Amanda Flashcards
What could Amanda do if she were a mermaid?
The little girl Amanda wants to be a mermaid and the only resident of the
beautiful green sea. She thinks that her life will be very relaxing in the sea and she
will be taken away with the currents of water. She will be able to enjoy her
freedom.
Is Amanda an orphan? Why does she say so?
No, Amanda is not an orphan as she is constantly being pointed out by one of
her parents in the poem. She said so because she is sad and depressed because
of the continuous scolding and nagging which she faces because of her parents.
Therefore, she feels that it would have been much better and peaceful if she
would have been an orphan.
Why does she want to be Rapunzel?
Amanda wants to be Rapunzel
because she knew that in the story, there was no staircase to enter the tower. It
was only possible with the help of Rapunzel’s long hair that she would let down to
help others to climb. Amanda feels that life in the tower will be very calm and nice
and also makes it a point to never let her hair down for anyone as she doesn’t
want to get disturbed by visitors.
What does the girl yearn for? What does this poem tell you about
Amanda?
The girl Amanda yearns for freedom and peace in her life. She is constantly
reminded of her mistakes. Her parents want her to follow the code of conduct of
good behavior. They are doing so because they want their child to be well-
mannered and obedient. But while doing this they forget that she is a child and
should be allowed some freedom. The poet has drawn the reader’s attention
towards the condition of children who are constantly oppressed by their elders in
the name of good behavior.
Do you think Amanda is sulking and is moody?
In our sense, Amanda is not moody. She feels oppressed because of her
mother’s constant nagging. She doesn’t want to be pointed out for such small
things as cleaning the room, sitting straight, cleaning her shoes, completing her
homework, etc. She feels that she is not free and is under the constant pressure of
trying to be a well-behaved girl as per her parent’s demand.
Why is childhood said to be a period of fantasies?
Childhood is a period when children indulge in fantasies. But when they start growing up, their parents expect them to behave more responsibly. Parents start nagging and giving instructions at every step. Children don’t want to be instructed and guided the way their parents want. They feel that their freedom is being curtailed. If parents keep on nagging, their children escape to the dreamy world of fantasies. They don’t want to come out of this fanciful world so early.
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.
Who is the mermaid in ‘Amanda’, what does ‘she’ wish to do?
The mermaid is Amanda herself; as imagined by Amanda. She wishes to drift blissfully on a dreamy, emerald sea, without anyone else accompanying her.
What is the theme of the poem — ‘Amanda’?
Too many instructions and too much control are resented by children. They get bored and fed up. Then, they listen to their parents half-heartedly and indulge in daydreaming.
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.
What is the central idea of the poem?
The central idea of the poem is that children love freedom. They do not want any restrictions on their activities. Secondly, they have a dream world of their own. They like to spend most of their time in that dream world. But the elders are always destroying that dream world by ordering them around.
List the things which Amanda’s mother doesn’t want her to do.
Her mother doesn’t want her to hunch her shoulders and bend her body down. She stops her from eating chocolates as it would not be good for her pimpled face. She wants her to stop sulking as others would think that she is being nagged by her mother.
Why does Amanda’s mother ask her to stop sulking?
Amanda’s mother thinks that she is moody as her mood is always shifting. If she puts on an unhappy appearance, others will blame her mother. They will think that she is being constantly nagged by her mother.
Why does Amanda escape into the dreamy world of mermaids, fairies and orphans? Does she find any solace there?
Amanda is a teenager. Like all teenagers, she loves freedom. She wants to lead her own kind of life. She doesn’t want to be an overprotected child. Nor does she want that her parents should control and guide her activities. What she should do and what not is her own choice. She should not be dictated by her mother. Mother’s constant nagging leads her away from her. She creates a world of her own. Her world is not the world of harsh realities but it is an imaginary world of fairies and mermaids. There she finds solace as she can wander in a lonely island blissfully like a mermaid. She can enjoy freedom by roaming around the streets like an orphan. She craves to live in a lonely tower leading a peaceful life like Rapunzel. She avoids her mother as she doesn’t like her constant nagging. She even doesn’t look at her while she is speaking to her.
