CBSE Class 12 English Aunt Jennifers Tiger Adrienne Rick Assignment

Chapter Summary Aunt's Jeniffer Tigers

Short poem by Adrienne Rich called Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers consists only of three stanzas but it tells the entire story of aunt Jennifer’s life. Hard life of women in male-oriented society is the main theme of the poem. The author does not express her ideas directly but makes the readers to understand her through allusions and symbols.
      Bright images and deep symbolism help readers to get the author’s message. The author creates a picture of life of aunt Jennifer. There are several places in the poem which give allusion that aunt Jennifer is unhappily married and that she is oppressed by her husband. In the end of the second stanza Rich writes: “The massive weight of Uncle’s wedding band
   Sits heavily upon Aunt Jennifer’s hand” (Rich). These words show that wedding ring is a heavy burden which makes aunt Jennifer unhappy. This woman is not satisfied with her life and her husband but she has no power to change it. In the society governed by men women have little freedom and independence. The author does not show all circumstances of Aunt  Jennifer’s life but she very vividly illustrates that this women is unhappy in her family life and she can not change it by her death. In the beginning of the third stanza Rich writes: “When Aunt is dead, her terrified hands will lie Still ringed with ordeals she was mastered by.” And this is another allusion on hard family life she can not escape. The image of ring, which becomes a symbol of oppression and torture of women is vivid. The author speaks about the wedding ring as about the kind of shackles which make women totally controlled by men. The author shows that marriage is one of many ways men use to oppress women. The image of tigers is more complicated for the interpretation. From the one side it symbolizes hidden aggression. Aunt Jennifer has to suppress her negative feelings in order not to make anger her husband. Like many women aunt Jennifer probably has to stand many humiliations from her husband. Bad attitude of her husband and unhappy family life result in negative feelings aunt Jennifer can not express feely. She expresses these feelings in her works. The line “They do not fear the men beneath the tree” may be interpreted as hidden fear of her husband. Tigers, which are mighty and strong animals are described by the  author as way poor woman uses to express her true feelings and attitudes. In her dreams she possesses the power and ability to confront humiliation and oppression she experiences from men. The motif of hidden aggression is very transparent. The contrast between such peaceful occupation as knitting and the image which is knitted is stunning. The author contrasts a typical female occupation to the image which symbolizes strength and protest. Tigers symbolize not only suppressed feelings, but also become the symbol of great power and protest. They know no fear and they are totally free. They are not afraid of man behind the tree and “They pace in sleek chivalric certainty”. From these lines it becomes evident that tigers possess qualities aunt Jennifer desperately lacks in her own life. She can not manifest these qualities in her everyday life and they become objects of her art. The author of the poem gives her readers an opportunity to enter inner world of ordinary women. This life may seem happy and easy at the first glance but the author shows the truth to her readers. Aunt Jenifer has no way to express her temper and her desires in her everyday life. Her strong characters and personal characteristics are suppressed in male-oriented society. In this society women are give definite roles and they can not break the rules and play any other roles. Aunt Jennifer is trapped by social norms and regulations and has not way to express her inner world. Prescribed social role limit women’s abilities to express themselves. Passion and desires are expressed in knitting. Aunt Jennifer shows her true feelings, needs and desires in her knitting. The poem is based on the contrast. The first stanza shows free and mighty animals, who know no fear and doubts. The tigers are free in their choices and they are not afraid of anything. In the second and third stanzas the author shows how the world of dreams may differ from reality. The image created by aunt Jennifer significantly differs from her own life. aunt Jennifer is oppressed by her life and she has no way to realize herself as personality. She does not feel free to express her feelings and desires. The author vividly illustrates that not only hard house work and burden of everyday responsibilities may limit female life. She shows that aunt Jenifer has free time for knitting but still she does not feel satisfied with her life and with her family relations. In reality she can not control her life and her free time and she has to limit herself by social roles defined by the society, which is controlled by men. Short poem by Adrienne Rich called Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers consists only of three stanzas but it tells the entire story of aunt Jennifer’s life. Hard life of  women in male-oriented society is the main theme of the poem. The author does not express her ideas directly but makes the readers to understand her through allusions and symbols.
