Family Ties

This chapter explores the different ways in which family and friendship are represented in Pinnock&s;s plays. It examines the dramatisation of the tension between ties of affection and obligation, the presence or absence of family support networks and the pressures placed on these relationships by socio-cultural conditions. Through analysis of One Under and Taken, the chapter considers the dramatisation of racial and social injustice and the impact it has on families whose children are taken into care or adopted. The chapter also draws on the work of Patricia Hill Collins&s; work on mothering in African-American communities to consider the importance of female-centred networks in Pinnock&s;s plays, particularly Leave Taking and A Hero&s;s Welcome .