Aunt Julia

Question 1

“Aunt Julia spoke Gaelic”

Answer 1

• The word choice of “Gaelic” suggests a rarely spoken and dying out language, this gives the impression that Aunt Julia is very different from most people as she speaks a lang that very few are capable of.

Question 2

“Very loud”

Answer 2

• Word choice of “loud” suggests speaking very powerfully and wanting to be heard, giving the impression that Aunt Julia is an extroverted individual and very proud of her culture as she wants it to be heard.

Question 3

“I could not answer her, I could not understand her”

Answer 3

• The phrase “I could not” is repeated, emphasising the speakers inability to converse with his aunt due to the language barrier between the pair, suggesting the writer feels isolated from his Aunt as they can’t converse.

Question 4

“She wore men’s boots when she wore any”

Answer 4

• Word choice of “men’s” suggests masculine and unconventional since aunt Julia is female -this gives the impression that she is very practical and powerful as she chooses to wear men’s boot or sometimes none if that is better putting across the idea that she is also tough.

Question 5

“Her strong foot”

Answer 5

• Word choice of “strong” suggests burly and powerful, putting across the idea that Aunt Julia is a very tough and resilient character.

Question 6

“Stained with peat”

Answer 6

• The word choice of “stained” suggests something marked on a material, in this case the peat – the soil present on the island, is marked the aunt. This puts across the idea that Aunt Julia is inextricably linked to nature upon the island. It has left its mark on her and she on it.

Question 7

“Her right hand drew yarn marvellously out of the air” metaphor

Answer 7

• This metaphor compares the act of Aunt Julia drawing the yarn to conjuring something out of the air. The ability to conjure something out of air is considered an act of magic, similarly the speaker thought that Aunt Julia’s skill with the yarn was as impressive as if done by magic. This emphasises the great skill the aunt possessed.

Question 8

“Her right hand drew yarn marvellously out of the air” word choice

Answer 8

• The word choice of “marvellously” has connotations of wonder and amazement. This suggests that the Aunts great skill at drawing yarn was incredible to behold for the speaker.

Question 9

“Absolute darkness”

Answer 9

• Word choice of “darkness” suggests an inability to see, in this scenario someone would usually be scared and concerned, however since he is with his aunt, the speaker feels comfortable and safe – thus emphasising their strong relationship.

Question 10

“Only house where I’ve lain at night”

Answer 10

• The word choice of “lain” has connotations of lying down comfortably. Since he is so peaceful and relaxed even at night at his aunts house where most people would be scared suggests he feels at home. This suggests they feel very close to his Aunt.

Question 11

“Absolute darkness…crickets being friendly”

Answer 11

• The contrast between “darkness” something usually scary and worrying to a more pleasant thing – “friendly” this suggests that their was a sense of harmony and equilibrium upon the island.

Question 12

“She was buckets and water flouncing into them”

Answer 12

• It compares MacCaigs aunt – to a bucket with water moving vigorously within them. Literally buckets are very basic and rudimentary items, with the water inside them moving very powerfully. This emphasises the frugality of the aunts lifestyle, alongside displaying her brash movements.

Question 13

“She was winds pouring wetly round house ends”

Answer 13

• It compares the Aunts shouting to the wind on the island. Literally, the wind is a very powerful and strong force – since it whips round house ends. Like the strong wind, Aunt Julia has a very loud and powerful voice. This metaphor emphasises how loud and mighty the aunts voice was.

Question 14

“She was brown eggs and black skirts”

Answer 14

• It compares MacCaig’s aunt to brown eggs and black skirts. Literally, brown eggs and black skirts are fairly basic and simple items. Similarly Aunt Julia live a very rudimentary lifestyle, furthermore – the colour of the items, brown and black relate to the bleak environment, this further suggests that the aunt and nature are connected. This emphasises the aunts basic lifestyle alongside her link to the island, giving a vivid impression of her

Question 15

“Keeper of threepennybits”

Answer 15

• The word choice of “threepennybits” suggest a small amount of money. Since she keeps this safe inside the teapot gives the impression that the a

Question 16

“Aunt Julia spoke Gaelic very loud and very fast”

Answer 16

• This repetition of the opening line gives the impression that the speaker is remembering the fond memories of his aunt when she was still alive - creating a nostalgic mood for the speaker.

Question 17

“I had learned a little she lay”

Answer 17

• The repeated “l” sounds mimic the Gaelic language as it uses these sounds often, this suggests that the writer has learnt the language to converse with his aunt making her death all the more cruel as he was never able to speak to her.

Question 18

“Absolute black”

Answer 18

• Word choice of “black” has connotations of death, bleakness and finality, this gives a mood of depression due to her death as she is permanently lost from the speaker whom he felt so close to.

Question 19

“Silenced”

Answer 19

• Word choice of “silenced” suggests quiet contrasting her loud and extroverted behaviour at the beginning of the play suggesting she is lost now from the speaker whom there was a close bond between.

Question 20

“Sandy grave at Luskentyre”

Answer 20

• Word choice of “sandy ” suggests nature, this gives the idea that even in death, Aunt Julia remains inextricably linked to the nature upon the island even after her death.

Question 21

“But I hear her still”

Answer 21

• The inversion of the word “still” which been placed after “her” as opposed to before here where it would naturally be adds emphasis to the word, further showing that the Aunt remains present in the speaker’s mind despite her death – this suggests the speaker cared greatly for the aunt, making the personal loss of the aunt all the more powerful as MacCaig felt so close to her.

Question 22

“Welcoming me with a seagulls voice”

Answer 22

• This metaphor compares the voice of aunt Julia, to that of a seagulls. Literally a seagulls voice is a harsh screeching noise that can’t be understood by humans. Similarly, the speaker is unable to understand his aunt, as she speaks Gaelic – a harsh sounding language. This emphasises the idea of a language barrier between them, however despite this isolation – the speaker feels welcomed by her, conveying his fondness for her.

Question 23

“Getting angry, getting angry”

Answer 23

Repetition of “getting angry” emphasises the phrase, and therefore the speakers fury at the loss of his aunt, this fury is due to both the personal loss as he felt so close to his aunt, but also the loss of culture and skills that the Aunt had – skills that will be lost forever.