Bright images and deep symbolism help readers to get the author’s message. The author creates a picture of life of aunt Jennifer. There are several places in the poem which give allusion that aunt Jennifer is unhappily married and that she is oppressed by her husband. In the end of the second stanza Rich writes: “The massive weight of Uncle’s wedding band
   Sits heavily upon Aunt Jennifer’s hand” (Rich). These words show that wedding ring is a heavy burden which makes aunt Jennifer unhappy. This woman is not satisfied with her life and her husband but she has no power to change it. In the society governed by men women have little freedom and independence. The author does not show all circumstances of Aunt Jennifer’s life but she very vividly illustrates that this women is unhappy in her family life and she can not change it by her death. In the beginning of the third stanza Rich writes: “When Aunt is dead, her terrified hands will lie Still ringed with ordeals she was mastered by.” And this is another allusion on hard family life she can not escape. The image of ring, which becomes a symbol of oppression and torture of women is vivid. The author speaks about the wedding ring as about the kind of shackles which make women totally controlled by men. The author shows that marriage is one of many ways men use to oppress women. The image of tigers is more complicated for the interpretation. From the one side it symbolizes hidden aggression. Aunt Jennifer has to suppress her negative feelings in order not to make anger her husband. Like many women aunt Jennifer probably has to stand any humiliations from her husband. Bad attitude of her husband and unhappy family life result in negative feelings aunt Jennifer can not express feely. She expresses these feelings in her works. The line “They do not fear the men beneath the tree” may be interpreted as hidden fear of her husband. Tigers, which are mighty and strong animals are described by the author as way poor woman uses to express her true feelings and attitudes. In her dreams she possesses the power and ability to confront humiliation and oppression she experiences from men. The motif of hidden aggression is very transparent. The contrast between such peaceful occupation as knitting and the image which is knitted is stunning. The author contrasts a typical female occupation to the image which symbolizes strength and protest. Tigers symbolize not only suppressed feelings, but also become the symbol of great power and protest. They know no fear and they are totally free. They are not afraid of man behind the tree and “They pace in sleek chivalric certainty”. From these lines it becomes evident that tigers possess qualities aunt Jennifer desperately lacks in her own life. She can not manifest these qualities in her everyday life and they become objects of her art. The author of the poem gives her readers an opportunity to enter inner world of ordinary women. This life may seem happy and easy at the first glance but the author shows the truth to her readers. Aunt Jenifer has
no way to express her temper and her desires in her everyday life. Her strong characters and personal characteristics are suppressed in male-oriented society. In this society women are give definite roles and they can not break the rules and play any other roles. Aunt Jennifer is trapped by social norms and regulations and has not way to express her inner world. Prescribed social role limit women’s abilities to express themselves. Passion and desires are expressed in knitting. Aunt Jennifer shows her true feelings, needs and desires in her knitting. The poem is based on the contrast. The first stanza shows free and mighty animals, who know no fear and doubts. The tigers are free in their choices and they are not afraid of anything. In the second and third stanzas the author shows how the world of dreams may differ from reality. The image created by aunt Jennifer significantly differs from her own life. aunt Jennifer is oppressed by her life and she has no way to realize herself as personality. She does not feel free to express her feelings and desires. The author vividly illustrates that not only hard house work and burden of everyday responsibilities may limit female life. She shows that aunt Jenifer has free time for knitting but still she does not feel satisfied with her life and with her family relations. In reality she can not control her life and her free time and she has to limit herself by social roles defined by the society, which is controlled by men.

