Key themes in DNA

Question 1

Violence and Bullying - Act 1

Answer 1

Bullying has to be systematic and repeated actions intended to cause harm (physical and emotional).
The story starts after they’ve bullied Adam to death - Act 1 they feel scared and overwhelmed by their actions, but not guilty or remorseful. John Tate still uses violence and threats to get what he wants and keep his power.

Question 2

Gangs

Answer 2

The way the group behave it’s clear they aren’t actually friends. John Tate joined them together as a group of social misfits whose lives are “better now” as they have become the bullies, rather than victims at school. Being in a gang has empowered them. They’ve created their own set of rules and don’t follow society’s rules.

Question 3

Friendship

Answer 3

Leah starts Act 1 saying “Scared Phil, I’m scared” because she is afraid of not having friends. Phil uses her desperation to have friends as a way of emotionally bullying her on the field when he doesn’t respond. He likes the attention.

Question 4

Crime and Justice

Answer 4

The play starts with Jan and Mark revealing the first mystery “Dead?”. The criminal behaviours of the group are covered up (and as they’re in the woods, no one else knows). When Cathy shows “initiative” and ruins Phil’s plan, a Postman wrongly goes to prison for kidnapping and killing Adam. The gang get away with everything.

Adam is made to commit crimes to show he’s hard enough/cool enough to be in the gang (stealing vodka, running across the motorway).

Question 5

Responsibility

Answer 5

Everyone tries to avoid taking responsibility for Adam’s death at the start. They believe they are “screwed” and John Tate is overwhelmed and gives his power to Phil who is “clever” enough to come up with a plan. The only people who show any guilt are: Brian “I think we should tell someone” before JT intimidates him; Leah who tries to prevent Phil and Cathy from killing him at the end of Act 3.

No one feels responsible for Adam’s parents or the postman. They DO feel a responsibility towards the gang though.

Question 6

Violence and Bullying - Act 2

Answer 6

Leah kills her hamster - she wants to impress Phil and get his attention. She wanted to understand where his interest in murder comes from in order to empathise and connect with him.

Phil threatens to take Brian up to the grille if he refuses to go back to the police station and identify the postman as the one who “showed his willy in the woods”.

• He puts a hand on Brian’s shoulder (could be reassuring or intimidating).
• He tells Brian in tiny details how they will grab him, throw him and watch him fall onto Adam’s corpse. Small, calm details make it sound more serious and more likely to happen (they’ve done it before).
• He lets Brian choose to “help” the gang instead.