AUNT JENNIFER'S TIGERS Adrienne Rich Adrienne Rich is a writer who focuses on feminist poems expressing her anger. One of the poems she wrote is “Aunt Jennifer's Tigers”. It is about a woman whose husband controlled her life almost as if he were her master and she was his slave. Here Aunt Jennifer represents all the women who are suppressed in a patriarchal society. "Aunt Jennifer's Tigers" is a poem which centres on the desires and the depressingly harsh realities of Aunt Jennifer's existence, using sharp contrasts between the tigers that she sews, and herself. Aunt Jennifer tries to escape from her real world by creating an alternate world. The tigers-that she embroiders appear to be everything that she's not- bold and valiant, not fearing anyone, In conclusion, "Aunt Jennifer's. Tigers" is a poem about @ woman who creates an alternate world to express’ herself.-In the last stanza the reader is told that "the tigers...she made will go on prancing, proud and unafraid” even after Aunt Jennifer is dead. This shows that while the tigers represent her spirit and how she would like to live, her hands represent the reality of her life. Key Points: Alliteration Fingers fluttering Prancing, proud Imagery Bright topaz denizens Irony — Aunt Jennifer, representing all women, fears men while the Men fear the sleek chivalric tigers. Aunt Jennifer's Tigers are brave and arrogant + Aunt Jennifer is meek and oppressed. e Symbolism: Tiger's symbolize freedom of spirit (Aunt's innermost desire) / true nature of a woman soul. = Aunt Jennifer symbolizes women suppressed in a patriarchal society. « Uncle- symbolizes the oppressors = Wedding Band symbolizes oppression of marriage Rhyme ~aabbSample Answers: Reference to context: 1. When Aunt is dead, her terrified hands will lie. Still ringed with ordéals she was mastered by. The tigers in the panel that she made Will go on prancing, proud and unafraid. a. Name the poem and the poet. Aunt Jennifer's Tigers, by Adrienne Rich b, What kind of a person was the aunt? Why? Aunt Jennifer was a timid and meek person as she was suppressed by her husband, She bore her ordeal without protest as this was expected of her in a patriarchal society, c. How were the tigers different from, the aunt? The tigers have been described as being arrogant, ‘high- spirited, sleek, powerful, confident and unafraid, whereas the aunt was meek and terrified.2. “Aunt Jennifer's fingers fluttering through her wool : a Find even the ivory needle hard to pull. The massive weight of Uncle's wedding band Sits heavily upon Aunt Jennifer's hand.” a. Identify a figure of speech in the first line. ‘fingers fluttering’ is alliteration. b. Why do her fingers flutter? , ‘ : ' Aunt Jennifer's fingers flutter because of her physical and mental constraints as she is scared of her husband and lives in constant fear of him. c. Why is the wedding band described as heavy? Aunt is so suppressed by her husband that she feels scared even when she is doing something as innocuous as embroldery. Thus, the marriage is a burden for her and this is conveyed through the description of the wedding band as being heavy. d. What was Aunt Jennifer embroidering? Aunt Jennifer was embroidering tigers on a tapestry. Answer the following in about 30- 40 words: 1. How has the poet described the tigers? The tigers are bright, topaz-coloured sleek inhabitants of the forest. They are chivalric, graceful, powerful and totally unafraid of men. 2. What is being highlighted by the poet through this poem?. Adrienne Rich addresses the constraints of married life that’ woman experiences. The poem is a silent protest against man's dominance over women in a patriarchal society. It highlights the need for women to fight for their freedom. 3, Explain the irony at the end of the poem. When Aunt dies, she will be forgotten and will lose her identity. Even after her death, she will still be surrounded by. the fears which marked her life when she was alive, But the tigers she made will be immortalized on the screen and will remain confident and unafraid and joyful, an antithesis to their creator. 4, Why are Aunt Jennifer's tigers such an antithesis of her? Aunt created tigers who imbibed the qualities she admired but lacked; fearless, independent and confident. This was also a way of rebelling against the constraints of ” her life.AUNT JENNIFER'S TIGERS- Adrienne Rich The three stanzas of the poem depict: i)Stanza 1 :-Aunt Jennifer's desires and her dream ii)Stanza 2:-The real picture of Aunt Jennifer's life iii)Stanza 3:-It narrates the future. Symbols in the poem i) Aunt Jennifer represents women all over the world wedged under the tyrannical hand of a patriarchal society. ii)Aunt Jennifer's tigers symbolize her dreams and desires of being powerful, fearless, decisive and liberated.ilithe wedding band signifies the patriarchal society where command is defined as masculine, iv)Uncle denotes the oppressor. v) Aunt Jennifer's hands represent the reality of her life. Q 1.Which words help us to understand the tigers’ attitude? i)pace and prance suggest strength and energy, and movement is blithe. ii) bright topaz colour draws one's attention to the prominent presence of the tigers. iii) denizens mean occupants, Tigers are grand and fearless in their natural surroundings. i) chivalric certainty :represents the power and virtue with confidence and conviction. Q 2.Justify the title-Aunt Jennifer is embroidering a tapestry with a picture of tigers Tepresenting her desire- she pines for the qualities she has endowed to these tigers. Q 3.Bring out the contrast in the poem. a Aunt Jennifer is an oppressed woman-dominated by male superiority-victimized-fearful- indecisive-weak-timid-feeble-shivering in fear stifled and weighed upon by the marriage, whereas the tigers she weaves are chivalric-confident-fearless-assertive- strong and energetic, Q 4,Poetic devices used in the poem. 1.Symbols i)Uncle ii) Aunt iii) Tigers iv) wedding band v) Aunt Jennifer's hand 2.Transferred epithet —‘terrified hands’ hands not terrified, Aunt’is terrified 3.Pun —'inged’ i) ring in her finger which sits heavily on her and ii) difficulties which will always surround her 4,lrony — i) a weak and submissive woman weaving a picture of tigers that are strong and fearless. ii) tigers are depicted chivalric and the cultured man is depicted as an oppressor. iii) Even when the creator dies, her work will continue to exist. 5.Contrast -the characteristics of Aunt Jennifer and that of the tiger. 6.Alliteration- ‘fingers fluttering’, ‘ prancing, proud’ 7.[magery ~ ‘bright topaz denizens in the world of green’, ‘men beneath the tree’, ‘wedding band/Sits heavily..’ Q 5.The future of Aunt Jennifer Being subservient Aunt Jennifer doesn't win. First she loses her identity, (Only termed as ‘Aunt in the last stanza) and then loses herself to death, and even in death she must obey the rules of the patriarchal society, Q 6.Why will Aunt Jennifer's hands be ringed with ordeais after her death? Aunt Jennifer represents the oppressed women of the patriarchal society. It connotes that i) Aunt will be troubled by her marriage to the burdensome husband. ii) With the death of one oppressed woman, oppression will not vanish from the face of this earth, a 7.The significance of the last two lines of the poem i)The mortal Aunt Jennifer created the immortal tigers. li)Even if the woman with the desire, dies, it does not end the desire of freedom in the other women in this Patriarchal