AQA GCSE English Literature: Key Quotes You Must Know for Every Text (2025), Part 5

Whether you’re aiming for a Grade 5 or gunning for that elusive Grade 9, knowing the right quotes is the fastest way to elevate your AQA GCSE English Literature answers. This is Part 5 of our series of articles on most of the AQA  key set texts—and this article covers: , DNA, Animal Farm, and Leave Taking.

🎭 1. DNA by Dennis Kelly

💡 Themes: Bullying, Group Mentality, Responsibility, Guilt, Power

Kelly’s DNA is a modern play ideal for analysing power dynamics and moral choices in peer groups. With short, punchy dialogue and disturbing undertones, it’s a favourite for character and theme-based essays.

🔑 Top 5 Quotes You MUST Know

1. “We’re in trouble now.” – Phil

   • Why it matters: A simple line that shows Phil’s power and the turning point of the plot.

   • Exam Gold: Start an essay on control and leadership with this.

2. “Dead?” – Leah

   • Why it matters: Leah’s stunned response shows her dawning realisation and moral panic.

   • Exam Gold: Use to explore Leah’s moral compass and contrast with others’ detachment.

3. “I’m in charge. Everyone is happier. What’s more important: one person or everyone?” – Phil

   • Why it matters: This chilling justification of sacrifice shows the play’s engagement with utilitarian ethics.

   • Exam Gold: Excellent for thematic essays on morality or power.

4. “You need me as much as… I need you.” – Leah

   • Why it matters: Leah’s longing for connection highlights her isolation.

   • Exam Gold: Great for writing about dependency, power imbalance, and emotional need.

5. “We did it. We did this to him.” – Jan

   • Why it matters: Rare moments of guilt in a play where denial dominates.

   • Exam Gold: Ideal for consequences and accountability essays.

🐷 2. Animal Farm by George Orwell

💡 Themes: Power, Corruption, Propaganda, Class, Revolution

Orwell’s political fable is a staple for its allegorical critique of totalitarianism. Every line is packed with meaning—so memorising a few key quotes can really impress the examiner.

🔑 Top 5 Quotes You MUST Know

1. “All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.”

   • Why it matters: The ultimate example of political hypocrisy.

   • Exam Gold: Use in any essay on corruption, manipulation, and ideology.

2. “Four legs good, two legs bad.” → “Four legs good, two legs better!”

   • Why it matters: Shows the shift from revolution to tyranny.

   • Exam Gold: Perfect to explore language, propaganda, and betrayal.

3. “The creatures outside looked from pig to man… but already it was impossible to say which was which.”

   • Why it matters: Powerful final image showing that revolution led only to new oppressors.

   • Exam Gold: Use for cyclical power and historical inevitability.

4. “Napoleon is always right.” – Boxer

   • Why it matters: Reveals blind loyalty and the dangers of passive citizenship.

   • Exam Gold: Good for character studies and theme of exploitation.

5. “I will work harder.” – Boxer

   • Why it matters: Tragic embodiment of the working class’s exploitation.

   • Exam Gold: Amazing for essays on class, sacrifice, and injustice.

🌍 3. Leave Taking by Winsome Pinnock

💡 Themes: Identity, Migration, Culture, Family, Belonging

A lesser-known gem on the GCSE syllabus, Leave Taking explores the tensions between first- and second-generation immigrants in Britain, offering rich material on identity, cultural heritage, and motherhood.

🔑 Top 5 Quotes You MUST Know

1. “You can’t just leave your roots behind and expect to grow.” – Enid

   • Why it matters: Symbolic of generational conflict and cultural identity.

   • Exam Gold: Excellent for themes of belonging, identity, and migration.

2. “I left Jamaica for you.” – Enid

   • Why it matters: This emotional declaration underscores the sacrifice of immigrant parents.

   • Exam Gold: Use to explore parent-child dynamics and immigrant experiences.

3. “You’re neither here nor there.” – Mai

   • Why it matters: Powerful reflection of feeling out of place in both British and Caribbean cultures.

   • Exam Gold: Ideal for essays on cultural dislocation and hybridity.

4. “Mummy, I don’t know who I am.” – Del

   • Why it matters: Expresses the deep identity crisis faced by second-generation immigrants.

   • Exam Gold: Great for identity, belonging, and generational tension.

5. “We’re always leaving.” – Viv

   • Why it matters: Suggests the ongoing instability and rootlessness felt by migrant families.

   • Exam Gold: Useful in discussing themes of loss, exile, and uncertainty.

✍️ How to Use These Quotes in the Exam

A top-grade answer doesn’t just drop in quotes—it analyses them. Here’s the 3-step formula to hit AO1, AO2, and AO3:

1. Make a point: Start with a strong topic sentence linking to the question.

2. Embed the quote: Use short, powerful phrases to support your argument.

3. Zoom in on language and technique: What does the quote reveal about character/theme/context?

   • E.g. “The phrase ‘more equal than others’ is an oxymoron, revealing Orwell’s criticism of political doublespeak.”

🧠 Bonus Tips for Last-Minute Revision

• Create Flashcards: One side = Quote. Other side = Theme + Analysis.

• Mind Maps by Theme: Connect quotes across characters and texts.

• Practice Paragraphs: Write 3-paragraph responses using a different quote each time.

• Know the Context: Especially important for Animal Farm (Russian Revolution) and Leave Taking (Windrush Generation).

📚 Previously in the Series:

Catch up with our past articles in the “Quotes and Themes” series:

• Article 1: ‘Macbeth’, ‘A Christmas Carol’, ‘An Inspector Calls’ and ‘Lord of the Flies’, click on link.

• Article 2: ‘Frankenstein’, ‘Jekyll and Hyde’, ‘Romeo and Juliet’ and ‘Pride and Prejudice’, click on link.

• Article 3: ‘Great Expectations, ‘Jane Eyre, ‘The Sign of the Four’ and ‘The Tempest’, click on link.

• Article 4: ‘Merchant of Venice’, ‘Much Ado About Nothing’, ‘Julius Caesar’ and ‘Blood Brothers’, click on link.

🚀 Share, Save, Succeed

If this guide helped you, share it with your study group, download it as a PDF, or print it for exam day. Good luck – and remember: the examiner wants to give you marks. You just have to make it easy for them.