CBSE Class 10 English Amanda! Assignment

AMANDA

INTRODUCTION—
In the above poem, the poet Robin Klein says that a child should never be denied freedom. It deals with the upbringing of a small child, Amanda. It highlights the struggles faced by the child.

SUMMARY—
The poem ‘Amanda’ is about a small child whose parents are forever nagging her about what to do and what not to do. This frequent interference makes her very unhappy. She feels that she is not free to do anything that she wants to do. She wants freedom from all restrictions. She dreams to lead a life of a mermaid in a Languid, emerald sea with her being the only inhabitant there. She feels that an orphan has more freedom than her. She also wished to lead a calm and quiet life in a tower like that of Rapunzel with nobody to disturb her.

Explanation of the Poem

1. Don’t bite your nails, Amanda !
Don’t hunch your shoulders, Amanda !
Stop that slouching and sit up straight,
Amanda !

Explanation: In the above stanza, Amanda is getting instructed, most probably by her parents for not biting her nails and for sitting lazily with her shoulders bent. The tone of instructions here is not a friendly one and thus fails to make any sense to Amanda.

2. There is a languid, emerald sea,
where the sole inhabitant is me—
a mermaid, drifting blissfuly.

Explanation: Amanda uses her imagination as an escape point from day to day commands of her parents. She finds peace in her own created world where there are no restrains. She imagines herself to be a joyful mermaid sailing without any confines alongside soft waves of the green sea.

3. Did you finish your homework, Amanda ?
Did you tidy your room, Amanda ?
I thought I told you to clean your shoes,
Amanda !

Explanation: Amanda is now being asked about whether she had finished her homework, or had made her room tidy and also whether she had cleaned her shoes. These set of instructions mark a shift from the instructions given in stanza. Her name is being called again with an exclamation mark which shows that
the parents seem to be losing their cool and are troubled.

4. I am an orphan, roaming the street.
I Pattern soft dust with my hushed, bare feet.
The silence is golden, the freedom is sweet.

Explanation: Amanda is again lost into her own world. After getting a fresh list of instructions from her parents, she wishes to be away from this daily routine life. Amanda perceives herself as an orphan roaming on the streets, moving aimlessly without any purpose. She seems happy as she draws patterns using her bare feet.

5. Don’t eat the chocolate, Amanda !
Remember your acne, Amanda !
Will you please look at me when I’m speaking to you Amanda !

Explanation: Amanda is stopped by her parents from eating a chocolate as previously it caused her acne.Amanda is still lost in her own thoughts and doesn’t care enough to look up to her scolding parents. This carelessness further angers the parents and they ask for her attention when she is being scolded.

6. I am Rapunzel, I have not a care;
life in a tower is tranquil and rare;
I’ll certainly never let down my bright hair!

Explanation: Amanda is still lost in her own dreams. She pictures herself to be the long golden-haired Rapunzel who lived in a castle and had no care about anything. Amanda imagines that the life of Rapunzel must have been very peaceful and fantastic in the tower. But she is unwilling to let her hair down. She only wants to live by herself as the presence of another being in her life would require her to act in a certain way. Amanda wanted to live free and happy.

7. Stop that sulking at once, Amanda !
You’re always so moody, Amanda !
Anyone would think that I nagged at you,
Amanda !

Explanation: The parents keep instructing Amanda on the do’s and don’ts, but Amanda remains lost in her own dreams. The parents believe that Amanda is not reacting because she is annoyed. Her behaviour has made her parents look bad and they get worried about their image. They are concerned about how society will perceive them if their child always remains in a foul mood. 

Extract Based Questions 

Read the following extracts and answer the questions/complete the sentences that follow :

1. Don’t bite your nails, Amanda ! 
Don’t hunch your shoulders, Amanda !
Stop that slouching and sit up straight,
Amanda !

