The Tiger Who Came to Tea

Jambeans favourite book is currently The Tiger Who Came to Tea.

On the surface, it's about a tiger who invites himself round to tea and eats and drinks everything in the house. But it's really an illustration of women's subjugation to men in the 1960s .

The tiger is charming and attractive and brazenly exploits Sophie and her mummy's generosity by eating them out of house and home. Then when he buggers off, Sophie and her mummy, being mere girls, are totally at a loss to know what to do about the damage to their basic requirements for security and sustenance - ie the mess and lack of food. Mummy's cannot bathe Sophie or feed Daddy because there is no water or food in the house. So really the Tiger has denied her the ability to fulfil the primary role she has in life - that of mother and provider - and therefore she has lost her identity. It is also her fault since she allowed and even encouraged the Tiger to scoff all the cakes and drink all the water in the taps (but obviously any sense of criticism I apply is notably absent in the story). Sophie is also pretty useless - she has totally fallen in love with the Tiger and cuddles him adoringly whilst he ransacks the house.

But then Daddy arrives home, Ta-Daaa, and rescues the situation by, oh my gosh he's so brilliant, suggesting they go to a cafe for dinner. They eat sausage. They are warm. They are fed. Everyone is happy. Daddy has restored Mummy's ability to feed and provide for her brood. Thanks to him, she is self-fulfilled. He is a Good Man. You get my drift...

But despite the fact that it occasionally wants to make me vomit, I absolutely LOVE this story.