Poem: Aunt Jeniffer's Tiger (Flamingo)

                                             POEM: AUNT JENIFFER’S TIGER (Flamingo) 

                                                                                                        (Adrienne Rich) 

Key Points: 

• In this poem, the poet addresses the constraints of married life, experienced by a woman.
  
• Aunt Jennifer weaves tigers into the panel. These tigers are brave & have no fear of men.
  
• Aunt Jennifer is terrified by her dominating husband. Her finger flutters due to the mental suppression. She is not happy with her married life.
  
• She will die but her art will express her desire to move proudly and fearlessly like the tigers she has made. 
  SUMMARY: 
  The poet expresses the inner feelings of a woman - Aunt Jennifer. The aunt is embroidering a motif comprising of energetic, fearless tigers moving freely around the bright greenery.
  She is living a life of submissiveness to her husband’s command. Her acts are dominated by him and she fears him constantly. This pattern of the free and fearless tigers reflects her inner desire to live a free and fearless life. The tigers are graceful, elegant and bright. 
  Aunt Jennifer’s fingers tremble as she embroiders. She is old but still fears her husband. She does not enjoy the freedom to do anything as per her wish. She is scared doing the embroidery too and fears his wrath. Since the day she got married, she has been fulfilling the demands of her husband. The wedding ring on her hand is a constant reminder that she belongs to her husband. The burden of the demanding marriage has exhausted her. The torment will not end until her death. 
  Even after her death, the ring will remain on her hand and she will never be free. On the other hand, the tigers that she is embroidering will continue to move around freely forever. Her desire of freedom and fearlessness will live on through her tigers. 
  QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS: 
  Question.1. What are the difficulties that Aunt Jennifer faced in her life? (2014) or
  What are the ordeals that Aunt Jennifer faced in her life? (2009) 

Answer. Aunt Jennifer was probably a victim of oppression at the hands of the patriarchal society. She was subjugated by her husband and the weight of the wedding band i.e. her wedding ring, felt heavy on her hand. She was so terrified that her hands fluttered even when she carried something so light as wool. 

Question.2. How are Aunt Jennifer’s tigers different from her? ( 2014)

or

How are the tigers different from her? (2009)

Answer. Aunt Jennifer’s tigers are created by her on the tapestry. However, they present a sharp contrast to their creator. While the Aunt is weak, meek and submissive and is scared of expressing her feelings openly, the tigers are strong, fearless and confident. They are bold creatures and are scared of no one. The aunt is in bonded in matrimony and faces several restrictions. On the other hand, the tigers move about freely. 

Question.3. How does Aunt Jennifer express her bitterness and anger against male dominance?

(2014)

Answer. Aunt Jennifer is too terrified to openly resist the oppression that she is victim of. She expresses her bitterness and anger against male dominance silently through her art. She creates tigers on her tapestry; animals that are symbolic of bravery, fearlessness and strength. Besides, she portrays these tigers as creatures unafraid of the men around them. The tigers she creates are wild and free from any kind of bondage. 

Question.4.What will happen to Aunt Jennifer’s tigers when she is dead? (2013) Answer. The tigers created by Aunt Jennifer are eternal. They will keep on prancing even after her death. She probably wants to convey that the tigers which represent the Aunt’s inner sense of freedom will stay forever. 

Question.5.What lies heavily on Aunt Jennifer’s hand? How is it associated with her husband?

(2013)

or 

What is the weight that lies heavy on Aunt Jennifer’s hand? How is it associated with her husband? (2010)

Answer. The weight that lies heavy on Aunt Jennifer’s hand is the wedding band, which symbolises the weight of her married life. Probably, the weight has burdened 

her so much that she feels subjugated. Aunt Jennifer had a troubled married life with a dominating and oppressive husband. 

Question.6. Why did Aunt Jennifer choose to embroider tigers on the panel? (2009)

Answer. Aunt Jennifer chose to embroider tigers on the panel because for her, the tigers were the symbols of bravery, fearlessness and strength. These creatures are not afraid of the men around them. Her embroidering the tigers is perhaps an expression of her own bitterness and anger against male dominance. 

Question.7. How do the words, ‘denizens’ and ‘chivalric’ add to our understanding of Aunt Jennifer’s tigers? (2012)

or

How do ‘denizens’ and ‘chivalric’ add to our understanding of the tiger’s attitudes? (2011) 

Answer. ‘Denizens’ denotes occupants or citizens and ‘chivalric’ points to fearlessness, honour, bravery and majesty. Tigers are very possessive about their territory. They live on their own terms and fear none, as they regard themselves superior in their own domain, The poet finds similarities between the propensity-of tigers and men. 

Question.8.Why do you think Aunt Jennifer created animals that Die so different from her own character? What might the poet be suggesting through this difference? (2011)

Answer. Aunt Jennifer is a weak and terrified person who, all through her life, was suppressed by the constraints of marriage. The animals that she is creating in her panel are very different, as they are chivalric and do not fear men. They are a symbol of strength, fierceness and beauty. They represent Aunt Jennifer’s suppressed desire to become bold and fearless, and free from oppression. The poet wants to emphasise the spirit and desire for freedom which is innate in all human beings. 

Question.9. How does the poet describe Aunt Jennifer’s tigers?(2008)

or

Describe the tigers created by Aunt Jennifer. (2008,2009)

Answer. According to the poet, Aunt Jennifer’s tigers are golden-yellow in colour. He describes them as prancing across the screen. They are denizens of a world of green. The tigers are sleek, chivalric, majestic and elegant. Also, they are brave and fearless.