GCSE-Modern prose and drama – November 2021

‘Tollington is a strange and even frightening place to grow up in.’
How far do you agree with this view of Tollington in Anita and Me?
Write about:

• what Tollington is like
• how Syal presents Tollington.

Tollington is portrayed as a complicated and diverse location with both positive and negative features in Meera Syal’s “Anita and Me.” It would be oversimplified to paint Tollington in such a bad light, even while there are undoubtedly aspects about the town that are weird and even frightening.

Meena undoubtedly feels a tremendous deal of anxiety and uncertainty at Tollington. Meena is well aware of her ethnicity as a young Indian girl growing up in a largely white neighbourhood and frequently feels alienated.