Winsome Pinnock’s ‘Leave Taking’: the character of Del | English

Starter quiz

In Scene One of 'Leave Taking', what does Del call obeah?

mumbo jumbo ✓

nonsense ✓

spooky dooky

voodoo ✓

healing
In Scene One of 'Leave Taking', Viv tells Del she wants to go to the West Indies. What reason does she give?

Her grandmother has asked to see her.

Mai suggested they go.

She knows Del wants to go and wants to go with her.

She knows it would please Enid.

Brod told her it will help her understand who she is. ✓
In Scene Two of 'Leave Taking', Del tells her mother that she is angry at "managers who treat us like the ______ of the low."

'lowest' ✓
In Scene Six of 'Leave Taking', Mai speaks of her son. What does she say of him?

He ran away from home, like Del.

He is at peace with his identity.

He didn't feel British despite being born in England. ✓

He was always dreaming of escape. ✓

She was an indulgent mother.
In Scene One of 'Leave Taking', Viv says she wants to visit the West Indies to find out about her cultural roots and thus become more secure in her identity. Del responds, "I ______ know who I am."

'already' ✓
In Scene One of 'Leave Taking', Mai tells Enid about her journey to becoming an obeah woman. Mai says her mother discovered she had the "______" when she was thirteen.

'gift' ✓

In Scene Five of 'Leave Taking', Mai describes becoming an obeah woman as her "______".

'calling' ✓
In Scene Two of 'Leave Taking', Del and Enid have their biggest conflict. Why is Del particularly angry with Enid?

because she is a first generation immigrant

because she is preparing excessively to for the Pastor's visit

because she feels Enid ignores racial discrimination ✓

because she feels Enid does not understand her experiences ✓

because Enid says she can no longer go out dancing
In 'Leave Taking', what are some of the challenges Del faces as a second generation immigrant?

She is the victim of racial discrimination. ✓

She was fired because she was a second generation immigrant.

She is treated as less important than other citizens. ✓

She can't get a job.

She is not afforded the same opportunities as other citizens. ✓
In Scene Seven of 'Leave Taking', what does Mai discover about Del?

that she is moving back in with her mother

that she stole a charm from her

that she has the "gift" of obeah ✓

that Del is pregnant

that she was the one who invited Brod over
In Scene Eight of 'Leave Taking', Enid and Del seem to reconcile. But Del still asks her mother, "Why did you have to make a big ______ of everything?".

'secret' ✓
In Scene Eight of 'Leave Taking', after Mai leaves Del to complete her first obeah reading, the stage directions describe Del moving "______ stage."

'centre' ✓

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Unlike Viv, Del appears uninterested in obeah and her culture at the start of the play.
Del feels her opportunities in life are hampered by the fact she is a second generation immigrant.
Del struggles to see where she fits in with both her family and Britain.
At the end of the play, Del’s calling to obeah could reflect a sense of understanding about her place in the world.

Del is uninterested in obeah until Mai realises it is her calling.

Del's interest in obeah is foreshadowed from Scene One onwards.

First generation immigrant - A person who was born in one country, but moves to live and establish their life in another country.
Second generation immigrant - People who have grown up in a country that at least one of their parents was not born in.
Discrimination - Unjust treatment of people based on certain characteristics. For example, race, gender, age.
Calling - A strong urge or impulse towards a particular career, or path in life.
Home - A place where you live. The word home is often connected to ideas of belonging, and security.