BHARATH VIDYA MANDIR

SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL (CBSE),ILANJI

Class: X Amanda Subject: English
1. What does the poet ask Amanda not to do in the poem” ‘Amanda’?
The poet advises Amanda not to bite her nails, not to hunch her shoulders
and not to eat chocolate. She advises her to sit straight and take care of
her acne. She further advises her to keep herself clean.
2. In which way does Amanda imagine herself to be mermaid? .
Mermaid is believed to be a creature with a woman’s head and body, and
a fish’s tail instead of legs.
Amanda imagines herself or wishes to be free like a mermaid, which is
moving slowly in a state of bliss in the sea, which is green like an
emerald.
3. What instructions were given to Amanda about her homework, room
and shoes?
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.
4. How and why does Amanda say that she is an orphan?
Amanda seems to be fed up with continuous instructions and naggings.
She is feeling that her freedom is curtailed. So, she imagines herself to be
an orphan street child who leaves imprints caused on the soft dust by her
bare feet. She feels that silences is golden or precious and freedom is
sweet.
5. What impression do you form about Amanda, after reading the poem
‘Ama ida’?
Amanda feels suffocated because she is controlled and instructed not to
do one thing or the other. She feels that her freedom is curtailed. But
Amanda wishes to be free to live in her own world. She is a very sensitive
girl who indulges in daydreaming quiet often. She highly values silence
and freedom.
6. What type of life does Amanda wish for?
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.
7. I am an orphan, roaming the street.
Is Amanda an orphan? If not, why does she say so?
No, Amanda is not an orphan. There are many restrictions on her. She
does not like this life. She wants freedom. She feels that there is no one to
understand her feelings. She is all alone. This is the reason she says that
she is an orphan.
8. Don’t eat that chocolate Amanda!
Remember your acne, Amanda!
Why is Amanda forbidden to eat chocolate?
Amanda is a little child who wants freedom from all restrictions of life.
She loves to eat chocolate but she is forbidden to eat them as these will
affect her health adversely. She is advised to take care of her acne.
9. Will you please look at me when I’m speaking to you,
Who do you think is speaking to Amanda?
The poet is speaking to Amanda. She had put many restrictions on her.
She advises her to take care of her health and acne. She is advised to
follow a controlled and disciplined life.
10.life in a tower is tranquil and rare;
I’ll certainly never let down my bright hair’.
Why does the poet say that life in a tower is tranquil and rare? Whose life
is he talking about?
The poet feels that life in a tower is peaceful and full of freedom because
there is no one to nag you. She is talking about Rapunzel who lives in a
peaceful tower.
11. Why does Amanda imagine to be
(i) a Mermaid (ii) an orphan, and (iii) Rapunzel,
What does it show about her?
(i) Amanda imagines herself to be a mermaid so that she may drift in the
silent sea and enjoy the loneliness and peace there. She yearns for
freedom.
(ii) She wishes to be an orphan so that she may play bare feet in the dust
without receiving several instructions or scolding. She wishes for her
independence and freedom.
(iii) Amanda is fascinated by the lonely and tranquil life of Rapunzel in a
closed tower. She wishes for such a life so that her nagging mother may
not reach there. Here also, she yearns for her freedom from nagging.
12. “Don’t bite your nails, Amanda!
Don’t hunch your shoulders, Amanda!”
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?”
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.
13. 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”.
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.
14. 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”.
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.
15. It is said that excess of everything is bad. Excess of parental love may
make a cjiild pampered , in the same way excess of nagging may throw a
child into negativity. These statements are seen justified to some extent in
the poem ‘Amanda’. Explain.
None can refute the pious role of parents or elders or teachers in the
proper grooming and holistic development of a child. Parent’s personality
resonates and reflects through the behaviours and personality of a child.
Parents do every possible thing, they can do, to shape the character and
habits of their child. But sometimes, in course of nurturing the kid, the
parents cross the limits unknowingly.
They became either overcaring or over protective or over anxious. They
forget the fact that, when a matured mind cannot tolerate excess of do’s
and don’ts, how can they expect it from a child who is totally unaware of
the worries and cares of the world. To a child the world means a world of
imagination fancy and fairy.
If being nagged repeatedly she may form negative opinions about his/her
mother and father. The same thing we find in the poem ‘Amanda’.
Amanda is a girl of around 8-11 year of age who lives in her own fairy
land. She does not appreciate the constant scolding or nagging of her
father/mother.
She feels that her freedom is punctuated. So, she instead of following the
instructions, remains wandering in her own world of imagination. Excess
of nagging has resulted into negativity as Amanda considers herself
orphan. She sulks. She avoids eye to eye contact. Hence, parents must
understand the line of boundary and act.
16.How old do you think Amanda is? How do you know this?
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.
17. Who do you think is speaking to her?
Her mother is speaking to her.
18. Why are stanzas—2, 4 and 6 given in parenthesis?
The stanzas 2, 4 and 6 are given in parenthesis because they are the
thoughts of the child in between the instructions that she is being given
by her mother, which are given in stanzas! 3 and 5. The scolding by the
mother and the child’s thoughts are placed in alternate stanzas by the
poetess.
19. Who is speaker in stanzas 2, 4 and 6? Do you think this speaker is
listening to speaker in stanza 1, 3, 5 and 7?
In stanzas 2, 4 and 6, the speaker is the child Amanda?.No, she is not
listening to her mother who is speaking in stanza 1, 3,5 and 7. She is lost
in her own thoughts and does not listen to what is being said to her.
20. What could Amanda do if she were a mermaid?
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.
21. Is Amanda an orphan? Why does she say so?
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.
22. Do you know the story of Rapunzel? Why does she want to be
Rapunzel?
Rapunzel was a mythological figure, who was absolutely carefree,
leading a calm and quiet life in tower, Amanda wishes to lead a carefree,
calm and quiet life like Rapunzel.
23. What does the girl yearn for? What does this poem tell you about
Amanda?
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.
24. Read the last stanza. Do you think Amanda is sulking and is moody?
No, Amanda is neither sulking, nor she is moody. She is simply longing
for her freedom. She wants to go out and play wherever she likes.