AUNT JENNIFER’S TIGERS

Q1. How do ‘denizens’ and ‘chivalric’ add to our understanding of the tiger’s
attitudes? [imp]
Tigers are natives of wild forests. The word ‘denizen’ associated with tigers show that
they are assured of their habitat and take pleasure in being the masters of their
domain. The word ‘chivalric’ indicates the majestic and honourable position the tigers
occupy in the world of animals. Moreover they are confident and brave.

Q2.Why do you think Aunt Jennifer’s hands are ‘fluttering through her wool’ in
the second stanza? Why is she finding the needle so hard to pull?
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.

Q3. What do you understand by “massive weight of uncle’s wedding band”?[vvimp]

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.

Q4. Of what or of whom is Aunt Jennifer terrified with in the third stanza?
The Aunt is terrified about the fact that when she would quit the world and when she
would be lowered into the grave, she would still remain afraid of her husband and
would carry the marks of torture in the form of wedding ring even in her grave. She has
suffered so much suppression in her life thateven her death would fail to liberate her
soul from the torturous memories of her life.

Q5. a. What are the ‘ordeals’ Aunt Jennifer is surrounded by?[vvimp]

b. Why is it significant that the poet uses the word ‘ringed’? What are the
meanings of the word ‘ringed’ in the poem?[vvimp]

a. Although Aunt Jennifer’s ordeals are not explicitly mentioned in the poem, but we
can easily judge that she suffers from matrimonial oppression and is a victim of
patriarchy and male chauvinism. Her personal liberty and desires are constricted by
her domineering husband. She might be burdened with heavy responsibilities
towards the family and her husband.

b. The poet uses the word ‘ringed’ to signify that after her death also, Aunt Jennifer’s
hands will still be affected by the dominance of a male, perhaps her husband. The
word ‘ringed’ could have several shades of meaning. First of all, the ring refers to the
wedding ring which symbolizes the sacred bond of marriage. In Aunt’s case, the
marriage has proved to be burdensome and restrictive. So the word ‘ringed’ in the
poem also refers to the confines, constraints and demands of marriage that bind a
woman.

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Q6.Why do you think Aunt Jennifer created animals that are so different from her
own character? What might the poet be suggesting through this difference?[imp]
Aunt Jennifer’s animals are so different from her own character. They are ‘prancing’.
They pace in ‘sleek chivalric certainty’. They are symbols of strength, fierceness and
beauty. But the massive weight of the wedding band sits heavily upon Aunt Jennifer’s
hands. Her fingers carry the weight of the unpleasant experiences of her past life. Her
old fingers can’t even pull the needle fast.

7. Do you sympathise with Aunt Jennifer. What is the attitude of the speaker
towards Aunt Jennifer?
Yes, the character of Aunt Jennifer wins our sympathy as a reader. Her ordeals and sufferings
move the reader. Even the speaker in the poem shows sympathy and pity towards her. The
speaker says that even after Aunt Jennifer’s death, she will be terrified of her husband and
the ordeals of her marriage.

8. Interpret the symbols found in this poem.

Tiger is symbol of freedom, liberation and bravery which Aunt dreams of attaining but
never achieves except in her dreams and art. It could also symbolize terror and
oppression perpetrated on women like Aunt Jennifer by the male world. Wedding band
symbolizes confines, constraints, oppression a woman faces in matrimony. Aunt
Jennifer is symbolic of women as a whole who are victimized by patriarchy and gender
oppression. The "ivory needle" is characteristic of the hunting of elephants for their
tusks. This is all symbolic of the male dominance over nature

SHORT QUESTIONS
Q1. Why are the tigers called ‘Aunt Jennifer’s tigers?
The tigers are called Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers as they are her creation. She has
embroidered them on a panel

Q2. How has Aunt Jennifer created her tigers? Or Describe the tigers created by
Aunt Jennifer? [vvvimp]
Aunt Jennifer weaves and creates tigers in the panel. She describes tigers as ‘bright
topaz denizens’ of the forest, Her tigers symbolize strength, speed and splendour. They
pace with confidence and certainty. They provide a striking contrast to the frail old lady
who created them.

Q3. Explain: ‘They pace in sleek chivalric certainty’ in the poem “Aunt Jennifer’s
Tiger?
The movement of the tigers is sleek, stealthy, sure, majestic and elegant. They are sure
of their purpose.

