AMANDA: Extra Questions
Q. Write a short note on the title of the poem?
Ans. The title of the poem is Amanda as it revolves around the upbringing of a little girl named Amanda. Her life is full of struggles where she is denied freedom and expression. Amanda is so much irate (angry) that she escapes reality by living in her imaginative world. Through this gateway she experiences calmness, away from her nagging parents.
Q. What is the central theme of the poem Amanda?
Ans. The poem Amanda by Robin Klein highlights the importance of upbringing of a child. It points out that upbringing doesn’t involve making a child fit for the society at any cost. It is important that upbringing should involve understanding from both the sides. One should not force a child to be civilised and good mannered. Love and proper care is required in nurturing a child.
Q. What is the main idea of the poem?
Ans. The main idea of the poem is that children love freedom and they want space too. They do not want restrictions on all of their activities. Keeping children under restrictions pushes them away from their parents and consequently, they create a dream world of their own. They like to spend most of their time in that dream world. But the elders with their constant nagging and scolding for behaving in certain ways or fulfilling their demands keep destroying that dream world that they create around them.
Q. Why does Amanda seem moody most of the times?
Ans. 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.
Q. Why did Amanda imagine being an ‘orphan’?
Ans. Amanda was a school-going girl who was fed up of constant nagging of her mother regarding her habits and activities. Her mother kept on telling her what to do and what not to do. Amanda was so frustrated by her mother’s constant blabbering that she thought of being an orphan who had no parents to restrict her freedom. She imagined of wandering on the street bare feet, making patterns on the dusty path with it. She was longing for silence and freedom so much so that she didn’t mind being an orphan to get her freedom.
Q. Do you consider Amanda’s mother to be a nagging mother?
Ans. Amanda’s mother is indeed a nagging mother. She is constantly nagging and instructing Amanda for something or the other. She is all about giving instructions and finding faults in that little child. No doubt it is parents’ responsibility to instil good values in one’s children, but not at the cost of their happiness. Elders should give their children space to let them learn on their own by making mistakes. Elders should also know how to strike a balance between maintaining responsibilities and taking good care and being a loving and understanding parent.
Q. Why does Amanda’s mother nag her? how does it affect Amanda?
Ans. Amanda’s mother is a simple an ordinary woman who believes in controlling her child’s life. She wants Amanda to be perfect, obedient, intelligent, sophisticated and beautiful. It makes her nag Amanda continuously to mould her in her own way. Due to her nagging, Amanda withdraws in a shell of imagination. She feels a freedom and space denied that see tries to get through daydreaming. She cannot be freely and herself alone. Sweetest lights her mother, becomes an introvert and suffers from loneliness. See tries to avoid such situations by enjoying in dreams.
Q. Why is Amanda getting scolded for having chocolate?
Ans. 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.
Q. How life on a tower would be different from life anywhere else for Amanda?
Ans. Life on a 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 (total silence), where there is no one to disturb her. Hence, she wishes to live on a tower.
Q. Why does Amanda wish to be a mermaid, an orphan, or Rapunzel?
Ans. 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 sea (streets) and make pattern using her bare feet in dust. Being Rapunzel means she could live carefree on a high tower. Amanda wishes to be these so that she could avoid her suffocating reality.
Q. 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 in her daughter, but not at the cost of her child’s happiness. One should know how to strike a balance between maintaining responsibilities and taking good care.
Q. Is Amanda at fault at all?
Ans. 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. Love of parents is missing from Amanda’s life. 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 overpowering environment around her.
Q. How does Amanda tackle the nagging nature of her parents? Explain with examples from the poem. What values does it portray about Amanda?
Ans. 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 becomes too much to handle for the small girl. She is told not to eat her nails and sit in a proper position. Amanda’s response to it is her world 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 and her parents in a negative light. We as readers feel very sorry for a childlike Amanda.
Q. Escapism is one way to run away from harsh realities. Discuss in context to the poem.
Ans. By going through the whole poem, we come to know that Amanda’s parents, especially her mother, keep instructing Amanda all the time. Amanda’s mother’s intention may be to discipline her daughter and make her a mature person. But very frequent checking and instructing using so many don’ts, leave no space for the child.
Children need love and caring attitude of their elders. An advice in the form of nagging leaves a very harmful impression on the child’s mind. The reality becomes harsh form them and they try to escape these realities by indulging in their own fantasy world.
Here in this poem, life of Amanda is quite frustrating as Amanda is forbidden to do anything without seeking permission. Continuous instructions of her mother and correcting her all the time leave a very negative impact on a child’s personality. In such situation the child adheres to a defence mechanism where she imagines herself to be free and without parents so that no nagging is done.
Amanda drifts into an imaginary situation to escape from the harsh realities of her life. The parent’s behaviour is forcing her to do so, as a result there will not be a balanced development of her personality. Parents need to understand that their child also requires freedom and his/her own space. If no space is given, child will develop one or the other complex which may hamper his/her normal growth.
Q. 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 criticise someone, we question the upbringing of that person. Robin Klien’s poem highlights the tension in the ‘proper’ upbringing of a child. To instil good values and moral principles in a growing child comes as a foremost duty for the parents. However, the poem Amanda shows how a child feels trapped within the cluster of instruction. Amanda is no less than a victim in this situation. No proper space is given no 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 defence against her nagging parents. Situation of Amanda is so worse that she wishes to be an orphan, in order to get rid of her parents. She imagines enacting various roles varying from mermaid to Rapunzel. Amanda wishes to live alone and carefree. It is very important to understand the situation of Amanda where her freedom is cut short by constant instructions and guidelines. Proper balance should be maintained when dealing with such delicate issues maintaining balance between love and complaint.
I need answer of this long question:-Amanda loves to live in a dream world and does not appreciate any interference.A parent tries to bring her back to the real world. Therefore , there is always a conflict going on. Elaborate.
Note:-Answer of this question should be in a very long paragraphs
The poem “Amanda” portrays a persistent conflict between Amanda’s inclination toward a dream world and the attempts of a parent (or speaker) to bring her back to reality. Amanda’s recurrent escape into imaginative scenarios like being a mermaid, an orphan, or Rapunzel suggests her desire for a refuge from the constraints and pressures of the real world. In these dreamlike states, she finds a sense of bliss, freedom, and tranquility, emphasizing her preference for the imaginative over the tangible.
Conversely, the parent’s constant instructions, reprimands, and inquiries about mundane tasks like finishing homework or tidying her room represent the intrusion of the real world into Amanda’s dreamscape. The conflict arises as the parent attempts to impose societal expectations and responsibilities on Amanda, disrupting her moments of imaginative escape. This clash between Amanda’s dream world and the parent’s attempts to anchor her in reality forms the core tension of the poem, illustrating the struggle between the individual’s desire for autonomy and the external pressures to conform.
The conflict between Amanda’s dream world and the real world in the poem reflects broader themes of societal expectations, individual autonomy, and the struggle to balance personal freedom with societal demands. The poem suggests that Amanda’s dreamlike fantasies serve as a coping mechanism or a form of rebellion against the nagging and regulations of the real world. This ongoing conflict underscores the challenges individuals face in maintaining their imaginative and independent spirit amidst the expectations and impositions of society.