TYPE I: REFERENCE TO CONTEXT (VERY SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS)

Read the extracts and answer the following questions:

1. Don’t bite your nails, Amanda!

Don’t hunch your shoulders, Amanda!

Stop that slouching and sit up straight, Amanda!

Questions

(i) Who is the speaker?

(ii) What does the speaker want Amanda t do?

(iii) What does the speaker appear to be like?

(iv) What is the poetic device used in the above lines?

Answers

(i) The speaker is probably a parent of Amanda.

(ii) The speaker wants Amanda to sit straight, not bite her nails and not slouch her shoulder.

(iii) The speaker appears to be strict and authoritative.

(iv) The poetic device used in the above lines is repetition. Amanda’s name has been repeated thrice.

2. (There is a languid, emerald sea,

where the sole inhabitant is me

a mermaid, drifting blissfully.)

Questions

(i) Who is referred to as ‘ me”?

(ii) What are Amanda’s feelings in these lines?

(iii) Why have mermaid been mentioned here?

(iv) What is the image created by languid, emerald sea”?

Answers

(i) ‘Me’ refers to Amanda.

(ii) In these lines Amanda appears to be happy and peaceful.

(iii) Mermaid are beautiful, mythical creatures which are half human and half fish. Amanda imagines herself to be a mermaid which sails in a sea carelessly and effortlessly. Similarly Amanda longs to do so in a place where she is all by herself.

(iv) The phrase languid, emerald creates an image of the beautiful emerald green color of the sea. It also suggests an unhurried, relaxed and calm sensation.

3. Did you tidy your room, Amanda?

I thought I told you to clean your shoes,

Questions

(i) Who is the speaker?

(ii) What does the speaker want Amanda to do first?

(iii) What is the second demand made on Amanda?

(iv) What is the tone of the speaker?

Answers

(i) The speaker is Amanda’s Mother.

(ii) The speaker wants Amanda to tidy her room first.

(iii) Amanda is asked to clean her shoes.

(iv) The speaker speaks in a nagging and authoritative tone.

4. Don’t eat that chocolate, Amanda

Remember your acne, Amanda!

Will you please look at me when I’m speaking to Amanda

Questions

(i) Why is Amanda not looking at the speaker?

(ii) Which lines bring out the authoritarian the speaker?

(iii) The speaker is so worried about acne Why?

(iv) What kind of person does the speaker appear to be?

Answers

(i) Amanda is lost in her own thoughts and is paying no attention to instructions being given to be The is why she is not looking at the speaker.

(ii) The line Will you please look at me when I’m speaking to you brings out bring out the authoritarian nature of the speaker.

(iii) The Speaker’s worry about acne shows how much importance is given to physical beauty in the household Amanda is being prepared for a society which values beauty and social graces.

(iv) The speaker appears to be a nagging and controlling person.

5. Stop that sulking at once, Amanda!

You’re always so moody, Amanda!

Questions

(i) Who is the speaker?

(ii) What does she want Amanda to stop?

(iii) What is Amanda accused of?

(iv) What is the tone of the speaker?

Answers

(i) The speaker is Amanda’s mother.

(ii) She wants Amanda to stop sulking.

(iii) Amanda is accused of being moody.

(iv) The speaker speaks in a nagging and reprimanding tone.

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!)

Questions

(i) Does Amanda live in a tower?

(ii) Why will Amanda not let down her bright hair?

(iii) What is the poetic device used in this stanza?

(iv) What is Amanda yearning for?

Answers

(i) No. Amanda stays at her place. Here, she is ma herself to be Rapunzel who lived in a tower.

(ii) Amanda is aware about the story of Rapunzel In the story of Rapunzel, all the misfortunes are brought on to her by letting down the hair. Amanda also wishes to live alone and carefree, without any disturbance.

(iii) In alluding to the fairy tale character of Rapunzel. the poet uses allusion as the poetic device.

(iv) Amanda is longing for freedom from restraints of her nagging parents.

7. Stop that sulking at once, Amanda!

You’re always so moody, Amanda!

Anyone would think that I nagged at you,

Amanda

Questions

(i) Is Amanda really sulking?

(ii)Who is the speaker?

(iii) What is the irony in the third line?

(iv) What poetic device has been used in the first line of this stanza?

Answers

(i) Amanda is not sulking at all. She just doesn’t care about instructions given to her as she is lost in a world of her own where she retreats to escape the nagging voices of her parents.

(ii) The speaker is probably Amanda’s mother.

(iii) The irony in the third line is that the mother does not wish to be seen to be nagging while she is being exactly that,

(iv) Alliteration has been used in the first line-words “stop” and “sulking’ and at once have the same sound’s

TYPE II: SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS (30-40 WORDS EACH)

Answer the following questions:

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

Ans. Amanda is asked to finish her homework. It shows that she is a school-going girl. She seems to be around ten years old. She is constantly told to do this or not to do that.