Question. Who is the speaker ?
(i) Amanda’s grandfather
(ii) Amanda’s teacher
(iii) Amanda’s mother
(iv) Amanda’s father
Answer.(iii) Amanda’s mother

Question. The speaker wants Amanda to learn ................... .
(i) good habits
(ii) bad habits
(iii) pleasing habits
(iv) no habits
Answer.(i) good habits

Question. Name the poet ?
(i) Rudyard Kipling
(ii) Robert Frost
(iii) Robin Klein
(iv) William Butler Yeats
Answer.(iii) Robin Klein

Question. Pick out the word from the passage which means same as 'erect'.
(i) hunch
(ii) slouching
(iii) bite
(iv) straight
Answer.(iv) straight 

Question. Who would have thought that Amanda was nagged by her parents ?
(i) anyone
(ii) everyone
(iii) someone
(iv) no one
Answer.(i) anyone

2. There is a languid, emerald sea, 
where the sole inhabitant is me—
a mermaid, drifting blissfuly.

Question. Amanda’s desire was to be a mermaid, living in the .................... sea.
(i) blue
(ii) green
(iii) yellow
(iv) red
Answer.(ii) green

Question. Who is 'me’ in these lines ?
(i) Amanda’s mother
(ii) Amanda’s sister
(iii) Amanda’s friend
(iv) Amanda herself
Answer.(iv) Amanda herself

Question. Find out the word from the extract which also means ‘relaxed’.
(i) emerald
(ii) blissfully
(iii) languid
(iv) inhabitant
Answer.(ii) blissfully

Question. Emerlad also means ..................... .
(i) green
(ii) red
(iii) blue
(iv) yellow
Answer. (i) green

3. Did you finish your homework, Amanda ? 
Did you tidy your room, Amanda ?
I thought I told you to clean your shoes,
Amanda

Question. Amanda is asked to finish her ................... .
(i) homework
(ii) milk
(iii) meal
(iv) playing
Answer.(i) homework

Question. I told you to clean your ...................... .
(i) room
(ii) shoes
(iii) table
(iv) book shelf
Answer.(ii) shoes

Question. According to the narrator, Amanda is a very .................. girl.
(i) cute
(ii) responsible
(iii) naughty
(iv) careless
Answer.(iv) careless

Question. .................... is talking to Amanda.
(i) Both the parents
(ii) One of the parents
(iii) Her mother
(iv) Her father
Answer.(ii) one of the parents

4. I am an orphan, roaming the street. 
I Pattern soft dust with my hushed, bare feet.
The silence is golden, the freedom is sweet.

Question. Which word in the passage means the same as ‘naked’.
(i) pattern
(ii) bare
(iii) hushed
(iv) roaming
Answer.(ii) bare

Question. The speaker makes design with her ...................... .
(i) pencil
(ii) bare feet
(iii) hands
(iv) sketch pen
Answer.(ii) bare feet

Question. She is not an orphan, but she ................... to be one.
(i) wants
(ii) wishes
(iii) imagines
(iv) longs
Answer.(iii) imagines

Question. Where does she make pattern on ?
(i) on sketch book
(ii) on paper
(iii) on table
(iv) on soft dust
Answer.(iv) on soft dust 

Multiple Choice Questions

Question. What will Amanda’s behaviour make people think?
(a) Her mother loves her.
(b) Her mother harasses her.
(c) Her mother is understanding her.
(d) Both (a) and (c)
Answer. B

Question. Name the literary devices used in the line “Stop that slouching and sit up straight.”
(a) Anaphora
(b) Assonance
(c) Metaphor
(d) Alliteration
Answer. D

Question. What made Amanda sulky and become moody?
(a) When she had to complete her homework.
(b) When her mother gives her too many instructions.
(c) When she has to clean her shoes.
(d) None of the above
Answer. B

Question. What is the meaning of ‘slouching’?
(a) bend
(b) sit in a lazy way
(c) lie down
(d) bend backwards
Answer. B

Question. If Amanda is an orphan, what will she do?
(a) She will roam about in the streets.
(b) She will tease everyone in the streets.
(c) She will not complete her homework.
(d) All of the above
Answer. A

Short Answer Type Questions 

Question. How old do you think Amanda is ? How do you know this ? 
Answer. Amanda might be 9 - 10 years old school going girl. This fact is known because her parents are trying to inculcate good habits in her, but she is very innocent and immature.

