CBSE Class 10 English Amanda Important Questions Set 03

Short Answer Questions

Question 1. How does the repeated use of the name 'Amanda' influence the overall tone of the poem? (CBSE Practice Set - 1, 2023)
Answer: The repetition of the name also adds a sense of familiarity and intimacy to the tone. It suggests a close relationship between the speaker and Amanda, indicating that the instructions and restrictions come from a place of care and concern.

Question 2. How does the poet use metaphorical language in the poem to illustrate Amanda's longing for freedom and independence?
Answer: The poet uses the metaphors of a mermaid, an orphan and Rapunzel. As a mermaid, Amanda drifts alone on a languid emerald sea; as an orphan, she roams freely where silence is golden; as Rapunzel, she lives in a tranquil tower and never lets down her hair. Each imagined identity stands for her longing for freedom and independence.

Question 3. Amanda's mother scolding her daughter can be interpreted as stemming from a place of genuine concern. Comment.
Answer: The mother’s instructions — not to bite her nails, to sit straight, to finish her homework and to avoid chocolate because of acne — are all meant for Amanda’s good. Like any caring parent, she wants her daughter to be healthy, disciplined and well-mannered. Her method is nagging, but her intention is genuine concern.

Question 4. How does the poem challenge the notion that scolding or being strict is the best way to bring discipline in children?
Answer: The mother’s constant scolding does not make Amanda disciplined. Instead, Amanda stops listening, escapes into daydreams and is called moody and sulky. The poem shows that too much strictness pushes children away, and that patience, love and understanding work better than nagging.

Question 5. Why does Amanda seem moody most of the time?
Answer: Amanda seems moody most of the time because she is trying to get away from her reality where she is being nagged most of the time. It is indeed a sorry state for a small child like Amanda. The only respite from such reality is her imagination, where she often escapes to. Hence, it makes her look moody and uninterested.

Question 6. What is the central theme of the poem ‘Amanda!’?
Answer: The poem ‘Amanda!’ by Robin Klein highlights the importance of the upbringing of a child. It points out that upbringing doesn’t involve making a child fit for society at any cost. It is important that upbringing should involve understanding from both sides. One should not force a child to be civilised and well-mannered. Love and proper care are required in nurturing a child.

Question 7. What is the main idea of the poem?
Answer: The main idea of the poem is that children love freedom and they want space too. They do not want restrictions on all of their activities. Keeping children under restrictions pushes them away from their parents and consequently, they create a dream world of their own. They like to spend most of their time in that dream world. But the elders, with their constant nagging and scolding for behaving in certain ways or fulfilling their demands, keep destroying the dream world that children create around them.

Question 8. Do you consider Amanda’s mother to be a nagging mother?
Answer: Amanda’s mother is indeed a nagging mother. She is constantly nagging and instructing Amanda about something or the other. She is all about giving instructions and finding faults in that little child. No doubt it is the parents’ responsibility to instil good values in their children, but not at the cost of their happiness. Elders should give their children space to let them learn on their own by making mistakes. Elders should also know how to strike a balance between maintaining responsibilities and being loving and understanding parents.

Question 9. Why are Stanzas 2, 4 and 6 given in parentheses?
Answer: The parentheses enclose the thoughts of Amanda while her parent is talking to her.

Question 10. What impression of Amanda do you get from the poem ‘Amanda’?
Answer: Amanda is a little school-going girl. She is constantly nagged by her parent. It is probably the mother. She keeps asking Amanda to do this or that but poor Amanda longs to be free and live life in her own way.

Question 11. What is Amanda asked to do or not to do?
Answer: Amanda is asked not to bite her nails, not to hunch her shoulders and not to eat chocolate. She is asked to sit up straight, to finish her homework, to clean her room and to clean her shoes. In fact, she is constantly asked to do or not to do that.

Question 12. What all does Amanda dream to do?
Answer: Amanda dreams of being a mermaid drifting on the sea all alone. She dreams of being an orphan walking in the streets with no care. She also dreams of being Rapunzel living in a high tower away from everybody.

Long Answer Questions

Question 1. ‘Living with one’s head in the air’ is what Amanda epitomises. Justify with examples from the poem.
Answer: Instead of paying attention to the diktat of not biting her nails and sitting upright, Amanda daydreams about an emerald sea where she is the sole mermaid. Pensively, Amanda imagines herself a neglected urchin-cum-orphan, patterning soft dust with unshod feet. Instead of hearing the warnings about not eating the chocolate as it will bring on the acne, and listening attentively, Amanda imagines she is Rapunzel, with long tresses. Amanda imagines that like the fairy-story character, she will dwell in the tower quietly and take care not to let down her hair lest someone climbs up with its help. Ultimately, Amanda is given an ultimatum to stop being moody and sulking, whereas Amanda is simply daydreaming.

