social categories (for example ethnicity, class, gender) can combine to create unique combinations of disadvantage or advantage
Social commentary - a text which explores and critiques particular problems in society
Racism - the unjust treatment of people based on the colour of their skin
Classism - unjust treatment of people based on their social class
Ethnicity - a way of grouping people who share certain attributes for example ancestry or language
Common misconception
There is no point talking about the minor characters in a play - they are not important.
Each character, no matter how seemingly insignificant, is crafted by the writer and placed in the text for a specific purpose. It is your job to consider what their purpose is.
Teacher tip
After learning cycle 2, pupils will have two topic sentences with multiple references to support these. Draw attention to the fact that they have about two thirds of an essay here, and consider how you want them to develop this - writing up the paragraphs as homework? Completing the plan?
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.When and where is 'Leave Taking' set?
Q2.Why did Enid, the heroine of 'Leave Taking', migrate to England?
Q3.In Scene Two, Del reminds Enid about a work Christmas party Enid attended. What happened at this party?
Q4.In Scene Two, Brod and Enid discuss one of their mutual friends, Gullyman. What does Brod say about this character?
Q5.Pinnock includes a number of minor, off stage characters in 'Leave Taking'. Match each character to what we know about them.
friend of Brod and Enid's; the subject of a racist attack
Enid invites him over; Brod criticises him for lack of fervour
a Pastor who lives in Jamaica that Enid and Brod recall fondly
Enid's mother, with whom she had a difficult relationship
a young man who is not comfortable with his British identity
Assessment exit quiz
5 Questions
Q1.In Scene Two of 'Leave Taking', we hear out about a character called Gullyman. How could you refer to him in an analytical essay?
Q2.In Scene Six of Leave Taking, what one-word quotation does Mai use to describe how her son never felt?
Q3.Some people argue 'Leave Taking' serves as a social commentary. What does it mean to be a social commentary?
Q4.In her introduction to 'Leave Taking', how does Pinnock describe the Britain that her parents migrated to in 1959?
Q5.In her introduction to 'Leave Taking', Pinnock tells us that her mother and father divorced at a time when a "stigma" still surrounded such things. What does the word stigma mean?
To help you plan your 11 English lesson on: In what ways is ‘Leave Taking’ a social commentary on 1980s Britain?, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 11 English lesson on: In what ways is ‘Leave Taking’ a social commentary on 1980s Britain?, 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.