Aunt Jenni 6

AUNT JENNIFER’S TIGERS

A Project By; Amrith Krishna Class XII Guided by: Deepa Gulati TGT English KV INS Hamla

Poet- Adrienne Rich •

Born: in Baltimore, Maryland

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Date of Birth : May 16, 1929.

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An American feminist, poet, teacher, and writer.

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Rich demonstrated talent in life, writing poems under her father's guardianship when she was a child •Her first book, A Change of World (1951), had been selected for the Yale Younger Poets Prize. •After having three sons at the age thirty the content of her work became increasingly confrontational—exploring such themes as women’s role in society, racism, and the Vietnam war. Rich

is best known as a key figure in feminist poetry.

INTRODUCTION TO THE POEM • The world today is witnessing a drastic and welcoming change in the society. • It may not be wrong to state that women today have made a mark in almost all fields and have progressed. • People across the globe have contributed in empowering women. • Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers by Adrienne Rich very beautifully communicates the desire of women suppressed under the expectations of their patriarchal(social organization in which the male is the family head and title is traced through the male line) society.

NOW, TO THE POEM

prance Aunt Jennifer's tigers prance across a screen, Bright topaz of a world of green. topazdenizens denizens They do not fear the men beneath the tree; They pace in sleek chivalric certainty. chivalric 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.

Ordeals Denizen When Aunt is dead, her terrified hands will lie TopazPrance Chivalric

Stillorringed A difficult painfulwith ordeals she was mastered by. A person The tigersofin the panel that she made Manifestation Tothat walk with experience, A mineral Will go on prancing, proud and unafraid. ordeals who one qualities like a in lofty proud especially that occurs inhabits atests bravery, gait, severely crystals of often in particular courtesy, honor, an attempt character or various colours place and gallantry to impress endurance. and is used as toward women a gemstone others Close Close Close

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Feminism

Individuality

[Aunt Jeniffer’s Tigers]

STANZA I - EXPLANATION • Rich begins her poem with a beautiful picture, setting the scene for the dream world of Aunt Jennifer. • Aunt owns tigers which are as bright as topaz and inhabit a world of green. • Her tigers are energetic and fearless.

•Aunt Jennifer's tigers do not fear men. They conduct themselves in a heroic and manly fashion.

•The tigers are confident and certain of who they are and what they want.

STANZA II EXPLANATION Men Ruling

• The second stanza explains who Aunt Jennifer is and throws light on her suppressed feelings.

• Aunt Jennifer is described to be working with a piece of wool. She is doing needlework to a panel. • Her fingers are fluttering to create the beautiful image of the tigers.

STANZA II

EXPLANATION

Wedding band or…..?

•Aunt Jennifer is expressing herself through the creation of her tigers. However, creating those tigers and expressing those feelings are hard to get out. •Those feelings are repressed by the weight of marriage, gender roles, and a dominating society. •"Uncle's wedding band" represents a patriarchal society in which she lives.

STANZA III- EXPLANATION • The last stanza of the poem gives us a surprisingly truthful look at the reality and end of Aunt Jennifer and women in her position all over the world.

• Aunt Jennifer could never taste freedom even after her death

ing k o Lo

? ve o rL o F

Lo o Fr king ee do For m?

STANZA III- EXPLANATION • Even in death she must conform to the patriarchal society in which she lives.

• In the last two lines she tried to express herself and to overcome the oppression that she probably could not even explain, but she only knew how to do it through masculine images.

ing k o Lo

? ve o rL o F

Lo o Fr king ee do For m?

CENTRAL IDEA OF THE POEM

CENTRAL IDEA OF THE POEM • Aunt Jennifer represented women all over the world, particularly women in America, who were caught under the oppressive hand of a patriarchal society. Adrienne Rich was perhaps one of those women.

• Simple lines of Aunt Jennifer's Tigers, describe a woman's struggles with expression, rebellion, and a society where power is defined as masculine.

CENTRAL IDEA OF THE POEM • Her ‘Tigers’ are exotic and culturally different from anything American women would know or treasure.

• The fact that tigers are the theme of Aunt Jennifer's needlepoint pattern and illuminate the situation she finds herself trapped in.

CENTRAL IDEA OF THE POEM • The ring around her finger symbolizes the weight she must bear dead or alive. • Just as she created and controlled her needlework, society and gender roles created and controlled her.

CENTRAL IDEA OF THE POEM • Stuck in their homes, constricted and forbidden to enjoy many of the things they truly desired; American women were forced to be "perfect" and to fit the mold of the American wife.