Question. What can you depict of Amanda’s nature ?
Answer. Amanda is a moody girl. She is nagged most of the time. She often escapes from reality, which makes her moody and dull.

Question. What message does the poet want to give through the poem — ‘Amanda’?
Answer. The poet wants to convey that parents in their endeavour to make their children well-behaved and well-mannered tend to give too many instructions or nag (always finding fault) them. They should adopt positive measures, acceptable to children.

Question. Does the title ‘Amanda’ suit the poem ?
Answer. The title of the poem revolves around the little girl, Amanda, who feels that her life is full of struggle with no freedom. She imagines calmness away from her nagging parents. So we can say that the title is justified.

Question. How old do you think Amanda is? How do you know this?
Answer. Amanda seems to be a teenager. This is so because she has pimples on her face as teenagers usually have them on their faces. She is a school-going girl as she is asked by her mother to finish her homework. She is very imaginative and loves to live in her imaginary world of dreams as teenagers usually do so.

Question. Who do you think is speaking to her?
Answer. One of the parents, most probably her mother is speaking to her. Only a mother gives such instructions to her daughter.

Question. What does the girl yearn for? What does this poem tell you aboutAmanda?
Answer. Amanda values freedom as the greatest virtue in this world. She hates to receive instructions from her mother. She wants to lead her own kind of life. She hates to be asked what to do and what not.

Question. Why does Amanda want to be an orphan?
Answer. Amanda values freedom more than anything in her life. She feels suffocated at home as she is constantly nagged by her mother there. She wants to be an orphan. Like an orphan she likes to wander about the streets freely with bare feet.

Question. Why does Amanda want to be Rapunzel?
Answer. Amanda is an escapist. She imagines herself as a fairy like Rapunzel. She wants to live happily in her lonely tower far from the maddening crowd of the world. Like Rapunzel, she wants to take care of her beautiful golden hair.

Question. What does Amanda yearn for?
Answer. Amanda is a little girl. She is asked to do or not to do this and that. She is nagged at by her parents.
So Amanda yearns for freedom. She wants to lead a life without any restrictions.

Question. Amanda imagines herself to be Rapunzel, yet would not like to do what all she did. Identify and state the reasons for her decision.
Answer. Amanda wants to be Rapunzel to live a peaceful life in a tower, where no one gives any instruction and she doesn’t have to do any work. She doesn’t want to escape with a prince like Rapunzel.

Question. What is the theme of the poem — ‘Amanda’?
Answer. Too many instructions and too much control are resented by children. They get bored and fed up. Then, they listen to their parents half-heartedly and indulge in daydreaming.

Question. What message does the poet want to give through the poem — ‘Amanda’?
Answer. The poet wants to convey that parents in their endeavour to make their children well-behaved and well-mannered tend to give too many instructions or nag (always finding fault) them. They should adopt positive measures, acceptable to children.

Question. Who was Amanda? What idea do you form about her through the poem?
Answer. Amanda was a little school going, girl. She loved fairy tales like Rapunzel and mermaids. She did not like too many instructions or nagging that made her sulk and become moody. So she did not listen to her mother attentively and started daydreaming.

Question. What type of life does Amanda wish for?
Answer. Amanda feels that her freedom has been curtailed. She is leading a controlled life under constant nagging. She wishes for a life free from all the restrictions. She wants to lead a life like a fairy, a mermaid or an orphan. Like a mermaid she wants to drifts blissfully. For, silence is golden and freedom is sweet.

Question. What could Amanda do if she were a mermaid?
Answer. If Amanda were a mermaid, then she would drift slowly in a languid emerald sea. She would be the sole inhabitant of relaxed green sea and would move slowly on it.

Question. Is Amanda an orphan? Why does she say so?
Answer. No, Amanda is not an orphan. She says so because she wants to be alone and enjoy being herself she wants to roam around in the street alone and pattern dust with her barefeet. She finds silence ‘golden’ and freedom ‘sweet’. It is for this reason that she calls herself an orphan.

Question. What does the girl yearn for? What does this poem tell you about Amanda?
Answer. The girl (Amanda) yearns for a life of freedom. The poem tells us that she is an imaginative girl who is constantly nagged by her unimaginative mother.

