Relationship between the narrator and his uncle

Uncle Dougie and Douglas are main characters in the short story “Uncle Dougie’s Suitcase” by Alastair Chisholm. They have a close and affectionate relationship. It appears that they also share the same name, as “Dougie” is a pet name version of “Douglas”. Uncle Dougie is Douglas’s “favourite relative” (l. 2), “because he never really seemed like a grown-up” (l. 7). This suggests that Douglas perceives Uncle Dougie as his equal, despite their age difference. He feels comfortable with him in a way he does not with other adults. He might also appreciate his uncle’s eccentric behavior, unlike that of regular adults who are bound by social constraints.

Uncle Dougie appears to be fond of Douglas, too. This is expressed by the fact that he always brings...