2. Who do you think is speaking to her?

Ans. One of her parents is speaking to Amanda. It is probably the mother who remains all the time at home and keeps nagging poor Amanda. She seems to be an authoritarian person who burdens her daughter with too many expectations

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

Ans. Stars  2, 4 and 6 depict the state of the girl’s mind who is constantly nagged by her parent. They show her in the world of her imagination imagining things that she longed for and could not find in her current situation

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 77?

Ans. The speaker in these stanzas is the girl named Amanda. She is lost in her own dreams and doesn’t listen to what is being said to her by her parent in stanzas 1, 3, 5 and 7.

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

Ans. If she were a mermaid. Amanda could then be the inhabitant of the sea. She could drift joyfully and peacefully with the gentle waves of the sea. There would have been no one to nag here all the time. She could move about freely where she liked.

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

Ans. Amanda is not an orphan. Since she is nagged all the time by her parent, so she feels it would have been better if she had been an orphan. Then she could roam about freely in the street, leaving patterns of her bare feet in the soft dust and be free of any control.

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

Ans. Rapunzel was a beautiful golden-haired girl. Her hair was very long A witch had put her in a tower. A prince saw her and fell in love with her. Rapunzel let her hair down and the prince climbed up with them. The witch was very angry. She left Rapunzel alone in the desert. The prince at last found her and married her Rapunzel lived alone in a tower. There was no one to nag het all time. Amanda thinks that Rapunzel’s life must have been very peaceful and wonderful. That is why she wants to be Rapunzel.

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

Ans. Amanda yearns for a life of freedom. She is fed up with the constant nagging of her parents. She wishes that she had been an orphan. This shows that if she had no parents no one would nag her. Then she could move about freely and play where she liked.

9. How would it help Amanda to be an orphan?

Ans. Amanda feels troubled around her parents as they control her life and behavior, so she wishes herself be an orphan. Then only she could live a life of her own without the many expectations imposed on ber by her parents.

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

Ans. 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. She doesn’t seem to know how to strike a balance between training and taking good care.

11. Is Amanda at fault at all?

Ans. Amanda is not at fault at all. It is too much to expect from a small child to understand the concept of acne and not eating a chocolate. Love and gentleness of parents is missing from Amanda’s life. There is nothing worse than a child who wishes to be an orphan. Amanda just seeks freedom from the overpowering environment around her.

12. What picture of Amanda do you form from the poem Amanda!”?

Ans. 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 not to do that. Amanda is too young to follow all these instructions. Poor Amanda longs to be free and live life in her own way, suited to her age.

13. What is Amanda asked to do or not to do?

Ans. Amanda is expected to do a lot. She 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 tidy her room and to clean her shoes. In fact, she is constantly asked to do this or not to do that.

TYPE III: LONG ANSWER QUESTIONS (100-120 WORDS EACH)

Answer the following questions:

1. State the key points in the poem, “Amanda!’. What do you learn from it?

Ans. Every child is unique and it requires a great deal of patience and love to make them understand this. Parents should give proper space to children, as they learn through experiences. One cannot teach their children everything in one day and expect them to behave properly the next day. It is natural for a child like Amanda to seek freedom at her place, to curb that freedom means to make her angry and moody. Growing

up of 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 on her own. 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 too small to understand her expectations. What matters to Amanda’s mother is what society will make of Amanda.

2. Discuss the importance of proper upbringing with reference to the poem, “Amanda!’ by Robin Klein.

Ans. Upbringing plays an essential role in personality development of an adult. Whenever we wish to admire or criticize someone we question the upbringing of that person. Proper balance should be maintained when dealing with such delicate issues. Robin Klein’s poem Amanda poses the question-what constitutes good upbringing of a child? The poem Amanda shows how a child feels trapped within the cluster of instructions. 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 defense against her nagging parents. She imagines herself as enacting various roles varying from mermaid to Rapunzel. Amanda wishes to live alone and carefree.

3. What is the theme of the poem, “Amanda!”?

Ans. The poem, ‘Amanda!” by Robin Klein highlights the importance of upbringing of a child. Robin Klien explores the theme of excessive restraint and control on young children and its consequences. Should parents impose their own wishes and ways on children? Or they should allow children to make their own ways of dealing with life? Klein seems to believe in the latter view as his tone is sympathetic to Amanda, who has to face a torrent of constant instructions which she is expected to obey. Klein sees to ask that in such a situation, when will the young Amanda express her own true self?

It points out that upbringing doesn’t involve making a child responsible and fit for the society only. 0 It is important to note that upbringing involves understanding from both the sides. One cannot just at force a child to be civilized and good mannered. Love and proper care is required in nurturing of a child.

QUESTIONS FOR PRACTICE

1. What are the demands made on Amanda?
2. What is missing in Amanda’a life?
3. What is Amanda’s world of dreams like?
4. What is the cause of Amanda’s moodiness?
5. Comment on Amanda’s parents.