The Private Sign Language in Once There Were Wolves: Symbol Analysis

Introduction: A Language of Two Worlds

In Charlotte McConaghy's Once There Were Wolves, the private sign language invented by Aggie for her twin sister Inti is far more than a means of secret communication. It is a living symbol of their unbreakable bond, a refuge from a world that often feels violent and incomprehensible, and a barometer for the health of their relationship. From its playful origins in childhood to its near-abandonment in Alaska and its final extension to Duncan, the language tracks the twins' journey through trauma, sacrifice, and healing. It embodies the novel's central concern with embodied empathy and moral responsibility and offers a counterpoint to the wordless language of violence that haunts the narrative.

The Private World of the Twins

The sign language is Aggie's invention, born from her prodigious linguistic talent. As the novel recounts, Aggie spoke four languages fluently by her teens and was learning more, but she understood that some communication does not need voices. By the time the twins were ten, she had built a complete sign language for the two of them, a private universe they could inhabit together. Earlier, at age twelve, she had already begun creating signs for concepts like “dragonfly” and “universe,” and even a crude sign for “sex” that made them laugh in a courtroom. These early signs were playful, but they also served a practical purpose: they allowed the twins to have entire silent conversations while their mother testified in court, shielding them from the disturbing cases they witnessed.

The language is thus a tool of protection and intimacy. It is a world that only they share, a way to communicate without being overheard or judged. When Inti is distressed by John Allen's deliberate act of exposure in the schoolyard, Aggie signs “Don't look” before attacking him with a book. Later, after Aggie breaks his nose, Inti signs “You broke my nose” and Aggie replies “I told you not to look,” and they both laugh. This exchange shows how the language carries not only information but also emotion, humor, and a shared understanding that transcends words.

Recurrence and Evolution

The sign language recurs throughout the novel, but its meaning shifts with the twins' circumstances. In Scotland, where Inti is leading the wolf reintroduction project, Aggie uses signs to comment on the wolves' reluctance to leave their pens. When Inti explains that movement is natural, Aggie signs, “They don't know what's out there. Why would they leave?” and later, “You moved them. What's natural about that?” These signs are not just communication; they are a way for Aggie to engage with the world from her state of near-silence, a state that has deepened since the trauma in Alaska. The narrator notes that Aggie's sign language is now “mostly ASL, but still has some of her own signs peppered throughout, because she likes holding on to our old twin language.” This detail reveals that the language is a deliberate link to their shared past, a way to preserve their unique connection even as they navigate adult life.

The most striking recurrence occurs in Chapter 21, when Inti, overwhelmed by doubt about her own reality, asks Aggie, “Are you real? Or did you die?” Aggie responds with a sign that is “one of the first she ever came up with”: I don't know. This moment transforms the language from a tool of playful secrecy into a vehicle for existential uncertainty. The sign, which once represented the twins' shared world, now expresses the breakdown of that world—the possibility that Aggie might be a ghost, or that Inti's perception of reality is unreliable. It is a powerful example of how the language can articulate what spoken words cannot.

In Alaska, five years earlier, the language nearly disappears. The narrator recalls that Aggie “has changed, no longer using their sign language,” and that she and Gus fight constantly. This abandonment signals the erosion of the twins' bond under the strain of Gus's abuse. The language, which had been a lifeline, becomes a casualty of the violence that drives them apart. It is only after they escape Gus and reunite in Scotland that the language returns, and with it, the possibility of healing.

The Language and Trauma

The sign language is intimately tied to the novel's exploration of domestic violence and intergenerational trauma. The twins witness abuse in their mother's court cases, and later experience it directly through Gus. The language offers a way to process and communicate these experiences without having to speak them aloud. When Inti finally confesses to Aggie that she did not kill Gus, Aggie signs “No” repeatedly, and then they hold each other. The signs become a medium for grief, apology, and forgiveness.

Moreover, the language is a form of resistance against the wordless language of violence that the novel's epigraph evokes. The opening line, attributed to Angela Carter, describes a beast that howls in the woods by night—a reminder of the primal, wordless forces that shape the characters' lives. Aggie's sign language is a deliberate counterpoint: a wordless language of connection rather than destruction. It is a way to reclaim agency in a world where violence often speaks louder than words.