Q4. What will happen to Aunt Jennifer’s tiger when she is dead?[vimp]
Aunt Jennifer’s tigers will survive her. The tigers in the panel that she made with her
hands will still remain there. They will go on prancing, proud and unafraid. She will die
but her creations will survive.

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5. Explain ‘The tigers in the panel that she made will go on prancing, proud and
unafraid.’
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 a
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. It also means that human beings die but their art survives.

Q6. Is the society in any way affected by Aunt Jennifer’s death?

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.

Q7. What character traits of Aunt Jennifer’s come to light in the poem?
Aunt Jennifer comes across as a terrified and feeble person totally lacking in
confidence, who is a victim of her domineering husband. Her creativity finds outlet in
her embroidery of prancing tigers which are a complete contrast to her own personality.

Q8. How are Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers totally different from her own character?
Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers are a picture of strength, certainty, fearlessness and confidence who prance
across the screen whereas Aunt Jennifer is weak ,terrified and a submissive individual who is in
the grip of the ordeals of her married life.
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(i) 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.

Comprehension Questions Answers

1. Name the poem & the 2. The poem is’ Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers’ and
poet. the poet Adrienne Rich.
2. What are Aunt’s tigers 2. They are jumping across a screen.
doing?
3. How do the prancing 3. They look like shining topaz denizens.
tigers look like?
4. What do the tigers do on 4. They don’t fear the men beneath the tree.
seeing men?

6. The poem Aunt Jennifer's tigers is replete with symbols. Interpret any 3
symbols used in the poem. [very important]
The poet uses symbols in the poem. The Tigers are the symbol of courage, honor,
bravery and confidence. The massive weight of 'Uncle's wedding band' is symbol of
harsh and bitter experiences of Aunt Jennifer's married life. 'Ordeals' and 'Ringed'
also stands for bitter and harsh experiences.

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 (i) Aunt Jennifer's finger 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.

Comprehension Questions Answers

1. Why are the fingers 1. The fingers are fluttering because she is
fluttering? underweight to fear from the dominance of her
husband as well as the family life.
2. What does ‘the massive 2. It depicts Aunt’s suffering. The wedding band
weight of uncle’s wedding refers to the engagement ring and also the metal
band’ depict? band that keeps her chained.
3. Why did she create 3. She bore all the suffering very meekly. So, she
animals which were so created tigers that represent her silent revolt
different from her own against uncle’s marriage bands and her
character? suffering.

(iii) 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.

Comprehension Questions Answers

1. Who is Aunt referred to and what she 1. She is Aunt Jennifer. She has
has mastered by? mastered by her ordeals.
2. Where were the tigers made and who 2. The tigers were made in the panel
did so? by aunt.
3. What will the tigers do when Aunt is 3. They will continue jumping across
dead? the screen.
4. How do the tigers look? 4. They look like proud and unafraid.
5. Identify and name the poetic device 5. Alliteration- prancing, proud
used in the last line of the above stanza. 6. According to the poet, When Aunt
6. What lies in store for Aunt Jennifer? Jennifer would die, even after death
7. Explain ‘ringed with ordeals.’ she will not be freed from her
troubles.
7. By this line the poet means that
even when aunt is dead, she will still
be imprisoned by her wedding ring-
symbolic of her marriage full of
ordeals that took complete control of
her.

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 Read the given lines and answer the questions:
They do not fear the men beneath the tree;
They pace in sleek chivalric certainty.

i) 1.Are Aunt Jennifer’s tiger real? Give reasons for your answer.
Aunt jennifer's tigers are not real as they have been embroidered on a screen or cloth . the
tigers donot fear the men under trees coz they r strong and brave. they actually represent male
oppression or dominance over females.

ii) Why do the tigers not fear the man beneath the tree?
The tigers do not fear the man beneath the tress because they are possess chivalric
certainty [matchless energy, unshrinking confidence, utmost power and strength] and thus look
powerful in the panel. So, they are the symbol of confidence and also sleek the
chivalric way
iii) What do you understand by ‘chivalric certainty’?
: 'Chivalric certainty' denotes: matchless energy. unflinching confidence. utmost power and strength.

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