Leave Taking: Key Theme Quotations (AQA GCSE English Literature)
Revision Note
Written by: Helen Cunningham
Reviewed by: Kate Lee
Leave Taking: Key Theme Quotations
Here, we will analyse key quotes grouped according to the following themes:
Unbelonging and identity
Hope and aspiration
Family
Education
Having an extensive knowledge and understanding of the play will mean that you are able to answer any question that comes up in your exam to a high level, with quality evidence.
Unbelonging and identity
In Leave Taking, Pinnock explores the themes of feeling out of place and the discrepancy between a person’s understanding of their own identity and how it is viewed or interpreted by others.
“All me life I think of meself as British ... Call me an alien, as if me live for the last thirty years on the moon instead of this blasted estate” — Brod, Scene 2
What the quotation means
Brod's lines reflect his sentiment towards the British government's treatment of him
He expresses a sense of injustice, feeling that his identity has been stripped away with his citizenship
Analysis
This suggests that the treatment of Brod by the British government has changed how he perceives his own ethnic identity:
The simile “as if I was on the moon” suggests that the government sees Brod as a kind of “other”, epitomised by the use of the noun “alien”
However, in reality, he has been on the “estate” for “thirty years”
This juxtaposition of perspectives highlights the disconnect between how Brod's identity is perceived by the authorities and his own experience
Brod's statement about no longer feeling British suggests that the discrimination faced by the Windrush generation impacted their sense of belonging in the UK
This experience of discrimination is at odds with the colonial narrative of being British, leaving many feeling disconnected from the very identity they had been taught to embrace
Paired quotations
“(Broderick enters wearing an old suit. His tie hangs around his neck)” — Stage directions, Scene 2
“(Viv and Brod laugh)” — Stage directions, Scene 2
What the quotations mean
The first stage direction describes Brod entering Enid’s house at the start of Scene 2
The second stage direction comes later in the same scene
Analysis
These quotes demonstrate that the character of Brod needs a comfortable space to escape the pain and sadness caused by the discrimination against immigrants in the outside world:
His loosely-hanging tie might suggest his feelings of unbelonging, indicating the toll that the discriminatory society has taken on his appearance
It may also symbolise that he no longer wants to try to fit in by caring for his appearance
Enid’s flat provides a place of solace for Brod, allowing him to be himself and feel comfortable, in contrast to how he feels in the wider British community:
Groups in prejudicial societies often tend to form small communities, in order to obtain a feeling of belonging
Notably, Brod gets along well with both Enid and her daughters; the sense of community that he creates in the household reaches both the older and younger generations
Hope and aspiration
Leave Taking explores the hope conjured up by migration, education, and family. However, the play also examines the impact when these hopes and aspirations are undermined or shattered.
Paired quotations
“We were going to be big shots in London” — Enid, Scene 5
“Hear the other man say ‘show us yer tail, yer black monkey’ ... he used to love your mother now he can’t stand her: him come home from work bitter and tired” — Brod, Scene 7
What the quotations mean
The first quote is spoken by Enid as she recalls her and her husband's aspirations for their life in Britain
The second quote is spoken by Brod; it shows the reality of life in England and how negatively it affected the couple
Analysis
These quotes show the contrast between hopes of England and the reality of it, exposing the duality of hope and disillusionment:
The contrasting images of “big shots” and “black monkey” represent the enormous difference between their immigrant dream and the cruel reality of racism in England
The adjectives “bitter” and “tired” emphasise the damage that racial abuse caused Enid’s husband:
It is as though the abuse that he endured made him less of a person
Despite their hopes for a bright future, the discrimination Enid and her husband faced in Britain led to the breakdown of their marriage:
Being abused turned Enid’s husband into an abuser himself: he inflicted the pain that he felt upon his wife
Family
Pinnock explores connections that offer comfort and a sense of belonging, as well as the rifts that can develop within families due to societal pressures and unresolved issues. The play presents the complexities of familial bonds and their lasting impact on people.
“Go back to school and sit that exam ... (Del pushes Viv)” — Del, Scene 5
What the quotation means
This is an example of Del looking out for the best interests of her sister
Viv has skipped her English exam because she was unhappy with the curriculum
Analysis
Del does not want Viv to follow her path:
Del cares deeply about her sister’s education, and is highly aware of Viv’s intelligence and potential:
This moment is especially powerful because of how it relates to Del’s own failed education
Without anybody to support her or recognise her reading difficulties, Del was unable to succeed in school and began to rebel
Del is so vehement about Viv doing well she even tries to physically “push” her out of Mai’s bedsit:
This demonstrates the importance of family in looking after each other’s best interests
This also shows Del treating Viv with the same kind of tough love that Enid later admits to using on Del (Scene 8)
The implication is that Del and Enid are not as different as Del would like to believe
“Even the last time I go to home on visit everybody come round and say how I look sharp … But not she... She never say a word. Right up to the end she never say a word to me” — Enid, Scene 8
What the quotation means
These lines are spoken by Enid to Del at the end of the play and reveal the difficulties she experienced in her relationship with her own mother
Analysis
This highlights the long-lasting impact of poor family relations:
This is shown by the repetition of “she never says a word”, as it demonstrates the emotional impact of this event
The repetition of the pronoun “she” creates an accusatory tone, which demonstrates the anger and frustration she feels towards her mother as a result:
The pronoun “she” replaces the affectionate term, “Mooma”, which implies how distant Enid became from her mother
These lines are especially heartbreaking because of Enid’s mother’s death in Scene 3:
Part of Enid’s sadness comes from the fact that this family rift can never be healed: she will never be able to speak with her mother again
These lines make the eventual reconnection between Del and Enid all the more powerful:
Because Enid and Del were finally honest with each other, this mother-daughter relationship has a chance to heal, unlike that between Enid and her mother
Education
There is a generational divide between attitudes towards education. Enid highly values education for her daughters, firmly believing that “They can't take your education away from you” (Scene 2). In contrast, Del initially rejects formal education, highlighting a conflict between traditional values and the perspectives of the younger generation.
“(Stands, recites) ‘A dust whom England bore, shaped, made aware’” — Viv, Scene 2
What the quotation means
When Enid tells Viv to say who she is, she replies with this poem ‘The Soldier’ by Rupert Brooke:
It suggests that her mother wants her to feel English and not Jamaican
It also reveals the way that her education has emphasised the white, male, pre-Windrush English experience
Analysis
This implies that Enid is trying to make Viv feel English through education:
Viv’s rebelliousness in the play is a reaction to this, highlighting that people cannot be made to feel a way that they do not
The lines also highlight the irony of Viv’s situation as a second-generation immigrant:
Although she is forced to learn the words of this poem, her Jamaican heritage and family life proves that England is not solely responsible for the way she has been “shaped”
Viv’s ability to recite words from the poem demonstrates that her education has focused on English experience rather than diverse perspectives:
It suggests a lack of encouragement for original thought and can therefore be read as a criticism of the rigidness of the English curriculum
Even Enid, who wants her daughter to be “breathing English air”, is uncomfortable with how it makes her daughter sound:
As Viv speaks, stage directions reveal that Enid is “not quite sure how to take this”
Source
Pinnock, W. (2018). Leave Taking. NHB Modern Plays.
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