•Aunt Jennifer represses her fears and desires into the exotic tigers which go on living even after the weight of her world buries her.

r of er e H kcil C s e ws n A

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1

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?

2

What is suggested by the image ‘massive weight of Uncle’s wedding band’?

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3 `

Of what or of whom is Aunt Jennifer terrified with in the last stanza?

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5 `

What are the ‘ordeals’ Aunt Jennifer is surrounded by, why is it significant that the poet uses the word ‘ringed’?

Why do you think Aunt Jennifer created animals that are so different from her own character?

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Advance

Aunt is trying to make tigers with the wool. She finds it difficult due to burden of her marriage, the patriarchal society and her suppressed desires. She finds the needle hard to pull as she cannot express her desires after her marriage.

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ANYTHING MORE ?

The massive weight of Uncle’s band suggests the burdens of marriage, the narrow minded and patriarchal society and Uncle’s expectations from Aunt Jennifer of a perfect housewife.

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ANYTHING MORE ?

Aunt Jennifer is terrified of her bad experiences after marriage, Uncle’s heavy band and her inability to craft her independent personality. .

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ANYTHING MORE ?

The ordeals which surround Aunt Jennifer are the bad experiences after her marriage, the irrational behaviour of the society and the oppression. The ring signifies that all the ordeals are bound to the wedding ring.

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ANYTHING MORE ?

Aunt Jennifer’s created images of animals which explicitly expressed her unfulfilled desire. She longed to be like the fearless and proud tigers, but was a victim of the partial society. In fact the tigers represent her soul but is in complete contrast with her real life situation Questions Menu

ANYTHING MORE ?

SOME EXTRA QUESTIONS

1. Why do you think Aunt Jennifer could not express her desires freely? 3. How do you think Aunt Jennifer was a victim of the patriarchal society? Could she escape from it?

2.What do Aunt Jennifer’s tigers signify?

4.Does Aunt Jennifer’s story seem familiar to you? What image of America did you have before reading this poem?

ANSWERS TO EXTRA QUESTIONS 1. Aunt could not express her desires probably because she was groomed to accept the norms of the patriarchal society or also because there was no right forum to voice her wishes.

2. Aunt Jennifer’s tigers signify Aunt’s desires to be fearless, proud of her own identity. The tigers represent independence and freewill.

3. Aunt was a victim of her society as she was suppressed under the pressures of an ideal housewife who has no freewill. She could have escaped from it but she seemed to be stuck in the groove of her society without any passion for her own desires. 4. Aunt Jennifer represents a majority of women in the world. Today ‘Women Empowerment’ is emerging as a very important social issue. But such a pathetic condition of women in America has never been a highlighted topic.

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Q1. Who’s The Author of this Poem “Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers”

A: Madhavikutty

B: Adrienne Rich

C: Stephen Spender

D: John Keats

Q1. Who’s The Author of this Poem “Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers”

A: Madhaikutty

B: Adrienne Rich

C: Stephen Spender

D: John Keats

Q2. Who are as bright as topaz and inhabit a world of green ?

A: Aunt Jennifer

B: Jennifer’s Husband

C: Poet Herself

D: Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers

Q2. Who are as bright as topaz and inhabit a world of green ?

A: Aunt Jennifer

B: Jennifer’s Husband

C: Poet Herself

D: Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers

Q3. What has massive weight?

A: Wedding Band

B: Ivory Needle

C: Wool

D: Tigers

Q3. What has massive weight?

A: Wedding Band

B: Ivory Needle

C: Wool

D: Tigers

Q4. Which of These do not describe Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers ?

A: Confident

B: Energetic

C: Fearful

D: Heroic

Q4. Which of These do not describe Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers ?

A: Confident

B: Energetic

C: Fearful

D: Heroic

Q5. What did "Uncle's wedding band" represent ?

A: Love and Affection

C: Artwork

B: Wealth

D: Patriarchal Society

Q5. What did "Uncle's wedding band" represent ?

A: Love and Affection

C: Artwork

B: Wealth

D: Patriarchal Society

Q6. Which of these suits to the central idea of poem ?

A: Problems of Artistes

C: Cruelty to Animals

B: Opression of Housewives / Women folk

D: American Civil War

Q6. Which of these suits to the central idea of poem ?

A: Problems of Artistes

C: Cruelty to Animals

B: Opression of Housewives / women folk

D: American Civil War

Q7. What will happen to the tigers she made after her death?

A: They will die

C: Her Husband will destroy them

B: They will continue to Prance unafraid D: None of These

Q7. What will happen to the tigers she made after her death?

A: They will die

C: Her Husband will destroy them

B: They will continue to Prance unafraid D: None of These

BYE & THANK YOU!