Question. What instructions were given to Amanda about her homework, room and shoes?
Answer. Amanda had been commanded or advised to finish her homework and keep her room neat and clean. She is also instructed to clean her shoes.

Question. How old do you think Amanda is? How do you know this?
Answer. Amanda is a teenager. This is the age when a child wants to have freedom. Teenagers do not like nagging and want to have free life. The poet advises Amanda to take care of her acne which commonly appears on the face of a teenager.

Short Answer Type Questions-II 

Question. Who is the speaker in Stanzas 2, 4 and 6? Do you think this speaker is listening to the speaker in Stanzas 1, 3, 5 and 7?
Answer. Amanda is the speaker in stanzas 2, 4 and 6. She does not give any reply to the questions asked by her mother. She is only speaking to herself losing herself in the world of imagination and dreams.
The speaker doesn’t listen to the speaker in stanzas 1, 3, 5 and 7. The line. ‘‘Will you please look at me when I am speaking to you, Amanda’’ proves it.

Question. What could Amanda do if she were a mermaid?
Answer. Amanda imagines herself being a mermaid. Being a mermaid, she would be the only inhabitant of an island in the emerald sea. She would like to roam around freely and blissfully like a mermaid there. 

Question. Do you know the story of Rapunzel? Why does she want to be Rapunzel?
Answer. Rapunzel was a beautiful fairy. She was constantly nagged by her mother. She would escape herself into a tower. She had beautiful golden hair. Amanda wanted to be Rapunzel as she wanted to live in a lonely tower away from the constant nagging of her mother.

Question. Do you think that Amanda doesn’t like to be controlled and instructed not to do one thing or the other? Give a reasoned answer.
Answer. Amanda loves her freedom. She doesn’t want it to be curtailed. She wants to lead her own kind of life. If she is asked what to do and what not, she feels that her freedom is curtailed. She doesn’t bother to answer her mother when she goes on instructing her what to do and what not.

Question. List the things which Amanda’s mother doesn’t want her to do.
Answer. Her mother doesn’t want Amanda to hunch her shoulders and bend her body down. She stops her from eating chocolates as it would not be good for her pimpled face. She wants her to stop sulking as others would think that she is being nagged by her mother.

Question. What could Amanda do if she were a mermaid?
Answer. Amanda is a little girl. She, in fact, is a symbol of every child who is instructed by the parents to do or not to do this or that. If she were a mermaid she would blissfully drift in the sea.

Question. What is the fear of the speaker that is explained in the last stanza?
Answer. In the last stanza, the speaker advises Amanda not to remain moody and sulky. The reason behind this is that she does not want to expose it before others. Otherwise, the people will think that she was teased by the speaker. It was her fear.

Question. What does the poet ask Amanda not to do in the poem‖ ‗Amanda‘?
Answer. The poet asks Amanda not to bite her nails, not to hunch her shoulders and not to eat chocolates as it can cause acne on her face. She advises her to sit straight and listen to her with attention. She further advises her to keep herself clean and tidy her room.

Question. Why does Amanda want to be a mermaid and what could she do if she were a mermaid?
Answer. Amanda doesn‘t like the constant instructions passed on her by her mother. She feels that her freedom is controlled and she feels greatly suppressed. She wants to be a mermaid and the only resident of the beautiful green sea. She does not like to be instructed to sit straight, clean her shoes and complete her homework. She feels a constant pressure from her parents to be a cultured girl.

Question. Why does Amanda seem moody most of the times?
Answer. Amanda seems so moody most of the times because she is trying to make an escape from the reality of her life as she is nagged most of the times by her mother. Amanda finds it hard to stand the constant instructions of her mother. She can only defend herself against such reality with the help of her imagination where she can often escape from the tiring instructions of her mother. Therefore, these all activities show her moody and uninterested.

Question. What does Amanda want to be when she gets constant showers of instructions from her mother?
Answer. Amanda does not like to get instructions from her mother. She wants to escape from her. During this course of time, she wants to be a mermaid drifting on the sea all alone. She also wants to be an orphan walking in the streets with no care. Even though in reality she would never love to do it. She also wishes to be Rapunzel living in a high tower away from everybody where no one would disturb her and she would live her life on her own.

