Amanda

Summary

Every child feels that he/she is controlled and instructed not to do one thing or another. The child feels that his/her freedom is being curtailed. In this poem, the poet Robin Klein expresses the views of a small girl, Amanda, about liberty in life. How does the girl react to the restriction imposed upon her by her parents is very interesting.

Comprehension Questions 

Answer the following questions in 30-40 words:

1. Why does Amanda seem moody most of the times? 

Amanda seems moody most of the times because she is trying to make an escape from her sorry reality where she is nagged most of the times. It is indeed a sorry state for a small child like Amanda to bear. Here the only defence against such reality is her imagination where she often escapes to. Hence, it makes her look moody and uninterested.

2. Why does Amanda wish to be a mermaid, an orphan, or Rapunzel? 

Amanda wishes to be a mermaid so she could drift alone by blissfully languid, emerald sea. She yearns to be an orphan so that she is able to roam the street and make pattern using her bare feet. Being Rapunzel means she could live carefree on a high tower. Amanda wishes to be these so that she could avoid her suffocating reality.

3. Do you consider Amanda’s mother to be a nagging mother? 

Amanda’s mother is indeed a nagging mother. She is all about instructions and finding faults. No doubt it is her responsibility to instill good values into her daughter, but not at the cost of her child’s happiness. One should know how to strike a balance between disciplining a child and encouraging positive behaviour.

4. Is Amanda at fault at all?

 Amanda is not at fault at all. It is too harsh for a small child to understand the concept of acne and not eating a chocolate. Amanda is not able to feel the love of her parents. It is with pity that we look towards Amanda. There is nothing worst for a child who wishes to be an orphan. Amanda just seeks freedom from the overpowering environment around her.

5. What is the central theme of the poem Amanda? The poem Amanda highlights the importance of bringing up a child with love. Upbringing isn’t just making a child responsible and fit for the society. It is equally important to love the child with his or her strengths and weaknesses. When one feels this love and support of one’s parents, there is rise in one’s self-esteem. One begins to look at life positively and is able to face the challenges instead of escaping into their imaginary world.

Answer the following questions in 100-120 words:

1. State the key points in the poem Amanda. What do you learn from it?
Every child is special in itself. Parents should give enough space to children, as they learn through experiences as well. Children tend to learn certain bad habits; to undo that requires great level of understanding and the right approach. One cannot teach their child everything in one day and expect them to behave properly thereafter. It is natural for a childlike Amanda to seek freedom at her age. To curb that freedom means to make her angry and moody. The upbringing of a child should not be about dos and don’ts only. To have nagging parents judging every action of a child would do more harm than good. We witness miserable failure of parents when Amanda wishes to be an orphan so that she could be free.

2. Bringing up teenagers can be both a challenge and fun. How far do you agree? Express your views with reference to Amanda’s life.
Bringing up teenagers is truly challenging and fun. Teenagers can be rebellious and apparently hot tempered with a highly independent perspective. In such circumstances, yelling at them, and nagging them, as done in the poem with Amanda, will only make matters worse. Forcing decisions on them only make them more detached, as we see in Amanda’s case, where she wishes to be the alone like a mermaid, an orphan, or the lonely Rapunzel. To make things fun, one must become a friend where needed. Sometimes, one needs to just relax with one’s kids.

Questions from the text book.

 Thinking about the poem

1. How old do you think Amanda is? How do you know this? 

Amanda is a 9-10 year old school going girl who is soon entering teenage. We know this because she is being asked to finish, tidy her room and clean her shoes. Her parents stop her from eating chocolates since she is developing acne. She imagines herself as Rapunzel, mermaid or an orphan. These hints point to the fact that she is a very young girl.

2. Who do you think is speaking to her? 

One of her parents is speaking to her. Most probably it is her mother. In traditional households, the mother is held responsible for the conduct of a child. In this case also, the range of instructions suggests that the speaker is Amanda’s mother.

3. Why are stanzas 2, 4 and 6 given in parenthesis? 

Stanzas 2, 4 and 6 are given in parenthesis because they reflect the inner thoughts of Amanda. They can be taken as the reaction of the child for the instructions given in stanzas 1, 3 and 5. Here, there is an alternate sequence of scolding of the mother, and corresponding reaction to it given by the child.

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? 

The speaker in stanzas 2, 4 and 6 is the child, Amanda. No, she is not paying any attention to the speaker of stanzas 1, 3 and 5 as she is lost in a world of her own. Her imagination provides her an escape from her sorry reality.

5. What could Amanda do if she were a mermaid? 

Amanda wishes to be a mermaid so she could carelessly move along on a languid, emerald sea. She just wishes to be carried away by the green sea waves slowly and  gradually. Amanda longs for a place where she is all by herself as her happiness is not dependant on any other human being. Hence, she desires to be a mermaid because for a child, a mermaid is a symbol of freedom and wonder.

6. Is Amanda an orphan? Why does she say so? 

No, Amanda is not an orphan, though she wishes to be one. She is so stressed with the continuous nagging of her parents that she imagines herself to be better without them. The mere presence of her parents around her depresses her. Amanda is a little girl who seeks ‘golden’ silence and ‘sweet’ freedom. She wishes to roam around the streets and draw patterns with her bare feet. Indeed it is depressing that Amanda wishes to be an orphan.

