AQA GCSE English Literature
AQA GCSE English Literature Leave Taking Exam Questions
Free AQA GCSE English Literature practice questions for Leave Taking. Covers winsome Pinnock's Leave taking: Enid, Del, Viv, Mai and Brod, migration, identity, belonging, mothers and daughters, racism.
Leave Taking practice questions
1 pack of exam-style practice questions for Leave Taking. Plan and write as many answers as you can under timed conditions, then compare them with the guidance on this page and your notes.
About AQA GCSE English Literature Leave Taking
Leave Taking is one of the modern drama texts for AQA GCSE English Literature Paper 2, Section A, where you answer one essay question from a choice of two, with no extract. Winsome Pinnock's play, first staged in 1987, follows Enid Matthews, a Jamaican-born single mother in North London, and her British-born daughters, Del and Viv. When Enid's mother dies in Jamaica, buried tensions about home, identity and the past come to the surface. Examiners reward analysis of Pinnock's dialogue, characterisation and staging, linked to context about Caribbean migrants in Britain.
Key themes, characters and context
- Enid A hard-working, proud single mother who wants her daughters to succeed and be accepted in England. She has hidden her poor upbringing in Jamaica and her painful past, and the news of her mother's death forces her to face them.
- Del The rebellious elder daughter. After Enid slaps her she leaves home and moves in with Mai, slowly becoming drawn to obeah, and in the final scene she reads her mother's palm, a sign of a new understanding between them.
- Viv The studious younger daughter, on course for university. She is frustrated that the books she studies say nothing about people like her family and wants to learn about the Caribbean.
- Mai An obeah woman whom Enid consults for help. She takes Del in and offers a link to Caribbean tradition and spiritual healing.
- Brod An old family friend who has known Enid since childhood and has lived in London for over 30 years. Bitter about racism and colonialism, he tells the daughters truths about Enid's past, including the violence she suffered from her husband.
- Context Caribbean migrants who came to Britain from 1948 onwards often faced racism in housing, work and daily life. The play explores what 'home' means for them and for their British-born children.
Common mistakes in Leave Taking
- Treating Enid as simply strict or cold. Explain how poverty, migration and a violent marriage have shaped her hopes and fears for her daughters.
- Calling Brod Enid's brother. He is an old family friend who has known her since childhood, which is why he can reveal her past.
- Writing about context without linking it to specific characters' words and choices, such as Brod's anger or Enid's wish to fit in.
- Forgetting it is a play. Discuss stage directions, dialogue and contrasts between scenes.
- Retelling events. Each paragraph needs a clear point about Pinnock's methods and purposes.
Try three Leave Taking practice questions
1. How does Pinnock present the relationship between Enid and Del in Leave Taking? Write about: what happens between Enid and Del; how Pinnock presents their relationship by the ways she writes. (30 marks + 4 marks for AO4)
Show what a strong answer includes
A strong answer would trace their conflict from the slap that drives Del out, through her time with Mai and Brod's revelations, to the closing scene; analyse dialogue and stage directions; and link to generational tensions in Caribbean families in Britain.
2. How does Pinnock explore ideas about home and belonging in Leave Taking? Write about: what different characters think about Britain and Jamaica; how Pinnock presents these ideas by the ways she writes. (30 marks + 4 marks for AO4)
Show what a strong answer includes
A strong answer would compare Enid's wish to be accepted, Brod's bitterness, Viv's search for her history and Del's journey with Mai; consider how her mother's death changes Enid; and link to the experience of Caribbean migrants.
3. How does Pinnock use the character of Mai in Leave Taking? Write about: what Mai says and does; how Pinnock uses Mai to present ideas about heritage and healing. (30 marks + 4 marks for AO4)
Show what a strong answer includes
A strong answer would discuss Enid's visit to Mai, Mai taking Del in, Del's growing interest in obeah and the final scene; consider Mai as a link to Caribbean tradition; and analyse how she helps both mother and daughter change.
Leave Taking FAQs
What does AQA GCSE English Literature Leave Taking cover?
It covers the whole play, including Enid, Del, Viv, Mai and Brod, and themes of migration, identity, belonging, racism and mother and daughter relationships.
Which paper is Leave Taking examined in?
It is examined in Paper 2, Section A (modern texts), where you choose one of two essay questions with no extract, worth 30 marks plus 4 for spelling, punctuation and grammar (AO4).
How do I revise Leave Taking?
Learn what happens in each scene, especially the news of Enid's mother's death, Del moving in with Mai, Brod's revelations and the final scene, and collect short quotations for each character.