Bright images and deep symbolism help readers to get the author’s message. The author creates a picture of life of aunt Jennifer. There are several places in the poem which give allusion that aunt Jennifer is unhappily married and that she is oppressed by her husband. In the end of the second stanza Rich writes: “The massive weight of Uncle’s wedding band
     Sits heavily upon Aunt Jennifer’s hand” (Rich). These words show that wedding ring is a heavy burden which makes aunt Jennifer unhappy. This woman is not satisfied with her life and her husband but she has no power to change it. In the society governed by men women have little freedom and independence. The author does not show all circumstances of Aunt
Jennifer’s life but she very vividly illustrates that this women is unhappy in her family life and she can not change it by her death. In the beginning of the third stanza Rich writes: “When Aunt is dead, her terrified hands will lie Still ringed with ordeals she was mastered by.” And this is another allusion on hard family life she can not escape. The image of ring, which becomes a symbol of oppression and torture of women is vivid. The author speaks about the wedding ring as about the kind of shackles which make women totally controlled by men. The author shows that marriage is one of many ways men use to oppress women. The image of tigers is more complicated for the interpretation. From the one side it symbolizes hidden aggression. Aunt Jennifer has to suppress her negative feelings in order not to make anger her husband. Like many women aunt Jennifer probably has to stand many  humiliations from her husband. Bad attitude of her husband and unhappy family life result in negative feelings aunt Jennifer can not express feely. She expresses these feelings in her works. The line “They do not fear the men beneath the tree” may be interpreted as hidden fear of her husband. Tigers, which are mighty and strong animals are described by the author as way poor woman uses to express her true feelings and attitudes. In her dreams she possesses the power and ability to confront humiliation and oppression she experiences from men. The motif of hidden aggression is very transparent. The contrast between such peaceful occupation as knitting and the image which is knitted is stunning. The author contrasts a typical female occupation to the image which symbolizes strength and protest. Tigers symbolize not only suppressed feelings, but also become the symbol of great power and protest. They know no fear and they are totally free. They are not afraid of man behind the tree and “They pace in sleek chivalric certainty”. From these lines it becomes evident that tigers possess qualities aunt Jennifer desperately lacks in her own life. She can not manifest these qualities in her everyday life and they become objects of her art. The author of the poem gives her readers an opportunity to enter inner world of ordinary women. This life may seem happy and easy at the first glance but the author shows the truth to her readers. Aunt Jenifer has no way to express her temper and her desires in her everyday life. Her strong characters and personal characteristics are suppressed in male-oriented society. In this society women are give definite roles and they can not break the rules and play any other roles. Aunt Jennifer is trapped by social norms and regulations and has not way to express her inner world. Prescribed social role limit women’s abilities to express themselves. Passion and desires are expressed in knitting. Aunt Jennifer shows her true feelings, needs and desires in her knitting. The poem is based on the contrast. The first stanza shows free and mighty animals, who know no fear and doubts. The tigers are free in their choices and they are not afraid of anything. In the second and third stanzas the author shows how the world of dreams may differ from reality. The image created by aunt Jennifer significantly differs from her own life. aunt Jennifer is oppressed by her life and she has no way to realize herself as personality. She does not feel free to express her feelings and desires. The author vividly illustrates that not only hard house work and burden of everyday responsibilities may limit female life. She shows that aunt Jenifer has free time for knitting but still she does not feel satisfied with her life and with her family relations. In reality she can not control her life and her free time and she has to limit herself by social roles defined by the society, which is controlled by men.