Question. What impression of Amanda is created on the mind of readers? Explain in detail.
Answer. Amanda is a small girl of 10 or 12 years. She is constantly nagged by her mother. She keeps on instructing her to do different things. She wishes that Amanda must not bite her nails, hunch her shoulders and eat chocolates. She is also asked to sit straight without slouching, to tidy up her room and clean her shoes. Amanda doesn‘t like to be instructed and longs to live a free life in her own way. Even though the instructions given to her by her mother are for her own betterment but Amanda is too young to understand the hidden intentions of her mother.

Long Answer Type Question 

Question. What do you learn from the poem ‘Amanda’ ?
Answer.The poem depicts the state of a little girl Amanda’s mind, who is constantly intruded by her parents about what she should do and what she shouldn’t. She is asked not to bite her nails, hunch her shoulders, she should sit up straight. She is told to finish her homework, tidy her room and clean her shoes. She is forbidden from eating chocolates, because she has acne problem. She is sick and tired of her parents, nagging nature. She completely ignores them and dreams of her becoming a mermaid in the emerald sea, of roaming barefoot in the dusty streets to the extent of becoming orphan and of the golden haired Rupunzel, who lived alone in a high tower. She wants to remain isolated, all alone without her parents’s interference. Parents are over possessive about their children. They want to inculcate good habits in their child. But no child learns all in one day. Children need freedom like Amanda.
But parents who are judging their child everytime would do more harm than good. She is continuously scolded everytime. We witness miserable failure of parents when Amanda wishes to be an orphan, so that she could be free. Thus, the poem teaches us that a child should never be denied of his/her freedom. It highlights the struggle faced by a child within himself/herself. They should not be forced to take wrong step by their parents.

Question. What picture do you form of Amanda’s mother/parents after reading the poem ‘Amanda’?
Answer. Amanda’s mother seems to be an overprotective mother. She believes that Amanda is still a girl and must live her life as her mother wants. Being a girl, she needs constant tutoring and taking instructions from her. She should be very careful the way she sits and stands. She should not bend down but sit up straight. She forbids her eating chocolate as it would not be good for her pimples. Her constant nagging leads her daughter far away from her. Amanda escapes into the world of dreams imagining herself a mermaid, an orphan or a fairy. She doesn’t look at her mother while she is speaking to her. Amanda’s mother fails to understand why her daughter remains unhappy and moody. She only asks her to stop sulking lest people should blame her mother for nagging her.

Question. What is the role of proper parenting in upbringing the children? Discuss the importance of proper parenting in upbringing of the children in reference to the poem Amanda‘.
Answer. A proper parenting is always needed to give a better shape to the character of the children. It can be well understood with the following example: Like, if we don‘t take care of a newly planted plant then it will result in nothing. It will dry and stop growing. In the same way parents also take care of their children by providing them with the right knowledge and guidance as per their need. Proper upbringing plays an essential role in personality development of an adult. Whenever we wish to admire or criticise someone, we question the upbringing of that person. Robin Klein‘s poem Amanda highlights the intentions of the parents in the ‗proper‘ upbringing of a child and the contrary ideas of a child for his/her parents. To instil good values and moral principles in a growing child is the foremost duty for the parents. However, the poem Amanda shows how a child feels trapped within the cluster of instructions. Amanda is no less than a victim in this travesty. No proper space is given to her creativity. She is instructed for everything. As a result, she feels trapped and seeks an escape. Her imagination proves to be her escape and also her Défense against her nagging parents. Situation of Amanda is so worse that she wishes to be an orphan, in order to get rid of her parents. She imagines enacting various roles varying from mermaid to Rapunzel. Amanda wishes to live alone and carefree. It is very important to understand the situation of Amanda where her freedom is cut short by constant instructions and guidelines. Proper balance should be maintained when dealing with such delicate issues. Love and care should always be part of this two-way transaction. Monopoly of the instructions should be avoided and children should be given a close heart touch. They should be instructed with the facts and reasons. If parents only keep instructing without sharing the reasons for particular instructions, then it is not going to create any effect on the mind of the child. Instead, if the instructions are followed with proper reasons, then they can bring the desired change in the children; like, if Amanda‘s mother had told her why she didn‘t want her to bite nails, then the situation would be different. On the other hand, instructions given by the elders should be implemented first on themselves for creating a proper effect on children.

