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The poem reflects the gender struggle; Adrienne Rich criticizes the male-dominated world for terrifying and oppressing women as symbolized by Aunt Jennifer, leaving her with no alternative but to create an alternate world of freedom for herself with her sewing. The embroidering of tigers on the panel, her only form of expression, underlines a woman’s struggles with expression, rebellion, and a society where power is defined as masculine. The poet depicts the pain of a woman who is living with a husband who dominates her. Her hidden, vibrant inner life is in sharp contrast to the outer image of the terrified, trapped woman.
The poem is almost a tragedy relating the plight of women trapped in an unhappy marriage. The poet makes her stance clear by using the figure of independent and fearless tigers as a telling symbol of an ideal that women like Aunt Jennifer seek to approximate. Adrienne Rich yearns for freedom and equality for all women.