AUNT%20JENNIFER

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AUNT JENNIFERS TIGERS

• ADRIENNE RICH

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Aunt Jennifer's Tigers by Adrienne Rich Aunt
Jennifer's tigers prance across a screen,Bright
topaz denizens of a world of green. They do not
fear the men beneath the tree They pace in
sleek chivalric certainty. (This stanza
highlights Aunt Jennifers fears) Footnotes
ordeals testing experiences Chivalric
Honourable and brave,denizensdwellers
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ADRIENNE RICH
Adrienne Rich (1929) was born in Baltimore,
Maryland, USA. Her claim to fame were her
feminist ideas and her wide involvement in
contemporary womens movement as a poet and
theorist. She received a number of awards
including 1996 Tanning Award for Mastery in the
Art of Poetry, the Lennon foundations 1999
Lifetime Achievement Award, The Commonwealth
Award in Literature and National Book Award
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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. (FOOTNOTES
flutteringmoving about in an aimless manner)
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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. (FOOTNOTES
ordealssevere or testing experiences)
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Adrienne Rich's "Aunt Jennifer's Tigers", depicts
a woman trapped within the cultural constraints
and responsibilities of married life.In the
first stanza, Aunt Jennifers situation and
character is contrasted with her artistic
creation that portrays her aspiration. The
tapestry on which she has knitted tigers are very
symbolic of what she wants to be in life -
fearless, assertive, noble and powerful like the
tiger as expressed in the words "They pace in
sleek chivalric certainty". The word 'certainty'
could portray the self-assuredness of the tiger
or the confident bearing of the tiger as it is
fearless of life. The tigers depicted as prancing
across the screen bring to mind a being that is
confident, self-assured and happy all things
that Aunt Jennifer is not. The use of colours
implies that Aunt Jennifer's tigers and their
land are more vital and enjoy a sense of freedom
far greater than her. Yellow (bright topaz)
connotes the sun and fierce energy, while green
reminds one of spring and rebirth.

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In the second stanza, Aunt Jennifer's present
state is depicted. Her fingers are "fluttering
through her wool" showing both physical and
mental weakness. She finds it difficult to pull
the needle. "The massive weight of Uncle's
wedding band / Sits heavily upon Aunt Jennifer's
hand" reminds us that her marriage
responsibilities weigh her down which makes her
unable to realize her full potential as a woman
in a male-dominated society. She escapes from her
difficult situation through art i.e. through
knitting.
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The final stanza contains imagery that reflects
back on the first two stanzas. The reference of
the hands symbolizes Aunt Jennifer as a whole.
Though her death would free her from her present
miserable state, her hands will remain terrified
with the wedding ring which binds her to her
ordeals that took complete control of her. The
only sign of her freedom from her present life is
the art work which she escapes into by depicting
the prancing, proud and unafraid tigers which is
what she really wants to be and which she attains
through her imagination.
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• IMAGES AND SYMBOLS USED IN THE POEM
• (1)Tigerhas been used as a symbol of the
  terror and oppression perpetrated on women like
  Aunt Jennifer by the male world.
• It also symbolises the freedom of spirit which
  Aunt Jennifer dreams of but is never able to
  achieve.
• (2)Fluttering wool..highlights the extensive
  oppression of the women. Aunt Jennifer is so
  victimized and oppressed that her frail fingers
  are not able to carry the weight of something as
  light as wool.
• Her struggling with the ivory needles tells us of
  the loss of her individuality under the weight of
  Uncles domination and her terrorizes state of
  mind.
• (3)Uncles wedding band..symbolises the
  suppression of women in matrimony. It also
  symbolises so called male authority and
  dominance.
• (4)Ringed with ordeals ..it expresses the
  struggle of the spirit,injustice and oppression
  that Aunt Jennifer suffers but never expresses.

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RHYME SCHEME.aabbcc

• THEME OF THE POEM The poem is a feminist poem
  and revolves around the theme of male chauvinism
  and gender conflicts.
• It also highlights the theme of victmisation of
  the women by their male counterparts.
• Aunt Jennifer is victimised and suffers the
  oppression of her male counterpart even though he
  is absent.