Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers Question Answers

 

CBSE Class 12 English Poem 6 Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers Important Question Answers (2 and 5 Marks) of Flamingo Book 

 

Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers Question Answers – Here are Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers Important Question Answers of 1, 2, and 5 marks for CBSE Class 12 English Poem 4. The important questions we have compiled will help the students to brush up on their knowledge about the subject.

 

Students can practice Class 12 English important questions to understand the subject better and improve their performance in the board exam. The solutions provided here will also give students an idea about how to write the answers. Take Free Online MCQs Test for Class 12.

 

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Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers Question Answers (1 Marks Important)

Q.1. What issue does the poem Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers address?

  1. constraints of women
  2. constraints of married life a woman experiences
  3. constraints of women as a poet
  4. None

Ans. (B)

 

Q.2. What do you understand by the words ‘denizens’ and ‘chivalric’ in the poem?

  1. The dominant and highly arrogant attitude of the wild animal-tiger
  2. tiger is a wild animal
  3. tiger is hungry
  4. beauty of the tiger

Ans. (A)

 

Q.3. What do aunt Jennifer’s fluttering hands through her wool in the second stanza tell us?

  1. the lost freedom and fear of Jennifer’s mind because marital restraints
  2. her old age
  3. her love for embroidery and knitting
  4. her love for tigers

Ans. (A)

 

Q.4. Why is she finding the needle so hard to pull?

  1. because of fluttering fingers
  2. because of trembling hands
  3. because of her fears
  4. because of the heavy weight of her marriage ring

Ans. (D)

 

Q.5. What is the purpose of creating animals which are completely a contrast to aunt’s character?

  1. to show her strength and ability of not giving up in the face of difficulties
  2. her courage
  3. her fears and strengths
  4. none

Ans. (A)

 

Q.6. The beautiful and lifelike tigers on the panel, show Aunt Jennifer’s

  1. hatred for life
  2. hatred for men
  3. creativity
  4. suffering

Ans. (B)

 

Q.7. How are aunt Jennifer’s tigers different from her?

  1. aunt lives in a city and tigers in forests
  2. aunt is old and tigers are young
  3. tigers are courageous and carefree and aunt is terrified
  4. none of above

Ans. (C)

 

Q.8. Proud’ and ‘unafraid’. These two adjectives have been used for

  1. the uncle
  2. the males in the society
  3. the tigers on the forest
  4. the tigers on the panel

Ans. (B)

 

Q.9. Will go on prancing’ means the

  1. spirit of freedom of the tigers will continue to exist
  2. tigers will dance
  3. tigers will kill
  4. tigers will show tricks

Ans. (A)

 

Q.10. ‘Still ringed’ means

  1. oppression will continue
  2. too many rings on her fingers
  3. ring of the bell
  4. quiet and peaceful

Ans. (A)

 

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RTCs (4 *1 = 4 marks)

 

  1. 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 heavity upon Aunt Jennifer’s hand.

 

(i) Why is it heavy?

  1. Restrictions of son
  2. Domination of husband
  3. Gaining weight
  4. All of these

Ans. (b)

 

(ii)  What is Aunt Jennifer doing with her wool?

  1. Embroidering tigers
  2. Cleaning teeth
  3. Injecting syrups
  4. Stitching clothes

Ans. (a)

 

(iii) Why does she find it difficult to pull her ivory needle?

  1. she is terrorised
  2. She has become old
  3. She is unwell
  4. She has forgotten the use of ivory needle

Ans. (a)

 

(iv) What does ‘wedding band’ stand for?

  1. Wedding ring
  2. Music played at the wedding
  3. Responsibilities towards parents
  4. Responsibilities of married life

Ans. (a)

 

  1. 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.

 

(i) Why are Aunt Jennifer’s fingers fluttering?

  1. She is embroidering tigers.
  2. She is nervous.
  3. She is suffering from disease.
  4. She has become old.

Ans. (b)

 

(ii) What is the result of the fluttering?

  1. Embroiders elegant tigers
  2. Can’t pull the ivory needle
  3. Gets afraid of her husband
  4. All of these

Ans. (b)

 

(iii) What does ‘The massive weight of Uncle’s wedding band’ mean?

  1. Bound to live with husband
  2. Living away from the husband
  3. Married to her husband as a child
  4. Forced to lift uncle’s band daily

Ans. (a)

 

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(iv) What is Aunt Jennifer’s state of mind?

  1. Happy
  2. Peaceful
  3. Sad
  4. Perturbed

Ans. (d)

 

  1. 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.

 

(i) Why are the tigers called ‘Aunt Jennifer’s tigers?

  1. She has tamed them.
  2. She has trained them.
  3. She has sheltered them.
  4. She has embroidered them.

Ans. (d)

 

(ii) What does the phrase, ‘a world of green’ mean?

  1. Grass
  2. Grasslands
  3. Forest
  4. Trees

Ans. (c)

 

(iii) How are the tigers different from their creator?

  1. Tigers are fearless.
  2. Tigers are trained.
  3. Tigers are beautiful.
  4. All of these.

Ans. (a)

 

(iv) What does the word, ‘chivalric’ mean?