The Language and the Twin Bond

The sign language is perhaps the most direct expression of twin identity and sacrificial love. Aggie creates the language for Inti, and it becomes a symbol of her willingness to protect and sacrifice for her sister. When Aggie breaks John Allen's nose, she does it “for me, as most of the things she did were for me.” The language is part of that protective instinct—a way to keep Inti safe from the world's intrusions. It also reinforces their sense of being two halves of a whole. Inti describes how “becoming Aggie is easy” because “she's as familiar to me as I am to myself.” The language is a tangible manifestation of that familiarity, a shared code that no one else can access.

As the novel progresses, the language becomes a means of reconciliation. When Inti tells Aggie she loves Duncan, Aggie signs “No” as a refusal, but later they communicate through signs to express their mutual pain and understanding. The language allows them to navigate the complexities of their relationship, even when words fail.

The Language and the Themes of Concealment and Empathy

The sign language also connects to the ethics of concealment for a greater good. The twins use their private language to keep secrets—from their mother, from Gus, and ultimately from the world. Most significantly, they conceal the truth about Stuart Burns's death, allowing the wolf to be blamed for the violence they committed. The language is a tool of concealment, but it is also a means of protecting each other and, in the end, protecting Duncan.

Furthermore, the language resonates with Inti's mirror-touch synesthesia, which is another form of wordless communication. Inti feels others' sensations, a kind of embodied empathy that parallels the non-verbal exchange of signs. Both are ways of knowing and connecting that bypass spoken language. The novel suggests that true understanding often happens without words, whether through touch, gesture, or the silent language of the body.

The Language and Rewilding

Finally, the sign language can be seen as a metaphor for the novel's rewilding and ecological restoration themes. Just as the wolves are reintroduced to the Scottish Highlands to restore the ecosystem, the twins' language is a reintroduction of a lost form of connection—a way to restore their bond after the devastation of abuse. The language, like the wolves, is a wild, organic thing that cannot be controlled or fully understood by outsiders. It grows and evolves, adapting to the twins' needs, just as the wolves adapt to their new environment. When Inti offers to teach Duncan wordless languages at the end of the novel, she is extending this idea of restoration to him, suggesting that healing and connection are possible even after profound trauma.

Study Questions and Answers

1. How does the sign language function as a symbol of the twins' bond?

The sign language is a private world created by Aggie for Inti, allowing them to communicate without speech. It reinforces their closeness and mutual understanding, and it becomes a way for them to protect each other from the world's intrusions. Its abandonment in Alaska signals the breakdown of their bond, while its return in Scotland marks their reconciliation.

1. What does Aggie's abandonment of the sign language in Alaska signify?

Aggie stops using the sign language during the five years in Alaska, a period marked by Gus's abuse and constant fighting. This abandonment reflects her emotional withdrawal and the damage done to the twins' relationship. It shows how trauma can erode even the most intimate forms of connection.

1. How does the sign language relate to the theme of concealment?

The language allows the twins to keep secrets from others, such as their private thoughts and later the truth about Stuart's death. It is a tool of concealment that serves a greater good—protecting each other and, ultimately, Duncan. The novel explores the ethics of such concealment, suggesting that sometimes silence is necessary for survival.

1. In what ways does the sign language evolve over the course of the novel?

The language begins as a playful invention, becomes a tool for protection and comfort, then a means of expressing trauma and existential doubt, and finally a model for non-verbal communication that Inti offers to Duncan. Its evolution mirrors the twins' journey from innocence to trauma to healing, and it ultimately expands to include others, suggesting that connection beyond words is possible for everyone.

Conclusion

The private sign language in Once There Were Wolves is a rich and multifaceted symbol. It is a testament to the power of non-verbal communication, a refuge from violence, and a marker of the twins' unbreakable bond. Through its recurrence and evolution, the language illuminates the novel's central themes of empathy, trauma, concealment, and restoration. By the end, it becomes a gift that Inti can offer to Duncan, a promise that even when words fail, there are other ways to connect. In a novel where wolves howl and violence speaks, the sign language stands as a quiet, resilient counterpoint—a language of love that endures.