Short poem by Adrienne Rich called Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers consists only of three stanzas but it tells the entire story of aunt Jennifer’s life. Hard life of women in male-oriented society is the main theme of the poem. The author does not express her ideas directly but makes the readers to understand her through allusions and symbols.

Bright images and deep symbolism help readers to get the author’s message. The author creates a picture of life of aunt Jennifer. There are several places in the poem which give allusion that aunt Jennifer is unhappily married and that she is oppressed by her husband. In the end of the second stanza Rich writes: “The massive weight of Uncle’s wedding band
     Sits heavily upon Aunt Jennifer’s hand” (Rich). These words show that wedding ring is a heavy burden which makes aunt Jennifer unhappy. This woman is not satisfied with her life and her husband but she has no power to change it. In the society governed by men women have little freedom and independence. The author does not show all circumstances of Aunt
Jennifer’s life but she very vividly illustrates that this women is unhappy in her family life and she can not change it by her death. In the beginning of the third stanza Rich writes: “When Aunt is dead, her terrified hands will lie Still ringed with ordeals she was mastered by.” And this is another allusion on hard family life she can not escape. The image of ring, which becomes a symbol of oppression and torture of women is vivid. The author speaks about the wedding ring as about the kind of shackles which make women totally controlled by men. The author shows that marriage is one of many ways men use to oppress women. The image of tigers is more complicated for the interpretation. From the one side it symbolizes hidden aggression. Aunt Jennifer has to suppress her negative feelings in order not to make anger her husband. Like many women aunt Jennifer probably has to stand many humiliations from her husband. Bad attitude of her husband and unhappy family life result in negative feelings aunt Jennifer can not express feely. She expresses these feelings in her works. The line “They do not fear the men beneath the tree” may be interpreted as hidden fear of her husband. Tigers, which are mighty and strong animals are described by the author as way poor woman uses to express her true feelings and attitudes. In her dreams she possesses the power and ability to confront humiliation and oppression she experiences from men. The motif of hidden aggression is very transparent. The contrast between such peaceful occupation as knitting and the image which is knitted is stunning. The author contrasts a typical female occupation to the image which symbolizes strength and protest. Tigers symbolize not only suppressed feelings, but also become the symbol of great power and protest. They know no fear and they are totally free. They are not afraid of man behind the tree and “They pace in sleek chivalric certainty”. From these lines it becomes evident that tigers possess qualities aunt Jennifer desperately lacks in her own life. She can not manifest these qualities in her everyday life and they become objects of her art. The author of the poem gives her readers an opportunity to enter inner world of ordinary women. This life may seem happy and easy at the first glance but the author shows the truth to her readers. Aunt Jenifer has no way to express her temper and her desires in her everyday life. Her strong characters and personal characteristics are suppressed in male-oriented society. In this society women are give definite roles and they can not break the rules and play any other roles. Aunt Jennifer is trapped by social norms and regulations and has not way to express her inner world. Prescribed social role limit women’s abilities to express themselves. Passion and desires are expressed in knitting. Aunt Jennifer shows her true feelings, needs and desires in her knitting. The poem is based on the  contrast. The first stanza shows free and mighty animals, who know no fear and doubts. The tigers are free in their choices and they are not afraid of anything. In the second and third stanzas the author shows how the world of dreams may differ from reality. The image created by aunt Jennifer significantly differs from her own life. aunt Jennifer is oppressed by her life and she has no way to realize herself as personality. She does not feel free to express her feelings and desires. The author vividly illustrates that not only hard house work and burden of everyday responsibilities may limit female life. She shows that aunt Jenifer has free time for knitting but still she does not feel satisfied with her life and with her family relations. In reality she can not control her life and her free time and she has to limit herself by social roles defined by the society, which is controlled by men.

SUMMARY OF THE POEM:

• The poet is a feminist and she addresses the difficulties of a married woman.
• She spends good amount of time in embroidering panel of tigers prancing across the screen.
• The tigers are fearless creatures pacing elegantly and majestically. They symbolize the spirit of freedom. Aunt is a victim of male chauvinism (male domination).
• Aunt Jennifer is so oppressed and terrified that she finds it hard to pull the needle.
• The 'weight of Uncle's wedding band 'expresses how victimized and oppressed she is. It implies that aunt Jennifer has to work hard to meet his expectation.
• She spends her life in fear but she embroiders on the panel the fearless tigers to express her secret longing for a life of freedom and confidence.
• Even her death does not end the problem and torture which a married woman experiences.

SOLVED QUESTIONS

Bright topaz denizens of a world of green.
They do not fear the men beneath the tree:
They pace in sleek chivalric certainty."

Question. What does the expression 'Aunt Jennifer's tigers imply?
Answer: Aunt Jennifer was embroidering a panel of prancing tigers. The poet refers to the tigers as Aunt Jennifer's tigers because they are her creation, her work of art.

