Imagery - Aunt Julia

Question 1

Listening to crickets being friendly

Answer 1

• personification is used here to give crickets human like qualities
• which gives the idea of comfort and familiarity
• this suggests Aunt Julia’s home was secure and inviting for the young MacCaig.

Question 2

She was buckets and water flouncing into them

Answer 2

• metaphor comparing Aunt Julia to a bucket.
• Just as a bucket is a useful, sturdy object so Aunt Julia is a practical, stoic, capable person.
• The word choice of “flouncing” has connotations of lively suggests Aunt Julia is always busy and moving

Question 3

Welcoming me with a seagull’s voice

Answer 3

• a metaphor is used here to compare Aunt Julia’s voice to a seagulls
• just as a seagull has a booming voice that cannot be understood by humans so too Aunt Julia had a loud voice which MacCaig could not decipher
• Just as a seagull is a tough, hardy bird that is native to coastal areas,
• so Aunt Julia is very capable and able to survive in a harsh environment as an independent crofter on Harris.