Amanda! is part of the CBSE Class 10 English syllabus and highlights the thoughts of a young girl who is constantly being instructed by an adult. The poem shows how these repeated instructions affect her and how she escapes into her imagination.
In exams, questions from this poem usually focus on the contrast between reality and imagination, the tone of the speaker, and Amanda’s feelings. For this, Physics Wallah provides most important questions from this poem that are based on these key areas.
PW CBSE Class 10 English MIQs for this poem mainly test interpretation, tone, and theme. These questions help in building clarity and writing concise answers in the board exam.
1.Don’t eat that chocolate, Amanda!
Remember your acne, Amanda!
Will you please look at me when I’m speaking to you, Amanda!
(a) Why is Amanda not looking at the speaker?
Ans. Amanda is lost in her own thoughts and is paying no attention to the instructions being given to her. That is why she is not looking at the speaker.
(b) Find the word in the extract which means the same as ‘consume’.
Ans. ‘Eat’ means the same as ‘consume’.
(c) The speaker is so worried about acne. What does it show?
Ans. The speaker being worried about acne shows how much importance is given to physical beauty in a household. Amanda is prepared for the unforeseen future. Natural experiences such as acne are also taken care of at any cost.
(d) Which word in the extract means the same as ‘to gaze’?
Ans. ‘Look’ means the same as ‘to gaze’.
2. Why does Amanda seem moody most of the time?
Amanda seems moody most of the time because she is trying to escape from her sorry reality, where she is constantly nagged. It is indeed unfortunate for a small child like Amanda to bear this. Her only defence against such a reality is her imagination, where she often escapes. Hence, it makes her look moody and uninterested.
3. State the key points in the poem Amanda. What do you learn from it?
Ans. Every child is special in itself, 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 a great level of understanding and the 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, 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.
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 cannot sit lazily around; she cannot eat chocolate because that could cause acne. The life of Amanda is very suffocating and limited in itself. She yearns for freedom and choice.
Her mother does not 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 the miserable failure of parents when Amanda wishes to be an orphan so that she could be free.
4. What is the central theme of the poem Amanda?
The poem Amanda by Robin Klein highlights the importance of the upbringing of a child. It points out that upbringing does not involve making a child responsible and fit for society only.
It is important to note that upbringing involves understanding from both sides. One cannot just force a child to be civilised and well-mannered. Love and proper care are required in the nurturing of a child.
5. Why does Amanda wish to be a mermaid, an orphan, or Rapunzel?
Amanda wishes to be a mermaid so she could drift alone in a blissfully languid, emerald sea. She yearns to be an orphan so that she is able to roam the sea and make patterns 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.
Physics Wallah's exam-oriented PDF for Amanda! includes different types of questions such as extracts, short answers, and explanation-based questions. These are useful for understanding tone, theme, and character.
Working through these questions helps in improving answer clarity and makes it easier to answer similar questions in exams without confusion.
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