Question. What does 'prancing tigers' symbolize?
Answer: Prancing tigers are a symbol of the spirit of freedom within Aunt Jennifer which remains subdued.
They also symbolize her fear of her male counterpart.

Question. Why are they referred to as 'denizens of a world of green'?
Answer: The tigers are the dwellers of the green forest so they are referred to as denizens.

Question. What qualities of the 'tigers' are highlighted here?
Answer: Fearlessness and ferocity of the tigers are highlighted here. Aunt Jennifer's nervousness and timidity are in sharp contrast to wild ferocity of the tigers who are not afraid of hunting men.
Unlike Aunt Jennifer, the tigers fear nothing.

Question. Explain; 'They pace in sleek chivalric certainty'.
Answer: The movement of the tigers is sleek, stealthy, sure, majestic and elegant. They are sure of their purpose. Gallant and confident, they move ahead fearlessly and undeterred.

2."Aunt Jennifer's fingers fluttering through her wool
Find even the ivory needle hard to pull.
The massive weight of Uncle's wedding band
Sits heavily upon Aunt Jennifer's hand."

Question. Why do Aunt Jennifer's fingers flutter through her wool?
Answer: Aunt Jennifer lives in constant fear of her chauvinist husband. She feels so nervous and terrified that her hands shake and flutter when she sits down to knit.

Question. Why does she find it hard to pull the ivory needle?
Answer: Confronting constant fear and bearing the constraints of married life , she has become a nervous wreck. She finds it difficult to pull the ivory needle through the tapestry more because of mental suppression than because of physical weakness.

Question. Explain: 'massive weight of Uncle's wedding band'.
Answer: The expression is symbolic of male authority and power. Matrimony binds the woman physically as well as mentally, clipping her of her freedom of expression and independence. Likewise Aunt Jennifer is trapped in gender oppression and feels herself burdened by the authority of her husband.

Question. How is Aunt Jennifer affected by the 'weight of matrimony'?
Answer: Aunt Jennifer cannot do things freely, she tries to come up to the expectation of her husband, she seems to have lost her identity. The freedom that she dreams of through her art is itself symbolic of her oppressed self.

3."When Aunt is dead, her terrified hands will lie
Still ringed with ordeals she was mastered by.
The tigers in the panel that she made
Will go on prancing, proud and unafraid."

Question. What is Aunt Jennifer's death symbolic of?
Answer: Aunt Jennifer's death is symbolic of her complete submission to her suppression.

Question. Explain: 'terrified hands'.
Answer: Aunt Jennifer is terrified by her dominating husband and hence her hands are shivering.

Question. What does 'ringed with ordeals' imply?
Answer: Aunt Jennifer has been so victimized in her life that even after death she remains trapped in the struggles of the spirit. Though we do not know what terrors Aunt Jennifer had to live with relatives did, we find her a victim of gender injustice and oppression.

Question. Is the society in any way affected by Aunt Jennifer's death?
Answer: Since the society is male dominated, it shows no concern for Aunt's suffering, even her death. The loss of her freedom is her individual loss. The society is not affected by it and the state of women still remains the same.

Question. Explain: 'the tigers in the panel'.will go on prancing, proud and unafraid'.
Answer: The expression is symbolic of the dispassionate and unconcerned attitude of the male towards the desire for freedom among women. Even after her death, the social milieu remains unaffected, arrogant and ferocious.

SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS

Question. How do Aunt Jennifer's tiger look like?
Answer: The tigers, made by Aunt Jennifer on the screen, are jumping and playing about without any fear of the men beneath the tree. They walk in elegance and style displaying the spirit of courage, fearlessness, strength and confidence.

Question. What do the tigers made by the Aunt symbolize?
Answer: The tigers made by Aunt Jennifer symbolize the spirit of courage, strength and fearlessness Aunt Jennifer, a victim of male oppression, expresses her crushed feelings in the form of art. So, the tigers are symbolic of the fear of male domination with which Aunt Jennifer suffers.