  1. Bold as compared to women
  2. Sympathetic towards women
  3. Respectful towards women
  4. Quarrelling with women

Ans. (c)

 

Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers Related Videos

Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers Question Answers (2 Marks Important)

Q1. 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?

Important Points-

– Aunt Jennifer is victimised by the overbearing nature of her husband and her hands flutter because she is nervous. 

– She is so afraid of her husband that she struggles even while creating a piece of art. 

– Afraid of her man, she finds it hard to pull the needle through the wool.

 

Q2. What is suggested by the image / phrase ‘massive weight of Uncle’s wedding band’?  

                                   Or

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

Important Points-

– The image is symbolic of the oppression a woman faces in matrimony at the hands of a terrifying husband. 

– She feels suppressed and trapped in the unbreakable bars of marriage represented by the wedding band. 

– She cannot liberate herself from the harshness and bondage of matrimony.

 

Q3. What ‘ordeals’ do you think Aunt Jennifer is surrounded by?

Important Points-

– Although Aunt Jennifer’s ordeals are not explicitly mentioned in the poem, we can easily judge that she suffers from matrimonial oppression. 

– Her personal liberty and spirit are constricted by her unfeeling and domineering husband and she is compelled to suffer her ‘ordeals’ in silence.  

 

Q4. 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? 

Important Points-

– Aunt Jennifer is submissive and allows herself to be subdued by her husband, yet she has made free and brave ‘tigers’ because she wants to represent her spirit that craves freedom. 

– The poet wishes to highlight the inherent desire for freedom in all human beings by this contrast.

 

Q5. Do you sympathise with Aunt Jennifer? What is the attitude of the speaker towards Aunt Jennifer?

Important Points-

– Aunt Jennifer indeed deserves our sympathy. 

– Despite all efforts to get rid of gender bias, she still remains victimised by the male superiority prevalent in society. 

– The speaker also feels sorry for her and tries to raise the issue of freedom for women through Aunt Jennifer’s case.

 

Q6. How is the poem a forceful expression of the evil of patriarchy? 

Important Points-

– The poem “Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers” forcefully brings out the struggles for survival of women in a harsh male dominated world. 

– All the deep conflicts of bondage and freedom, with which women wrestle, have been depicted through the silent suffering of Aunt Jennifer.

 

Q7. How are genders polarized in the poem?

Important Points-

– The genders in the poem are shown to be polarized as   Aunt Jennifer alone bears the entire burden of matrimony. 

– The massive weight of her wedding band remains with her even in her husband’s absence. 

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– Besides, even death won’t possibly liberate her.

 

Q8. What does the ‘wedding band’ symbolize? 

Important Points-

– The ‘wedding band is symbolic of the oppression of women in the name of custom and law. 

– Marriage is a social and legal obligation binding the will of women. 

– They have to accept the dominance and suppression imposed upon them by this relationship.

 

Q9. For Aunt Jennifer, what do the ‘tigers’ symbolise? 

Important Points-

– Tigers’ are symbolic of the fear of male domination from which Aunt Jennifer suffers. 

– They are also a kind of alter-ego for they represent the life that she yearns for but can never obtain. 

– So, she tries to live life by creating them.

 

Q10. What picture of male chauvinism (tyranny) do we find in the poem? 

Important Points-

– The picture of male chauvinism in the poem is suffocating and scary. 

– The weight of Aunt Jennifer’s wedding band, her trembling fingers and her terrified hands clearly indicate that her life is subjugated and throttled by the patriarchal system.

 

Q11. How does the poet show the futility of Aunt Jennifer’s efforts?

                                       Or

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

 

Important Points-

– The poet shows the futility of Aunt Jennifer’s efforts by describing that her hands would be terrified even after her death still ringed with ordeals that controlled her life. 

– This shows that her efforts to create fearless tigers won’t ever change her subjugated condition.

 

Q12. What will happen when Aunt Jennifer is dead?

 

Important Points-

– After her death, Aunt Jennifer’s terrified hands will still lie unchanged with ordeals that mastered her during her lifetime. 

– However, the tigers created by her will eternally prowl in a fearless manner thereby signifying her deep desire for freedom.

 

Q13. How is Aunt Jennifer different from her tigers?

                                      Or

How are Aunt Jennifer’s tigers different from her?

 

Important Points-

– Aunt Jennifer is submissive and nervous in contrast to her tigers that are brave and proud. 

– She fears men but her tigers ‘pace in sleek chivalry’ unaffected. 

– She would not be able to break free from patriarchy even after her death while her tigers will move unafraid eternally.

 

Q14. Describe the tigers created by Aunt Jennifer.

Ans. The tigers are bright yellow in colour and they live in the dense green forest. They do not fear the men who come for hunting. The tigers are elegant and chivalrous as they prance around. 

 

Q15. How does the poet use the image of ‘fingers fluttering through the wool’ to highlight Aunt Jennifer’s  victimisation? 

