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English Literature Quiz - My Mother Said I Never Should - Dialogue (Questions)

Explore how Charlotte Keatley uses dialogue in My Mother Said I Never Should to reveal conflict, affection and secrecy between four generations of women.

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Fascinating Fact:

Jackie’s speech is more direct and questioning, using contemporary references and political ideas, which marks her as a daughter willing to challenge her mother’s values.

In GCSE English Literature, studying dialogue in My Mother Said I Never Should means looking at how characters’ words, silences and interruptions reveal family tensions, changing social attitudes and long hidden secrets.

Key Terms

  • Dialogue: The spoken exchanges between characters on stage, including how they speak and what they choose not to say.
  • Subtext: The hidden feelings or ideas suggested by a character’s words, tone or pauses rather than stated directly.
  • Interruptions: Moments when one character cuts across another, showing power, frustration or emotional pressure in conversation.

Frequently Asked Questions (Click to see answers)

How is dialogue used in My Mother Said I Never Should?

Dialogue in the play moves quickly between humour, argument and silence. It shows how the four women avoid the truth, tell half stories and sometimes finally speak honestly to one another.

How does Keatley show the generation gap through speech?

Keatley contrasts Doris’s careful, polite language with Margaret’s hesitations and Jackie’s more questioning voice. Their different ways of speaking highlight clashes over duty, work, relationships and what can be talked about.

How can I write about dialogue in my GCSE exam?

In your exam, select a short piece of dialogue and comment on word choice, interruptions and what is left unsaid. Then link these details to themes such as secrecy, family loyalty or changing roles for women.

Try These Related Quizzes

1. Match the dialogue to the correct speaker.

"We'll have less passion and more perseverance, please"
[ ] Rosie
[ ] Jackie
[ ] Margaret
[ ] Doris
2. Match the dialogue to the correct speaker.

"And we'll get some string, and take Mummy down by the railway line where there's a hole in the fence, and I think you have to put a stake through her heart"
[ ] Rosie
[ ] Jackie
[ ] Margaret
[ ] Doris
3. Match the dialogue to the correct speaker.

"Look at you now, a year ago you had everything, you were so excited about the art school, new friends, doing so well — "
[ ] Rosie
[ ] Jackie
[ ] Margaret
[ ] Doris
4. Match the dialogue to the correct speaker.

"Don't sound so worried. Why d'you always think things are your fault?"
[ ] Rosie
[ ] Jackie
[ ] Margaret
[ ] Doris
5. Match the dialogue to the correct speaker.

"You have to travel lots, and your work's the most important thing, isn't it"
[ ] Rosie
[ ] Jackie
[ ] Margaret
[ ] Doris
6. Match the dialogue to the correct speaker.

"I had a job once too. I know it was only teaching, but...."
[ ] Rosie
[ ] Jackie
[ ] Margaret
[ ] Doris
7. Match the dialogue to the correct speaker.

"Only think about her at night, her cheek against mine, soft and furry, like an apricot..."
[ ] Rosie
[ ] Jackie
[ ] Margaret
[ ] Doris
8. Match the dialogue to the correct speaker.

"Exactly. It's all my fault. He loved me, Mother....but he didn't want to share me"
[ ] Rosie
[ ] Jackie
[ ] Margaret
[ ] Doris
9. Match the dialogue to the correct speaker.

"When you're old...if you're rude...they just think your mind is going. They never understand that it's anger"
[ ] Rosie
[ ] Jackie
[ ] Margaret
[ ] Doris
10. Match the dialogue to the correct speaker.

"I hope lots of people came to your opening and thought your gallery was brill"
[ ] Rosie
[ ] Jackie
[ ] Margaret
[ ] Doris
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English Literature Quiz - My Mother Said I Never Should - Dialogue (Answers)
1. Match the dialogue to the correct speaker.

"We'll have less passion and more perseverance, please"
[ ] Rosie
[ ] Jackie
[ ] Margaret
[x] Doris
Doris is strict with Margaret concerning manners and education (and piano practice)
2. Match the dialogue to the correct speaker.

"And we'll get some string, and take Mummy down by the railway line where there's a hole in the fence, and I think you have to put a stake through her heart"
[ ] Rosie
[x] Jackie
[ ] Margaret
[ ] Doris
In the Wasteground, it is Jackie's idea to kill their mothers. As a character, she is the one with more self-blame than any of the others and also experiences everyone's hurt and anger
3. Match the dialogue to the correct speaker.

"Look at you now, a year ago you had everything, you were so excited about the art school, new friends, doing so well — "
[ ] Rosie
[ ] Jackie
[x] Margaret
[ ] Doris
Margaret wants Jackie to succeed in her education and career; she is disappointed in her daughter for having a baby at nineteen
4. Match the dialogue to the correct speaker.

"Don't sound so worried. Why d'you always think things are your fault?"
[x] Rosie
[ ] Jackie
[ ] Margaret
[ ] Doris
Rosie tells Jackie to stop blaming herself, warning that she will turn into Margaret, who also apologises constantly
5. Match the dialogue to the correct speaker.

"You have to travel lots, and your work's the most important thing, isn't it"
[x] Rosie
[ ] Jackie
[ ] Margaret
[ ] Doris
Rosie, who still believes Jackie to be her older sister, has absorbed the family's expectation that Jackie is the career woman. The family push Jackie into success while also resenting her for not visiting frequently enough
6. Match the dialogue to the correct speaker.

"I had a job once too. I know it was only teaching, but...."
[ ] Rosie
[ ] Jackie
[ ] Margaret
[x] Doris
Doris feels wistful for the career she once had but was unable to continue as a mother
7. Match the dialogue to the correct speaker.

"Only think about her at night, her cheek against mine, soft and furry, like an apricot..."
[ ] Rosie
[x] Jackie
[ ] Margaret
[ ] Doris
Jackie cannot cope in a tiny flat with a baby on her own and with friends who do not understand her differing priorities; at the same time she loves her daughter and grieves to give her up
8. Match the dialogue to the correct speaker.

"Exactly. It's all my fault. He loved me, Mother....but he didn't want to share me"
[ ] Rosie
[ ] Jackie
[x] Margaret
[ ] Doris
Margaret blames herself and her job for her husband leaving her, but is also bewildered because she had no other option than to work
9. Match the dialogue to the correct speaker.

"When you're old...if you're rude...they just think your mind is going. They never understand that it's anger"
[ ] Rosie
[ ] Jackie
[ ] Margaret
[x] Doris
Doris is filled with resentment from never speaking her mind and never asking for what she wanted. Faced with losing her home after her husband's death, she reflects on a lifetime's habit of not being honest about her feelings
10. Match the dialogue to the correct speaker.

"I hope lots of people came to your opening and thought your gallery was brill"
[x] Rosie
[ ] Jackie
[ ] Margaret
[ ] Doris
At the death of Margaret, Rosie finds out that Jackie is her birth mother, not her sister. She is angry with Jackie for not being present at Margaret's death and for a lifetime of lies
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