Starter quiz
- The character of Brod is in three scenes of 'Leave Taking'. Match the scenes to their plot points.
- Scene Two⇔spends an evening with Enid having dinner with a Pastor ✓
- Scene Three⇔is with Enid when she learns of her mother's death ✓
- Scene Seven⇔wakes up, hungover, at Mai's house after Enid throws him out ✓
- Brod, a character in 'Leave Taking', has an influence and impact on each of the Matthews women. Match his influence to the character.
- Enid⇔supports her, but also challenges the way she brings up her daughters ✓
- Viv⇔encourages her to explore her cultural heritage ✓
- Del⇔explains a difficult period of her mother's life to her ✓
- Enid and Brod, two characters from 'Leave Taking', are presented as having migrated from Jamaica to Britain post war. Why was there a mass migration movement from the West Indies to Jamaica after WW2?
- Jamaica was part of the Commonwealth: citizens had the right to enter Britain. ✓
- There was a labour shortage in Britain: people were encouraged to come and work. ✓
- Britain was a prosperous and welcoming country.
- Many Caribbeans had fought for Britain and had a strong sense of Britishness. ✓
- The housing available was affordable and luxurious.
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- In Scene One of 'Leave Taking', Enid says she wants to go to the West Indies because "______ says you don't know who you are 'less you've been there."
- 'Uncle Brod' ✓
- Like Enid and Brod in 'Leave Taking', Pinnock's parents migrated to Britain. Pinnock describes how they "didn't complain and ______ discussed hardships" despite the difficulties they faced in Britain."
- 'rarely' ✓
- In Scene Two of 'Leave Taking', Brod describes how he had to pay to become a British citizen in a naturalisation process. Why does this anger him so much?
- He already considered himself British; this process undermines his identity. ✓
- He has to naturalise himself, but also his family who he considers British.
- He has been extremely patriotic all his life. The process feels like a betrayal. ✓
- He has lived in Britain for over 30 years; his sense of home has been destroyed. ✓
- He can't believe how much it costs; he thinks it should be cheaper.
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Exit quiz
- Match these keywords, all important in the analysis of 'Leave Taking', to their definitions.
- catalyst⇔something or someone that causes a change or event to occur ✓
- foil⇔a character who contrasts with another character ✓
- dramatic function⇔the purpose of a character in the play ✓
- In 'Leave Taking', how are we first introduced to the character of Brod?
- through Del, who complains of his excessive drinking
- through Enid, who explains how much she relies on him
- when he comes to have dinner with the Pastor
- through Viv, who says that he has encouraged her to visit the West Indies ✓
- through Mai, who gives him an obeah reading
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- In 'Leave Taking', in what ways is Brod a foil to Enid?
- He doesn't have any children, unlike Enid.
- He has a dramatic function, unlike Enid.
- He criticises Britain, unlike Enid. ✓
- He criticises Viv, unlike Enid.
- He thinks Viv should explore her cultural heritage, unlike Enid. ✓
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- In her introduction to 'Leave Taking', Enid discusses the effect of the colonialist education her parents' generation received in Jamaica. What does she say of its effects?
- that it promoted British culture to the detriment of Jamaica's culture ✓
- that it created a one dimensional view of Britain ✓
- that is was a mainly positive use of colonialist force
- that it indoctrinated its citizens to believe Britain was unquestionably great ✓
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- In 'Leave Taking', why does Viv skip one of her A Level exams?
- Del encourages her to to get back at Enid.
- Brod is a catalyst for Viv's reacting against the British education system. ✓
- Brod tells her to so she can catalyse her exploration of Jamaica.
- Del is a catalyst for Viv's reacting against Enid after she leaves home.
- Pinnock uses this as a catalyst to explore her character.
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- In Scene Two of 'Leave Taking', Brod blames the legacy of colonialism for Jamaica's poverty. He states, "An' why they poor? Because a colonialism. Imperialism. ..."
- 'Vampirism' ✓
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Lesson Details
Key learning points
- Jamaica was colonised by the British in 1655.
- Until Jamaica achieved independence in 1962, its education system was largely Eurocentric.
- Arguably, Brod is a foil to Enid: he criticises British institutions, policies and attitudes in a way that she does not.
- Arguably, Brod is a catalyst for Viv’s questioning of her education.
Common misconception
Brod has never been patriotic.
Brod expresses that he loved and respected England until his naturalisation process which destabilised his sense of self and opened his eyes to some of the injustices he faces, in his present and his past.
Keywords
Indoctrinate - when you make people believe something; a less formal synonym is to brainwash
Catalyst - something that causes a change or event to occur
Foil - a character who contrasts with another character
Commonwealth - an international association of 56 independent countries, many of which used to be British colonies
Colonisation - when a country establishes control over another country, exploiting it for economic gain
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