Ans. The poet uses imagery as we can visualize the trembling fingers of Aunt Jennifer. This shows how terrified she is of her husband. Perhaps he does not approve of her hobby and so she is scared of him. She must have suffered many ordeals since young age.

 

Q16. What is Aunt Jennifer’s aim in life?

Ans. She wants to live a free life. She seeks fearlessness. She wants to move out of the oppressed life enforced upon her through the wedlock. These desires are depicted through the free and fearless tigers embroidered by her. 

 

Q17. What picture of male chauvinism (tyranny) do we find in the poem. ‘Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers’?

Ans. Aunt Jennifer faced oppression by her husband, throughout her married life. She had lived in constant fear. She cannot live freely and is traumatised of her husband. She has lived with the immense burden of marital responsibilities.

 

Q18. What is the meaning of the phrase ‘massive weight of uncle’s wedding band’?

Ans. The phrase means that the wedding ring given by the uncle to Aunt Jennifer brings along with it, an immense burden of marital obligations. These duties are referred to as the massive weight of the uncle’s wedding band.

 

Q19. In the poem, Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers, what is the contrast between the reality of Aunt’s life and her imagination?

Ans. Aunt Jennifer’s reality is a depressed person lives an oppressed and fearful life. Her images can be seen in the tigers who are free, fearless, elegant residents of the forest.

 

Q20. Why do you think Aunt Jennifer created animals that are so different from her own character?

Ans. She created such animals to put forth her feelings. She wished to live freely and fearlessly. Thus, she expresses this innermost desire through her creation. The tigers are in contrast to her character and she wishes to be like them. 

Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers Question Answers (5 Marks Important) 100 to 120 words

Q1. Summary or theme of the poem

Ans. Value points

The poem shows the ordeals of a married woman.

Constant fear, oppression, the terror of husband

The burden of marital obligations

She is embroidering tigers – They show freedom and fearlessness. They are elegant and happy. They are opposite to her character. The tigers depict Aunt Jennifer’s desire to live a free and fearless life. 

The trauma of her life will never end. When she dies the engagement ring given by her husband will remain on her finger. The ring has tied her to wedlock and thus, even death will not give her freedom.
 

EXTRA QUESTIONS FROM THE INTERNET ASKED FROM THE CHAPTER “Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers”

  1. What is the contrast shown in the characters of Aunt Jennifer and the tigers?

    ANSWER
    Adrienne Rich has depicted aunt Jennifer to be afraid, trembling and fearful. She leads a life of ordeals wherein the duties of married life are a burden on her. On the contrary, the tigers are shown to be fearless, bright and free. They are the proud inhabitants of the forest and move around unrestricted.

  2.  

  3. What is the theme of the poem?

    ANSWER
    The poet is famous for her feminist writings. Through the poem she wants to highlight the plight of an old woman. The woman is married and burdened by marital obligations. Her freedom and desires have been curtailed. These desires are reflected in the tigers which she is embroidering on a panel. The poet also highlights that aunt Jennifer’s hands tremble while embroidering, perhaps because she is afraid of her husband. This ordeal will not end even with her death because then also she will remain wife of the man who torments her.

     

  4. Why does the poet say that the tigers prance across a screen.

    ANSWER
    In the poem, the aunt is embroidering a pattern of tigers running around in the forest. The poet says that the tigers are fearless and they can be seen running and jumping around. The screen here refers to the panel of cloth on which she is embroidering the pattern.

  5.  

  6. Describe the tigers in the poem.

    Answer

    The tigers are bright yellow in colour and they are very impressive against the green colour background of the forest. They are fearless, chivalrous, proud and free.

  7.  

  8. List down the poetic devices used in the poem ‘Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers’.

    Answer

    The following poetic devices have been used –
    1. Metaphor – bright topaz, world of green,
    2. Anaphora –
    They do not fear…….
    They pace in sleek ………….
    3. Alliteration – fingers fluttering, prancing proud
    4. Synecdoche – terrified hands
    5. Pun – ringed with ordeals
    6. Imagery – will go on prancing………….
    7. Paradox / contradiction – Last paragraph
    8. Personification – uncle’s wedding band sits heavily upon Aunt Jennifer’s hand

  9.  

  10. How can we infer that aunt is a victim of gender inequality?

    Answer

    The poet has highlighted the ordeal of a married woman who suffers the pressure of marital duties. Aunt Jennifer desires freedom and fearlessness. So we can observe that the poem depicts gender inequality, it being an inequality between anut Jennifer and her husband.

  11.  

  12. What wll happen to the tigers upon aunt’s death?

    Answer

    Even after the death of Aunt Jennifer, the tigers will remain as they are. In the embroidery panel, the tigers will always prance around, proud and unafraid. They will dislay aunt’s unfulfilled desires forever.

  13.  

  14. What is aunt doing with the needle?

    ANSWER
    Aunt Jennifer is embroidering a panel of cloth. She is using a needle made of ivory, wool and a piece of cloth to embroider a pattern of tigers prancing in the forest. Perhaps this is her hobby and her husband does not approve of it. So, her fingers are trembling while she is using the needle.

 

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