The Gardener
by Rudyard Kipling

The Gardener: Dialect 1 key example

Dialect
Explanation and Analysis—Mummies and Aunties:

In an early part of the story, Kipling uses dialect to emphasize Michael's young age and to endear the character to the reader. Helen reproduces his childish manner of speaking, which emphasizes their playful mother-son rapport and shows that she is capable of speaking his language.

At six, he wished to know why he could not call her ‘Mummy’, as other boys called their mothers. She explained that she was only his auntie, and that aunties were not quite the same as mummies, but that, if it gave him pleasure, he might call her ‘Mummy’ at bedtime, for a pet-name between themselves.