Adrienne Rich’s “Aunt Jennifer” Poem Evaluation Essay

Introduction

Rich’s poem is very accessible and easy to read. Her poetry reflects the historical and literary context in which it is set. The thesis of this review of the poem Aunt Jennifer is that a strong theme for Rich is the belief in the socio-political and economic equality of women and men. The gender conflict depicted in the poem reflects also a universal struggle for equality in power relationships in other social institutions, such as between ethnicity (Anglo- and “Other”-American), democracy and communism; or class divides. The world can be a soul-destroying place, harsh and unforgiving creating situations of bondage for many humans, not only Aunt Jennifer. The poem is set in North America during the 1960s to 1970s, the era of the Vietnam War and the feminist movement.

Main body

The poem reflects on the married life of ‘Aunt Jennifer’ and the social mask that she wears within a patriarchal cal society. Polarization of genders is evident as Aunt Jennifer’s victimization is made known, ironically through the absence of her husband, his “power” remains through the ring on her finger and by her internal belief system that she as a woman is not equal to him. Custom and law as remaining over from the constricted society of the 1950s (given the sacrifices that had to be made to survive the Great Depression) are symbolized by the Uncle (male). The poem serves to illustrate the experiences of a middle-class Anglo woman within her patriarchal society. Simultaneously, the poem seeks to illustrate the struggles, miseries, grief, and ways of coping for those across the globe who are socially excluded or marginalized.

The topaz denizens represent her soul’s courage, grace, and desire for freedom which is not present outside of her sewing. Her wedding band is a heavyweight, a burden holding her back from the dreams of her heart. As an ideological piece, the poem has feminist overtones as it brings forth the life experience of a person who has been marginalized within her society based on her gender role (she is a woman). Aunt Jennifer feels oppressed and anxious about the world outside of her and so had created for herself an alternate world where she can dissociate and live in freedom; only she lives through her imagination. The three quatrains summarize, describe and expose the effects of patriarchy on one white female.

It is clear from this text that she does not hate men, rather representing a woman as a tiger that is hunted by males implies that she is illustrating the reverse; acknowledging her awareness of the hate and fear of men of women who are both beautiful and destructive in men’s eyes. Rich strives to bring awareness to the fundamental issues of women at her time of writing. During the 1960s and 1970s was the Vietnam War and the feminist movement were demonstrations of social reaction against the constraints of the 1950s; also known as the feminine mystique period. Rich’s poems enable the blending of political contexts and personal responses to be communicated to the reader.

Rich uses free verse and solitary in this dialogue, moving away from narrowly constructed traditional forms of rhyming poetry to produce lyrical verse that is open, loose, and flexible with regard to the poetic line. Aunt Jennifer has been selected for her political value and her importance in highlighting the subjugation of women in this era. Rich exemplifies the weaving together of politics and art reflecting the intertwined states of social expectations and personal experience in life (Marin nd). Although there is an emphasis on social constraints, a direct reference to Aunt Jennifer’s social milieu is absent. The tragedy that is focused upon is Aunt’s loss at an individual level.

This reflects North American ideology that is drawn to the sense of the subject, the natural world, and the experience of what it is to be human. Espoused is the democratic belief of personal freedom as being the ultimate good. As Aunt Jennifer is not free things in her world are not well. However, Rich does not explore here the details of what freedom means to Aunt Jennifer, and subsequently to women specifically and the marginalized generally. There is a sense of power as demonstrated by the use of a tiger to symbolize her inner feminine, the animal nature to fosters a sense of the raw, wild, open, responsive/reactive, and unpredictable.

Most animals are able to take care of themselves with regard to protection, food, and shelter. Perhaps this is what Rich aspires freedom to be, regardless of gender, the ability to navigate one’s world self-sufficiently. According to Abraham Maslow’s (1943) Hierarchy of Needs model, a person’s ability to satisfy survival needs (at the base of the triangle) enables them to spend leisure time exploring their inner selves and experiencing the world in a new way.

Conclusion

Overwhelmingly in the use of adjectives and nouns and their juxtaposition within the text (e.g., “Bright topaz denizens of a world of green”), the poem presents an ideology of art (Lye 1997). The spirit of Aunt Jennifer is expressed through her art, a common theme in cultural tales of subjugation across cultures (e.g., Penelope in the tales of Ulysses; Rapunzel awaiting her Prince; Queen Li in the cinema drama Curse of the Golden Flower). Long after her anticipated death, Aunt Jennifer’s screen of tigers on the green will survive; its message is to carry on for other women. As such, her artwork represents the ongoing immortal struggle, conflicts, and aspirations of the human spirit. Ultimately, the poem is timeless as it describes universal relationship issues between women and men that may likely be ongoing for generations to come.

References

Lye, John. Ideological Reading: Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers. 1999. Department of English, Brokc University. Web.

Marin, Wendy. Adrienne Rich (b. 1929). nd. Web.

Maslow, Abraham. A theory of human motivation. Psychological Review 50, 370-96. 1943.