Adrienne Rich writes, "For a poem to coalesce, for a character or an action to take shape, there has to be an imaginative transformation of reality which is no way passive..."(610). Imaginative transformation means to be able to look at something from different perspectives, what might seem black to one might be white to the another. Imaginative transformation allows one to express themselves freely through their imagination and question the way things are. It allows one to have their own opinion on things and not be wrong. It is important for an author to this because it allows her to write freely on any topic and allows the reader to interpret it anyway they like. In Rich's case, she writes about how women need to break from the enduring attitudes and views of traditions in which society has placed upon them.
             In "Aunt Jennifer's Tiger", Rich writes a poem about a woman who does not break from the accepted roles of society. The character, Aunt Jennifer, uses imaginative transformation in order to free herself from her life. In this poem Rich's tone is very powerful, she makes it clear that she does not want to live a life like Aunt Jennifer's. In this poem Rich portrays how someone's life can be like when one accepts the established beliefs conformed by society. Through Aunt Jennifer, Rich tells the story of an unhappy marriage and woman with no respect from society. The author writes about the universal issues of the relationship between man and woman. Rich is upset with the limitations placed on women in society, particularly in marriage. Jennifer's life shows the negative consequences of what will happen to a person if they do not break from society.
             Aunt Jennifer is a woman who does not have the freedom to live for herself because of society's expectations. As a result, she is force to express her true identity by knitting. Jen
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