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Aunt Jennifer's Tigers, By Kate Chopin

Good Essays

A Silent Curse

Dinner is prepared. The children have finished their homework and the house is debris free. Another day in the life of a married housewife comes to a close. As we look back upon the time of our predecessors, this is the normal routine. Tasks are completed without question and in adherence to the strict expectations of the husband. During this time period, male dominance is evident through the treatment and lack of affection given to the women of the house. "Aunt Jennifer's Tigers," a poem, by Adrienne Rich and Kate Chopin's short story, "The Story of an Hour," equally capture the underlying meaning of matrimony. Both literary works have similar themes portraying a woman's struggle with oppression, marital burdens and …show more content…

Could it be that fear has completely consumed Aunt Jennifer? As the poem progresses, is this the cause of her fluttering fingers? No, it is the excitement of finally being able to create something that will allow her a form of expressive freedom. Aunt Jennifer can design these courageous animals any way she desires without any instruction from anyone else. She chooses to create tigers of all things, because of the attributes of courage and freedom they have. By sewing these into the screen, she is free at last to do something she wants, to convey a piece of her true self without criticism.

Women of this century are expected to care for the children and make the home, forbidding them to enjoy the things females longed for. Men, on the other hand, were the monetary providers who stressed a well disciplined home. With all of the stress and expectations of a marriage, a substantial burden is undoubtedly forced upon ladies of this era. Rich speaks of "the massive weight of Uncle's wedding band," depicting an image of tremendous responsibility in a marriage. The round shape of the ring suggests the endless circle of the ordeals that force a need and want of rebellion. The ring is said to be heavy upon Aunt Jennifer's hand, which conveys the amount of burden she possesses. This weight is the only thing keeping Aunt Jennifer from her only form of uncensored expression, her

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