Amanda

Short Answer Type Important Questions
Answer the following questions in 30-40 words:
1. What is the role/ importance of punctuation marks in language? Why has the
poet used the exclamation mark after Amanda? Comment on the title of the
poem.
(i) Punctuation is an important part of grammar. It is used to create sense, clarity

and stress in sentences. It is used to structure and organise our writing.
(ii) The exclamation mark is used after Amanda! to show the mother’s surprise on
seeing Amanda. Amanda is a sulky and moody girl which upsets the mother.
2. 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.
3. Amanda imagines herself to be Rapunzel, yet would not like to do what all
she did. Identify and state the reasons for her decision.
Amanda wants to be Rapunzel to live a peaceful life in a tower, where no one gives
any instruction and she doesn’t have to do any work. But she doesn’t want to escape
with a prince like Rapunzel. She never wants to escape and leave such a peaceful
atmosphere, with no instruction and no work to do.
4. What message does the poet want to give through the poem — ‘Amanda’?
The poet wants to convey that parents in their endeavour to make their children
well-behaved, mannerly having good habits, give them too many instructions or nag
(always finding fault) them. They should adopt positive measures, acceptable to
children. Otherwise, they will stop listening to them and indulge in daydreaming as
Amanda did.
5. Is Amanda’s attitude a typical teenage behaviour? What is the lesson for

parents from this poem?
Amanda’s attitude is typical of a teenager. Teenagers can be rebellious and

apparently hot-headed 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 a love mermaid, an
orphan or the lonely Rapunzel. She doesn’t want to listen to anyone.
6. 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-headed 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
mermaid, an orphan, or the lonely Rapunzel. To make things fun, one must become
a friend where needed. Sometimes, one needs to just ‘chill’ with one’s kids!
7. 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
very surprising to know that this is her
defence mechanism to shield against her nagging parents. Amanda is getting
instructions from her parents, which become too much to handle for the small girl.
She is told not to bite her nails and sit in a proper position. Amanda’s response to it
is her work of imagination where she is a mermaid drifting effortlessly by the languid
river. Further, she is asked about cleaning her room and finishing her homework to
which she reacts being an orphan roaming in the street and making patterns with
her bare feet. Amanda then faces the heat for eating a chocolate, which had once
caused her acne. She takes the form of Rapunzel and wishes to live on top of a tower
away from everyone in her imagination. Amanda’s parents are upset over her
behaviour and casualness, but she stays in her own world. All these portray Amanda
in a positive light while her parents in a negative light. We as readers feel very sorry
for a child like Amanda.
8. State the key points in the poem Amanda. What do you learn from it?
Every child is special in some way 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 as well. Children do tend to learn certain bad habits, to
undo that requires great level of understanding and right approach. One cannot
teach their child everything in one day and expect them to behave properly
henceforth. 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 without seeking permission. Everything she does is
corrected by her mother all the time, she cannot perform a single thing according to
her will. She can’t sit lazily around, she can’t eat chocolates for that could cause
acne. 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
naive, she is too small to understand the benefits of advice. The only thing that
matters to Amanda’s mother is what society will make of Amanda. We witness
miserable failure of parents when Amanda wishes to be an orphan so that she could
be free.

Amanda

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Short Answer Type Important Questions

Answer the following questions in 30-40 words:

(i) Punctuation is an important part of grammar. It is used to create sense, clarity

2. Is the purpose of someone constantly giving instructions to Amanda being

5. Is Amanda’s attitude a typical teenage behaviour? What is the lesson for

Amanda’s attitude is typical of a teenager. Teenagers can be rebellious and

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