7. Do you know the story of Rapunzel? Why does she want to be Rapunzel? 

Rapunzel’s story revolves around her life on a tower. Rapunzel was made to live on a high tower by a witch. She eventually got used to living there. She was happy and satisfied with her life. Rapunzel had very long golden hair, using which the witch used to pay her a visit. The fate of Rapunzel took a turn when one day a prince came to meet her using her hair. The witch had punished both of them by separating them. Finally, they met after a couple of years only to be united forever this time. Amanda wishes to live like Rapunzel on a high tower away from everyone. She seeks peace and harmony. That is the reason Amanda wishes to be like Rapunzel. However, she also makes a point that in order to avoid being disturbed she would never let her hair down for anyone to climb to her. She needs no one to make her life happy.

8. What does the girl yearn for? What does this poem tell you about Amanda? 

A girl like Amanda yearns for freedom and space for herself. She is incapable to fulfill the expectations of her parents. Amanda is no less than a symbol for all the children who face similar fate irrespective of class, colour or nationality. Traditional societies demand a certain type of behaviour from the individuals and the training to produce such behaviour begins at a very young age. Parents ignore the innocence and understanding level of their children, thus killing their imagination and thoughts.

9. Read the last stanza. Do you think Amanda is sulking and is moody? 

No, Amanda is neither sulking nor moody. She is simply not interested enough in the nagging business of her parents. Amanda cares more about her imagination and thought process over the manners her parents are trying to inculcate into her.

Practice Question

Q1. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow. 

(a)

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

I. What does the speaker want Amanda to stop doing in the above passage?
a. sulking
b. eating chocolate
c. slouching
d. nagging 

ii. Why is Amanda moody?
a. Because she didn’t finish her homework.
b. Because she didn’t get to eat the chocolate.
c. Because the speaker escapes in her imaginary world.
d. Because the speaker told her to stop biting her nails. 

iii. What does the speaker fear the people will think about him/her? 

a. He/she keep nagging Amanda. 

b. He/she is very angry with Amanda. 

c. He/she doesn’t love Amanda. 

d. He/she needs to see a counselor. 

iv. Find a word from the passage which means ‘kept asking someone to do something.’
a. sulking
b. nagged
c. think
d. moody

(b) (There is a languid, emerald sea,
where the sole inhabitant is me —
a mermaid, drifting blissfully.) 

I. How is the sea?
a. Polluted and green
b. Big and green
c. Peaceful and green
d. Far and green 

ii. Who is the sole inhabitant of the sea?
a. Amanda, the mermaid
b. Amanda, the orphan
c. Amanda, the Rapunzel
d. Amanda, the fish monger 

iii. Why is this stanza in brackets?

a. It is the father’s daydream.
b. It is the mother’s daydream.
c. It is Amanda’s daydream.
d. It is the orphan’s daydream. 

iv. Find a word from the passage which means ‘relax.’
a. emerald
b. languid
c. inhabitant
d. drifting

Q2. Answer the following questions in 30-40 words each. 

(a) Why is Amanda getting scolded for having chocolate? 

Amanda is getting scolded for having chocolates as previously it had caused her acne. Amanda’s mother is very particular about such things. Amanda is made conscious about her physical appearance. It is very sad that at such a young age Amanda is made to worry about natural experiences. 

(b) How life on a tower would be different from life anywhere else for Amanda? 

Life on tower for Amanda would be very different from her reality. Just like Rapunzel, even she desires to live on top of a tower, away from everyday chaos. Amanda suffers due to the constant nagging from her parents. She seeks a place full of peace and serenity, where there is no one to disturb her. Hence, she wishes to live on a tower. 

(c) Is the purpose of someone constantly giving instructions to Amanda being fulfilled? Explain. 

No, Amanda sulks and becomes moody when her mother gives her too many instructions. She does not listen to her mother and didn’t care to follow them but she can’t dare to ignore them either so, she sulks. Parents in their endeavour to make their children well-behaved, give them too many instructions. 

(d) Write a short note on the title of the poem. 

The title of the poem is Amanda as it revolves around the upbringing of the girl named Amanda. Her life is full of struggles where she is denied freedom and expression. Amanda is so much irate that she escapes reality by living in her imaginative world. Through this gateway she experiences calmness, away from her nagging parents.

Q3. Answer the following questions in in 100 -120 words. 

(a) Discuss the importance of good upbringing with reference to the poem ‘Amanda’ by Robin Klein.

Upbringing plays an essential role in personality development of a child. Whenever we admire or criticise someone we question the upbringing of that person. To instill good values in a growing child comes is the foremost duty of the parents. However, the poem proves it to us that when a child is constantly nagged with instructions, he/she feels trapped. As a result, she seeks an escape. Her imagination proves to be her escape and also her defence against her nagging parents. She wishes to be an orphan to get rid of her parents. She imagines enacting various roles from being a mermaid to Rapunzel. Proper balance should be maintained when dealing with such delicate issues. Love and care should always be part of upbringing. 

(b) How does Amanda tackle the nagging nature of her parents? Explain with examples from the poem. What values does it portray about Amanda?
Amanda is a small girl who is termed as moody for her careless behaviour. But it is her defence mechanism to shield against her nagging parents. Amanda is constantly instructed by her parents. Amanda’s response to it is her work of imagination where she is a mermaid drifting effortlessly by the languid river. She wants to be an orphan roaming in the street and making patterns with her bare feet. She wants to be Rapunzel in her imagination, to live on top of a tower away from everyone. Amanda’s parents are upset with her behaviour and casualness, but she stays in her own world. All these reactions portray Amanda as child who wants to constantly escape the reality.