Question 2. Throughout the play ‘The Proposal’ the characters try to overpower each other by insulting and abusing. They are angered very easily, as is the speaker in the poem ‘Amanda!’, who seems to be after a young teen. Do you think it is very necessary to learn how to manage our anger? What are the harms of being too ill-tempered?
Answer: Throughout the play, the main characters are seen arguing and hurling abuses at each other over petty issues. They are angered very easily and never hesitate to blame the other person for anything. Some people get easily excited and lose control. But anger has many ill effects. A person who gets angry easily is prone to harming others as well as himself. Owing to anger, Natalya and Lomov’s marriage almost doesn’t happen. So it is of utmost importance to maintain one’s calm even in the worst of situations.
Amanda is a victim of continuous nagging and instructions. She is constantly told not to do one thing or another by the speaker, who in all probability is her mother. Amanda feels that her freedom is curtailed. Disappointed, she wishes for a life free from all restrictions. She wants to lead a life like a mermaid, an orphan or Rapunzel. The speaker harasses the teen non-stop like a typical parent and the girl responds with silence. It could spoil their relationship for good. So, yes, anger management would do them good.

Question 3. Amanda and Anne Frank are both teenage girls; whereas Amanda chooses to be silent and remains lost in her own world, Anne Frank talks her way through every school day without fail and even gets punished for it. They show opposite sides of teenage behaviour. Do you agree? Support your answer with evidence from the poem ‘Amanda!’ and the chapter ‘From the Diary of Anne Frank’.
Answer: Anne annoyed Mr Keesing as she talked too much. Mr Keesing, who taught maths, warned Anne several times but to no avail. Finally, he lost patience and assigned her extra homework as punishment. She mended her ways for a while but was soon back to her talkative self. She got one assignment after another as punishment until she outwitted her teacher with her final assignment, a poem in which the father swan bit his three ducklings to death because they chattered (quacked) too much. Mr Keesing took the joke sportingly.
Amanda, on the other hand, is a teenager with typical teen habits. She thinks that her parents are especially hard on her. She yearns for privacy. She wants to be left alone so that she can do whatever she wants without interference from her parents. Amanda is a moody girl. She wants to lead a life free from bondage. The poem very effectively depicts the dilemma of a teenager and her mindset when her freedom is curtailed. Both Anne and Amanda deal in their own way with the challenges of their teens.

Question 4. 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 5. Why does Amanda escape into the dreamy world of mermaids, fairies and orphans? Does she find any solace there?
Answer: A teenager — loves freedom — wants to lead her own kind of life — doesn’t want to be an overprotected child — Nor does she want — her parents — control and guide her activities. What should — what not, is her own choice — should not be dictated by her mother — Mother’s constant nagging — away from her — creates a world of her own — Her world — not the world of harsh realities — an imaginary world of fairies and mermaids — she finds solace — can wander in a lonely island blissfully like a mermaid — can enjoy freedom roaming around the streets like an orphan —craves to live in a lonely tower — leading a peaceful life like Rapunzel — avoids her mother — doesn’t like her constant nagging — doesn’t look at her while she is speaking to her.

Question 6. Discuss the importance of proper upbringing with reference to the poem, ‘Amanda!’ by Robin Klein.
Answer: Upbringing—essential—personality development — admire or criticise someone —on upbringing of that person. Proper balance — dealing with such delicate issues. — poem Amanda poses the question –what constitutes good upbringing of a child? — child feels trapped — the cluster of instructions. No proper space is given to her creativity. — is instructed for everything. — feels trapped and seeks an escape. — imagination proves to be her escape and also her defense against her nagging parents. — imagines herself as enacting various roles varying from mermaid to Rapunzel. — wishes to live alone and carefree. 

Question 7. Imagine Amanda visits the zoo where she sees the caged tiger referred to in ‘A Tiger in the Zoo’. On reaching back home, she writes a diary entry sympathizing with the tiger and relating her situation to the tiger’s. Write a diary entry as Amanda.
Answer: 12 May 20XX, Monday 9 p.m.
Dear Diary,
I went to the zoo today with my mother. It was a pleasant day, and I had a wonderful day observing the different animals and birds there. My mother was also in a good mood because she wasn’t nagging at all. My favorite part of the day came when we stopped at the cage where a tiger was kept. It was pacing the length of the cage and looked restless. It was looking at us with a helpless expression and was silent throughout. I first thought that the tiger was angry, but it was helpless inside the cage. I could relate to it because sometimes, I also felt trapped like him inside my house. I would also get restless at my mother’s nagging. I would daydream to distract myself, and I hope the tiger is doing the same.
Amanda

Question 8. Read the quote given below carefully. Based on your understanding of the poem, explain how and why this quote can be applied to the poem.
“All grown-ups were once children... but only a few of them remember it.” — Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
Answer: This quote can perfectly be applied to the poem ‘Amanda’ because it’s a fact that what all children do, has already been done by their parents when they were kids. We all go through the same stages of infancy, childhood, teenage years and finally adulthood. What all parents should remember is that they should give their child the same freedom and privacy in life as they themselves wanted from their parents in childhood. Parents often tend to forget that a child is a child. She or he makes mistakes or misbehave at times. However, forced advices and constant nagging will only make a child defiant. Rather, parents should try and build a friendly relationship with their children and provide them sufficient freedom to live their own way.