Question. What does the poem Amanda‘ teach its readers? Explain in your own words highlighting the important facts.
Answer. The poem Amanda‘ tries to teach its readers the fact that every child is unique and one needs to have a great deal of patience to reprimand their behaviour. Parents should give proper space to children, as they learn through experiences as well. Children do tend to learn certain bad habits easily and it takes a great effort with patience to correct them. One cannot teach one‘s child everything in one day and expect them to behave properly henceforth. It is natural for a child, like Amanda to seek freedom at her place, to curb that freedom means to let her live her life in her own way. Upbringing of a child should not be about dos and don‘ts only. To have nagging parents judging every action of child would do more harm than good. Robin Klein points to the fact that Amanda is forbidden to do anything without seeking permission. Whatever she does is corrected by her mother all the time, she cannot perform a single thing according to her will. She can‘t sit lazily around; she can‘t eat chocolate for that could cause acne. Life of Amanda is very suffocating and limited in itself. She yearns for freedom and choice. Her mother doesn‘t understand the fact that Amanda is innocent and naive, she is too small to understand the benefits of advice. Only thing that matters to Amanda‘s mother is what society will think about Amanda. We witness miserable failure of parents when Amanda wishes to be an orphan so that she could be free. Here we need to understand that children should be instructed but with some leniency and they should be allowed to learn the things on their own pace.

Question. Amanda’s parents were over anxious about her. She often found their instructions very stifling. Reading the poem and based on Amanda’s experience, write a paragraph on the topic “Should parents be allowed to control children?”
Answer. It goes without saying that no child can survive the early years of its life without the care and protection of its parents. But some parents are so over protective and over anxious about their children that they don’t let their children live in peace. They don’t allow them to explore and find out things on their own. Such parents kill the child’s initiative in learning. These parents always boss around and irritate their children. They don’t trust their child’s capability to do things independently. However, the parents may control the children and guide them as long as it is necessary. Equipped with knowledge and confidence they will be able to face the world boldly. Gradually the child should be allowed to grow on its own and be responsible for its actions. When parents give freedom to their children they gain confidence and learn to do things in a better way.

Question. If it fact that every person including a young child has his/her own individuality and personality. It is not necessary that the child will see the world according to the direction of his/her parents. Based on the reading the poem “Amanda” write a paragraph on: Should children be given freedom”.
Answer. Growing up is a phase which requires a lot of space. A single child in his teens would feel more claustrophobic than four kids in the same family. The reason being parents of a single child tend to be more protective and possessive. What they fail to understand is that without sufficient space to grow the child will only end up disliking his/her parents. Freedom is necessary in any relationship. A child should be allowed to choose his hobbies, to learn what he pleases, to play with kids of his age. In the present times, where nothing is safe and none can be trusted, jJarents are only dissuaded from sending their kids out to play. It is only through these activities can a child learn to socialize and understand values. Therefore, parents should give enough freedom for the child to grow but also make sure that the child is not led away by material needs.

Question. Childhood blooms and bounces with the wind of innocence and fanciful fantasy. Any kind of outside or forceful restriction is completely unbearable to a child. If he is nagged or scolded, he may feel alienated and withdrawn. But nagging is not a good option. In the context of the poem “Amanda”, write a paragraph on “effects of parental nagging”.
Answer. Nagging is never a good option. Parents have a tendency to nag their children, especially regarding their studies. But nagging never helps. When a parent keeps on ranting to the child to study, the child will only grow averse to studying. It will create resentment between the child and the parent. After a while a point will be reached where the child will simply stop listening to the parent. It also makes the child feel controlled. Parents keep repeating what is to be done, how it is to be done, etc. over and over again, always supervising. This will create stress for the child and make him/her uncomfortable. Hence, parents should indulge in looking at the brighter side and praise their kids’ accomplishments and avoid pointing out the weaknesses.