SST - Aunt Julia Flashcards
1
Q
“Men’s boots”
A
- Word choice
- has connotations of sturdy and masculine which suggests that Aunt Julia defied gender stereotypes and was a strong, capable woman who was very practical and cared only about the best equipment for the task she had to complete.
2
Q
“Marvellously”
A
- Word Choice
- has connotations of magic and wonder which suggests the young MacCaig was in awe of his aunt’s skill at spinning, something he may not have seen much before as he is from the city and only visits his aunt during holidays.
3
Q
“Silenced”
A
- Word choice
- has connotations of cut short or unwillingly forced which suggests Aunt Julia, a larger than life, boisterous character, is unsuited to death and would not have wanted it. It creates a contrast to how she was in life and makes her death seem even more sad.
4
Q
“Unanswered”
A
- Word choice
- has connotations of ignored or unsatisfied which suggests MacCaig is upset and frustrated at the end of the poem as he never got the answers to the questions he would have liked to ask his aunt about herself and her way of life, firstly because of the language barrier and later because they are separated by death.
5
Q
“Listening to crickets being friendly
A
- Imagery
- Personification, giving the crickets human qualities, which gives the idea of comfort and familiarity, suggests Aunt Julia’s home was secure and inviting for the young MacCaig.
6
Q
“She was buckets and water flouncing into them”
A
- Imagery
-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 and energetic which suggests that Aunt Julia is always busy and moving, doing jobs around her croft.
7
Q
“Welcoming me with a seagull’s voice”
A
- Imagery
- metaphor comparing Aunt Julia to a seagull. Just as a seagull has a loud unintelligible squawk so AJ had a booming voice that the young MacCaig didn’t understand. 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.
8
Q
“Aunt Julia spoke Gaelic very loud and very fast”
A
- Structure, repetition of the intensifier “very”
- The repetition emphasises key parts of Aunt Julia’s speech and suggests that she was particularly booming and rapid when she spoke. This also suggests to the reader that she is a lively character.
9
Q
“She was brown eggs, black skirts and a keeper of threepennybits in a teapot”
A
- Structure
- list structure/ rule of three is used to emphasise the simplicity of Aunt Julia’s lifestyle, that she is self-sufficient, and that she has little money so every small coin is kept safe. The tone is admiring, which suggests that even though she has little money, she had spiritual wealth because she lived an honest life deeply rooted in the land.
10
Q
“Getting angry, getting angry”
A
- Structure
- repetition helps to emphasise the extent of MacCaig’s frustration at the fact he never ever got to fully communicate with his aunt, even after learning her language because she has died.
11
Q
“I could not”
A
- Structure
- The repetition of this phrase at the end of Stanza 1 helps MacCaig to emphasise that he could not communicate because they did not share a common language and this frustrates him because he likes her and wants to know her better.
