Word choice - Aunt Julia

Question 1

Men’s boots

Answer 1

• has connotations of sturdy and masculine
• which suggests Aunt Julia defied gender stereotypes and was a strong, capable woman who was practical and only cared about the best equipment for the task she needed to complete

Question 2

Marvellously

Answer 2

• has connotations of amazement and magic
• this 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.

Question 3

Silenced

Answer 3

• has connotations of cut short or unwillingly forced
• this 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.

Question 4

Unanswered

Answer 4

• has connotations of ignored
• this 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.