Question 9. Do you know the story of Rapunzel? Why does Amanda want to be Rapunzel?
Answer: The story of Rapunzel is about a girl who is captured by an old witch in a tower. The old witch climbs up the tower with the help of Rapunzel’s long hair, which she lets down for her through a window in the tower. One day, a Prince visits her by climbing the tower with the help of her long hair. When the witch learns this, she separates both of them. But both Rapunzel and Prince meet after a gap of many years and then live their lives happily. Amanda wants to be Rapunzel because she knows that in the story, there is no staircase to enter the tower. It was only possible with the help of Rapunzel’s long hair that she would let down to help others to climb. Amanda feels that life in the tower will be very calm and nice, and she also makes it a point to never let her hair down for anyone, as she doesn’t want to get disturbed by visitors.

Question 10. You have been asked to present an evaluation of the approaches of the mothers of both, the baby seagull and Amanda, towards helping their children. Write this presentation draft including your insights, in about 120 words, comparing the approaches of both parents. You may begin this way: One acknowledges that both parents, Amanda’s mother and the baby seagull’s mother both ______ however,... (Reference -Amanda! & His First Flight) (CBSE SQP 2023)
Answer: One acknowledges that both parents, Amanda’s mother and the baby seagull’s mother both were quite harsh on their children. While they were attentive of their children’s flaws and scope of improvements, their methods of correcting them were a bit strict. The seagull’s mother was determined to make her child take his first flight. So much so she let him starve in order to achieve the goal. On the other hand, Amanda’s mother was slightly harsher than the baby seagull’s mother as she continuously corrected her daughter’s flaws and nagged at her for the same throughout the day. Instead of understanding her daughter’s emotions and her abilities, she bickered at her for everything. However, the intention of both the mothers was just to help their children with their lives and bring the best out of them.
Even though both mothers have good intentions and want to better their children's lives, their methods, in part, may be misguided or ineffective. The seagull's mother could benefit from being more sensitive to her child's emotions, while Amanda's mother could benefit from focusing on her daughter's strengths and building her self-esteem.

Question 11. You have been chosen to address a student gathering from the neighbourhood schools, to speak on individual's desire for freedom. Prepare the speech draft in not more than 120 words, with reference to the commonality of themes in Madam Rides the Bus and Amanda. You may begin this way: Good morning, everyone. Today, I'd like to discuss two pieces of literature that offer a powerful insight into the ______ You may end this way. To conclude, I’d like to say that... Thank you
Answer: Good morning, everyone.
Today, I'd like to discuss two pieces of literature that offer a powerful insight into the desire for freedom that every individual has. In ‘Madam Rides the Bus’, Valli longs to see the world beyond her village. She saves money secretly and takes a bus ride on her own, refusing to be treated as a child. In the poem ‘Amanda!’, a young girl tired of her mother’s constant instructions imagines herself as a mermaid, an orphan and Rapunzel, all symbols of freedom.
Both girls want to make their own choices and experience life in their own way.
To conclude, I’d like to say that freedom helps children grow; when given trust and space, they learn and mature on their own.
Thank you.

Question 12. What advice might “chatterbox” Anne Frank have for the quietly imaginative Amanda? Present this as a conversation between the two.
Answer: Anne: Hello Amanda! Why do you look so lost?
Amanda: My mother keeps telling me what to do all day. So I just dream of being a mermaid or Rapunzel.
Anne: I understand. I also felt that nobody understood me, so I made my diary my best friend. I called her Kitty.
Amanda: A diary? Did that help?
Anne: Very much! Writing lets you pour out your feelings. I was called ‘Mrs Quack Quack’ for chattering, but I even wrote a funny essay about it and won my teacher over.
Amanda: But I’m not a chatterbox like you.
Anne: You don’t have to be. Just tell your mother calmly how you feel. Your imagination is a gift. Write your dreams down, but don’t shut out the people who love you.
Amanda: I’ll try, Anne. Thank you!

Question 13. If you were in Amanda’s place how would you deal with your parent’s ‘nagging’?
Answer: Amanda is continuously reminded of the various things she needs to do like tidy her room, wash her shoes, do her homework, not to eat chocolate etc. She is ‘nagged’ by her parent day in and day out. This leads her to tune out and go into her dream world where she is free. If I were in her situation, I would try and explain to my parent that I want to please her/him but also request her not to continuously remind me of the things to do. I would make them understand that their continuous nagging will affect me adversely and make me stubborn. It can also make me arrogant or lose self-confidence. I would ask for a chance to show that I am capable of completing my tasks on time.

Question 14. What does this poem, Amanda, tell about relationships between parents and teenagers? Why is Amanda always in a sulking mood?
Answer: From the poem, it seems Amanda is a teenager who rebels against her parents and longs for a life of freedom. She doesn't like to attend to the continuous nagging of her parents who try to control her in every respect possible. Freedom and space are necessary for any kind of relationship. A teenager needs to be allowed to choose hobbies, to learn what pleases and to be like kids of the same age. She is always in a sulking mood because she is continuously monitored by her parents, her freedom is being continuously snatched. Amanda compares herself to Mermaids and Rapunzel as she wants to be free like these characters.