Question. Why do you think Aunt Jennifer's hands are fluttering through her wool? Why is she finding the needle so hard to pull?
Answer: Aunt Jennifer is victimized by the overbearing and dominant nature of her husband. Her life has become a torture due to her suppression by her atrocious husband. The fear of her authoritative husband has gone so deep into her being that she seems to have lost all strength and energy. Thus her hands shake and flutter so much that she is not even able to pull the needle through the
tapestry.

Question. What do you understand by 'massive weight of uncle's wedding band'?
Answer: Generally 'wedding band' is a symbol of joy and happiness. But in case of Aunt Jennifer, it has become a symbol of torture and oppression. Her relationship with her authoritative husband has become a painful burden to carry. Her 'wedding band' has brought her a world of pain, misery and torture. She has lost her freedom and entered a world of humiliation and oppression.

Question. Explain 'her terrified hands will lie, still ringed with the ordeals she was mastered by'.
Answer: These lines convey Aunt's complete submission to the oppressive authority of her husband. The fear of her husband has gone so deep into her being that even death cannot liberate her from the chains of her mental suppression. Memories of her husband's tortures and atrocities which bent her into a humiliating slavery will continue to haunt her even after her death.

Question. Explain 'The tigers in the panel------------proud and unafraid.'
Answer: Here the tigers symbolize the unquestioned authority of man enjoyed by him over his woman counterpart. The lines suggest the dispassionate and unconcerned attitude of the male towards the desire for freedom among women. Here, Aunt Jennifer tries to find an escape in her art but ends up portraying an image of her own suppression. While woman can never free herself from the oppressive authority of her male counterpart, the male, on the other hand will go on enjoying his authoritative arrogance and ferocity without any fear of regrets.

IMPORTANT POINTS TO REMEMBER:

1. The desire of a woman for freedom& strength has been brought out by the poet.

2. Aunt Jennifer has embroidered bright yellow tigers on a screen.

3. These tigers move about freely, fearlessly & confidently in the green forests.

4. They are not afraid of the hunters.

5. In contrast, Aunt Jennifer is weak &nervous.

6. To make her embroidery she finds the ivory needle hard to pull.

7. The wedding ring is symbolic of the burden of commitments & bindings of married life.

8. Her marriage with uncle has taken away her freedom& confidence to live life the way she wishes.

9. After her death, the mark of the wedding ring will continue to show her sad, burdened life.

10. She is mortal (dies) whereas the embroidery of tigers (Art) that she has made is immortal.

LITERARY DEVICES USED BY THE POET:
* SYMBOLS-
(I) Tigers: are fearless, bold, courageous and confident. Actually they are a reflection of Aunt Jennifer's inner self.
* Ring &Uncle's wedding band: show power of her husband on her, bondage, burden of marriage. The band has become metaphorically too heavy to break for Aunt Jennifer.

SOLVED EXAMPLE: 1

Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow:
When Aunt is dead, her terrified hands will lie
Still ringed with ordeals she was mastered by.
The tigers in the panel that she made
Will go on prancing proud and unafraid.

Question. Name the poem and the poet. 
Answer: Aunt Jennifer's Tigers & the poet is Adrienne Rich.

Question. What is Aunt Jennifer's death symbolic of?
Answer: Aunt Jennifer's death is symbolic of her complete submission to her suppression.

Question. Is the society in any way affected by her death?
Answer: No, the society is not affected by her death.

Question. What is the significance of" terrified hands"?
Answer: Even after her death she has not been able to free herself from the chains of her mental suppression.

Question. How are Aunt Jennifer's tigers different from her?
Answer: Aunt: weak, docile, submissive afraid of her husband.
Tigers: bold courageous, confident, and elegant.

LITERARY DEVICES USED BY THE POET:

* SYMBOLS-

(I) Tigers: are fearless, bold, courageous and confident. Actually they are a reflection of Aunt Jennifer's inner self.

* Ring &Uncle's wedding band: show power of her husband on her, bondage, burden of marriage. The band has become metaphorically too heavy to break for Aunt Jennifer.