English

SDC

Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers

Q. Why does Aunt Jennifer create animals that are so different from her own
character?

Ans. Aunt Jennifer creates tigers, representing strength, fearlessness and confidence to
express her longing of freedom and independence. She wants to get out of the
bondage imposed by her husband if not in reality then at least symbolically. Her tigers
express her hidden desires and unfulfilled wishes.

Q. How does the poet use the image of 'fingers fluttering through the wool to highlight
Aunt Jennifer's victimisation?

Ans. Through the image, the poet wants to state that Aunt Jennifer is burdened by the
weight of her marriage and the responsibilities coming with it. Due to this, even
holding wool firmly seems a big task to her. This highlights the oppressed state of
women in the society.

Q. What is suggested by the phrase, ‘massive weight of Uncle's wedding band'?

Ans. The phrase, 'massive weight of Uncle's wedding band refers to the oppressive
marriage in which Aunt Jennifer was trapped. The marriage had subsumed her identity
as an independent woman, reducing her to remain content with playing the role of a
dutiful wife in the shadow of her husband. As a result, the ring has become a burden
of unhappy marriage.

Q. How did Aunt Jennifer face the ordeals in her life?

Ans. Aunt Jennifer's ordeals was that she was dominated by her husband and was
denied freedom. To face the ordeals, she created woolen tigers with a needle. Her art
is an expression of her inner desires. With the help of art she created a scene of free,
and unafraid tigers in jungle.

Q. Aunt Jennifer's efforts to get rid of her fear proved to be futile. Comment.

Ans. The trembling hands of Aunt Jennifer because of the weight of the wedding band
show that she still is a victim of male chauvinism. Even her death won't free her from
her ordeal as she will still be wearing the ring that symbolises her failed marriage.

Q. How does Aunt Jennifer express her bitterness and anger against male dominance?

Ans. Aunt Jennifer is too terrified to openly resist the oppression that she is a victim
of. So, she expresses her bitterness and anger against male dominance silently through
her art. She creates tigers-animals that are symbolic of bravery, fearlessness and
strength on her tapestry. The tigers she creates are wild and free from any kind of
bondage.

Q. What pictures of male chauvinism do we find in the poem, "Aunt Jennifer's Tigers

Ans. In 'Aunt Jennifer's Tiger', we find the picture of male chauvinism through the
presence of the 'wedding ring which bound her to her dominating husband. Aunt
Jennifer faced great hardships in her married life. She led a terrifying and oppressed
life wherein she had never been free but a helpless victim of male chauvinism.
Dominated and terrorised by her husband, Aunt Jennifer struggled for an existence
within the deep conflicts of suppression.

Q. Would you say that the poem ends on a note of hope? Justify your opinion.

Ans. I do not believe that the poem ends on a note of hope. The end talks about Aunt
Jennifer's death and how she will still be subdued by the patriarchal forces. This
indicates that even death does not provide any relief to the Aunt. Her story if
remembered would still be full of the struggles, burdens and responsibilities that she
faced in life. Even though her art will exist to represent her dreams, wishes and
desires, she herself would not be able to enjoy them.

Q. "What knitting was to Aunt Jennifer; poetry was for Adrienne Rich". Do you
agree? Comment with reference to the poem Aunt Jennifer's Tigers'

Ans. It is true that the act of knitting by Aunt Jennifer is similar to the act of writing
poetry by Adrienne Rich. The act of knitting was the creative expression of Aunt
Jennifer's talents through which she puts forward her desires, wishes and dreams.
Similarly, writing poetry is her creative expression through which she propagates her
ideas, thoughts and beliefs.

Q. Read the given quote. In your opinion, what silence does the poem 'Aunt Jennifer's
Tigers' break?

Ans. The poem Aunt Jennifer's tigers break the silence of women suppression and
oppression in the male dominated society. It talks about how women, her talents, and
her ideas are silenced by the patriarchal institutions of the society. Throughout the
poem, the central character of Aunt Jennifer is silent. She cannot speak about the
discrimination faced by her by the hands of her husband and her family. However, her
artistic creation functions to break her silence. It ‘loudly speaks what she wants.

Q. Explain the stark difference in the death of Aunt Jennifer and the tigers prancing.

Ans. There are two living images presented in the poem the tigers and Aunt Jennifer.
Both these figure gave different reactions to the death of Aunt Jennifer, Aunt Jennifer
in her death gradually fades away. She gets defeated due to her unfulfilled desires. She
perhaps accepts the bondage of domination as her fingers still remain ringed and she
dies surrounded by the difficulties in her life. The tigers on the other hand remain
constant and only seem to become stronger as the poem progresses. These tigers
depict the cherished world of freedom prancing in pride, a world which Aunt Jennifer
will never able to enjoy. It gives us a practical look at the reality that Aunt Jennifer
never wins and she accepts her defeat stoically as she conforms to the society she has
lived in. She bears the weight of the ring, whether dead or alive, because she has
already given up her freedom by getting married.

Q . Feminism refers to a collection of movements and ideologies that advocate

Ans. All of us live in a patriarchal society wherein a male is considered as superior to

However, her life is the exact opposite of the tigers. She is living a life of
submissiveness to her husband's command. Her acts are dominated by him and she
fears him constantly. The wedding ring on her hand is a constant reminder that she
belongs to her husband. This torments her and it will not end until her death. Even
after her death, the ring will remain on her hand and she will never be free. Feminism
then emerged as a collection of movements and ideologies that advocate women’s
rights. It seeks to establish equal opportunities for women in all spheres of life.
Through this poem, Adrienne Rich is expressing her solidarity with the movement
while presenting the pitiable conditions of women all over the world.

Q. Imagine that Aunt Jennifer read the poem that Adrienne Rich wrote about her.
After much contemplation, she decided to write a letter to her husband expressing her
feelings and thoughts. Write a letter as Aunt Jennifer.

Ans. Dear Husband,

You might be surprised why I am writing you a letter and not telling you this face to
face but I am terrified of you reaction. Yes, I am terrified but this feeling is not new to
me. I have always been terrified of you and your reaction to everything I do. When I
got married to you, I expected a life of respect, equality and freedom. But my
expectations were shattered bitterly. I was not given any freedom, not even to
embroider which you very well know I love. Then, suddenly all the filial
responsibilities were put on me and everyone expected me to excel in it.

You know I never thought I would be able to tell this to you out loud, but I had to.
You know Adrienne Rich wrote about it all and that is what encouraged me to at least
let you know the things I have gone through because of the social expectations. I do
not blame you because I know you had no idea of how I felt but now after telling you
all this, I expect you to support me.

Hoping that you understand me. Yours lovingly.

Jennifer