Get here the summary, questions, answers, textbook solutions, extras, and pdf of the poem Amanda by Robin Klein of Assam Board (SEBA) and Tripura Board (TBSE) Class 10 English (Second Language) textbook. However, the given notes/solutions should only be used for references and should be modified/changed according to needs.
Summary
Amanda, written by Robin Klein, is about the age-old conflict between children and their elders, in which the elders dominate the young while the young cling to their independence. It depicts parents trying to persuade their children to listen to them, while the children silently despise their authority.
Amanda, the protagonist, is a young girl who is constantly nagged by her mother, who does everything she can to encourage Amanda to develop good habits. Amanda is pushed deeper into her daydreams as her mother continues to lecture her with advice and dictums.
Amanda escapes into her dreams and imagines herself in a free world away from her mother’s constant supervision, feeling caged by her mother’s constant nagging. Whenever her mother chastises her for doing something wrong, Amanda escapes to her own world of peace and quiet.
Textual questions and answers
1. How old do you think Amanda is? How do you know this?
Answer: Amanda appears to be a high school student. This is reflected in the fact that she is expected to do her homework and clean her room on her own; a younger child would be assisted by her parents and would not be expected to do so. Furthermore, she appears to have acne, a common skin condition among teenagers. Amanda is also silently resentful of her elder’s constant correction of her habits, which is an adolescent trait.
2. Who do you think is speaking to her?
Answer: In my opinion, Amanda’s mother is speaking to her.
3. Why are Stanzas 2, 4, and 6 given in parenthesis?
Answer: Stanzas 2, 4, and 6 are given in parenthesis because they are Amanda’s thoughts as her mother chastises her.
4. 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, and she is dreaming and talking to herself in these stanzas.
No, Amanda is not paying attention to her mother, who is most likely the speaker of Stanzas 1, 3, 5, and 7. She is only aware of the tone of her mother’s voice and recognises that she is being chastised, so she responds with wishes and dreams of being alone in quiet places.
5. What could Amanda do if she were a mermaid?
Answer: Amanda, if she were a mermaid, could happily float around in the calm sea, away from the interference and scolding of her elders.
6. Is Amanda an orphan? Why does she say so?
Answer: No, Amanda is not an orphan. She claims to be an orphan because, in one of her numerous daydreams, she imagines herself as one, allowing her to escape all oppressive elders and live her life according to her own whims. She desires silence and independence, as well as being alone and free from her mother’s continual pestering. She wishes she didn’t have parents as a result of her ignorance.
7. Do you know the story of Rapunzel? Why does she want to be Rapunzel?
Answer: Rapunzel is the story of a young girl with long, beautiful golden hair who was imprisoned in a high tower by a witch. She would let her hair down to allow anyone access to the tower, and the person would climb up by holding it.
Amanda wants to be Rapunzel so she can live in her own tower without having to obey her elders’ commands. She believes that if she were Rapunzel, she would be able to live a peaceful life without having to answer to any of her elders. She also says she would never let her hair down so no one could reach her.
8. What does the girl yearn for? What does this poem tell you about Amanda?
What do Amanda’s fantasies have in common? Amanda yearns to be alone and separate from her parents, to have privacy and independence. She longs for peace and solitude.
Amanda, according to the poem, is a free-spirited adolescent who, like any other teenager, dislikes being scolded and told how to do this and that. She also has a vivid imagination, picturing herself in various fairytale scenarios where she might be alone. After all, she’s just a child who sees only one side of living alone and does not think about how she will cope without her parents.
9. Read the last stanza. Do you think Amanda is sulking and is moody?
Answer: Amanda is moody, but not sulky, in my opinion. Her mother misinterprets her inattentiveness as sulking because she is too engrossed in her daydreams to pay attention to the speaker. Amanda’s mother assumes she is sulking and moody because she does not respond and continues to nag her.
Additional/extra questions and answers/solutions
1. Write a brief note about the poem’s title?
Answer: Amanda is the title of the poem, which is about the raising of a young girl named Amanda. Her life has been filled with battles in which she has been denied freedom and expression. Amanda is so enraged that she escapes reality by immersing herself in her fantasy world. She finds peace away from her nagging parents through this portal.
10. Discuss how proper upbringing is important by referring to Robin Klein’s poem, Amanda.
Answer: An adult’s personality development is influenced by his or her upbringing. We question a person’s upbringing whenever we appreciate or criticise them. The conflict in a child’s ‘proper’ upbringing is emphasised in Robin Klein’s poem, Amanda. A parent’s primary responsibility is to instil healthy ideals and moral standards in their growing child. The poem Amanda, on the other hand, depicts a child caught in a maze of instructions.
Amanda is a victim of this travesty. Her creativity isn’t given the attention it deserves. She is told what to do in every situation. As a result, she feels stuck and tries to find a way out. Her imagination serves as both an escape and a defence against her overbearing parents. Amanda’s situation is so bad that she aspires to be an orphan in order to be free of her parents. She imagines herself as everything from a mermaid to Rapunzel. Amanda aspires to be self-sufficient and carefree. It’s critical to comprehend Amanda’s condition, in which her independence is limited by continual directives and limitations. When dealing with such delicate matters, a proper balance must be maintained.
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