Aunt Julia Annotations Flashcards
aunt Julia Spoke Gaelic
He didn’t speak it
Language barrier
very loud and very fast
word choice
loud/fast conveys vigour, energy
i could not answer her -
i could not understand her
word choice and repetition
emphasises difficulty understanding
- (first stanza)
sentence structure and parallel phrases
create a strong barrier to represent the language barrier
theme of frustration
she wore men’s boots
word choice
unconventional, practical style, rugged, hardy, fulfilling male and female roles. Lack of funds, tough as old boots
- (second stanza)
sharp change of tense
i can see her
change of tense creates immediacy, gives julia life
strong foot
word choice
she is tough and hardy
stained with peat
word choice
deep elemental connection to nature. Fundamental, basic, lack of vanity
paddling wit the treadle
word choice
suggests dexterity
the spinningwheel
word choice
traditional craft connection to rural way of life
while her right hand
word choice
suggests dexterity
draw yarn marvellously out of the air
metaphor
attributes magical, mysterious quality to her
sound - assonance
long vowel sound mimic pulling out the new yarn
hers
word choice
pronoun to emphasise Julia’s significance
only house
word choice
uniqueness, sense of security
absolute darkness
setting
rural setting away from the city lights
theme of isolation
box bed
cosy, private and safe
crickets being friendly
metaphor
suggests peace, contentment and at one with nature
she was buckets
metaphor
suggests abundance of natural resources
and water flouncing
word choice
how the water moves, also how Julia pumps the water energetically
winds pouring wetly
word choice
refers to climate, and to Aunt Julia as elemental. a force of nature
she was brown eggs
reflects Aunt Julia’s hard ;ife keeping hens etc.
black skirts
traditional, sturdy, practical
a keeper of threepennybits in a teapot
no access to a bank; doesn’t trust banks; thrifty; trusts MacCaig; treats him?
Aunt Julia spoke Gaelic
very loud and very fast
repetition
opening lines. the language barrier endured. they never got to speak
by the time i had learned a litle
word choice
to little too late?
theme of frustration
not good enough
she lay silenced
word choice
contrast against loudness/ vigour, action perpetrated against Aunt Julia, but also Scottish culture & Gaelic
absolute black
repetition
calls back to absolute darkness - at peace?
but i hear her still
metaphor
MacCaig writes in present tense. her voice endures
seagull’s voice
metaphor
distinctive and harsh, found around islands. natural
a hundred yards of peatscrapes and lazybeds
this was her croft - the patch she tended which will always belong to her. there’s still a strong bond between the two
getting angry, getting angry
repetition - Julia is getting angry because English speaking MacCaig still does not understand her? or MacCaig is getting angry because he lost the chance to explore his Gaelic heritage?
unanswered
highlights key themes of isolation and frustration
