Class 10 : English – Lesson 15. Amanda!
EXPLANATION AND SUMMARY
💠 Explanation
🌟 Introduction to the Poem
Amanda! by Robin Klein explores the struggles of a young girl who is constantly scolded by elders for her behaviour. The poem contrasts the adult world of discipline and instructions with a child’s longing for freedom, imagination, and self-expression.
📚 About the Poet
Robin Klein (1936–2005) was an Australian children’s author and poet. She often wrote about childhood experiences, capturing the innocence, imagination, and challenges faced by children growing up.
💡 Theme and Context
The poem depicts how constant nagging and restrictions suppress a child’s creativity. Amanda escapes into her imagination, dreaming of freedom and peace, away from her mother’s continuous instructions.
🎭 Key Sections / Episodes
Parental Instructions: Amanda is scolded for slouching, eating chocolate, not cleaning her room, and biting her nails.
Amanda’s Escapes: In her mind, she imagines herself as:
A mermaid drifting peacefully in the sea.
An orphan roaming freely in golden silence.
A princess-like Rapunzel, living alone in a tower without restrictions.
Reality vs. Imagination: While her mother nags, Amanda’s inner world becomes her escape, highlighting the contrast between authority and freedom.
🖋️ Tone, Style, and Devices
Tone: Didactic (from the parent) and dreamy (from Amanda).
Devices:
Contrast (nagging vs. imagination),
Allusion (Rapunzel),
Imagery (sea, tower, freedom),
Repetition (constant scolding),
Irony (parents scold for her good, but it suppresses her spirit).
🕊️ Themes and Takeaways
Conflict of Generations: Adults focus on discipline; children crave freedom.
Imagination as Escape: Creativity helps children cope with restrictions.
Suppression vs. Expression: Excessive control may silence individuality.
Childhood Psychology: Shows how children respond to constant criticism.
💠 Summary
Robin Klein’s Amanda! portrays the conflict between a child’s desire for freedom and an adult’s tendency to discipline. Amanda is repeatedly scolded for her behaviour—slouching, untidiness, eating chocolate, and nail-biting. In response, she retreats into her imagination, picturing herself as a mermaid drifting in the sea, an orphan walking freely, and Rapunzel living peacefully in a tower. While her mother worries Amanda may grow moody and rebellious, the poem highlights the importance of giving children space to dream and express themselves. It reflects the universal tension between authority and individuality.
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PASSAGE
PASSAGE
“Don’t bite your nails, Amanda!
Don’t hunch your shoulders, Amanda!
Stop that slouching and sit up straight,
Amanda!”
💠 (Short Answer – 30 words)
What is Amanda being scolded for in this passage?
Answer: Amanda is being scolded for biting her nails, slouching her shoulders, and not sitting properly, showing the constant parental instructions that restrict her behaviour.
💠 (Multiple Choice)
What is the tone of the speaker in this passage?
A. Polite and gentle
B. Strict and instructive
C. Playful and humorous
D. Dreamy and imaginative
Answer: B. Strict and instructive
💠 (Fill in the blank)
Amanda is asked to stop __ and sit up straight.
Answer: slouching
💠 (Fill in the blank)
The speaker repeatedly addresses the girl by her name, __.
Answer: Amanda
💠 (Assertion and Reason)
Assertion (A): Amanda is encouraged to follow discipline by her parent.
Reason (R): Excessive instructions help children feel free and independent.
A. Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A.
B. Both A and R are true, but R is not the correct explanation of A.
C. A is false, but R is true.
D. A is true, but R is false.
Answer: D. A is true, but R is false.
💠 (Short Answer – 30 words)
How does this passage highlight the theme of the poem?
Answer: The passage shows Amanda’s constant scolding, symbolising how adults restrict children’s freedom, which leads Amanda to escape into her imaginative world for peace and self-expression.
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OTHER IMPORTANT QUESTIONS
🔴 Q1. Who is the poet of Amanda!?
🔵 Answer: Robin Klein.
🔴 Q2. Why is the girl in the poem named Amanda?
🔵 Answer: Amanda is the name of the child in the poem, representing all children who crave freedom and self-expression but are constantly instructed by adults.
🔴 Q3. What is Amanda being scolded for in the beginning of the poem?
🔵 Answer: She is scolded for biting her nails, hunching her shoulders, and slouching instead of sitting straight.
🔴 Q4. What imaginary identity does Amanda assume first?
🔵 Answer: She imagines herself as a mermaid drifting peacefully in the sea.
🔴 Q5. Why does Amanda imagine herself as an orphan?
🔵 Answer: She imagines being an orphan so she can walk freely in the streets without constant scolding or restrictions.
🔴 Q6. Which fairytale character does Amanda compare herself to?
🔵 Answer: Rapunzel, who lived alone in a tower.
🔴 Q7. Why does Amanda mention Rapunzel in the poem?
🔵 Answer: Amanda longs for a peaceful life like Rapunzel’s but adds she would never allow anyone to rescue her, symbolising her desire for absolute independence.
🔴 Q8. What does Amanda’s act of eating chocolate show?
🔵 Answer: It shows her natural desires as a child, but she is scolded for it because it could cause acne.
🔴 Q9. How does Amanda react to her parent’s constant instructions?
🔵 Answer: She does not respond verbally but escapes into her imaginative world to find freedom and peace.
🔴 Q10. Why does the parent worry that Amanda looks sulky?
🔵 Answer: The parent fears others will think Amanda is moody and disobedient, reflecting concern about social judgement.
🔴 Q11. What is the tone of Amanda’s imagination compared to her parent’s tone?
🔵 Answer: Amanda’s imagination is dreamy and calm, while her parent’s tone is strict, nagging, and controlling.
🔴 Q12. What is the central theme of the poem Amanda!?
🔵 Answer: The poem highlights the conflict between childhood freedom and adult authority, showing how excessive discipline can suppress creativity and individuality.
🔴 Q13. What message does the poem convey?
🔵 Answer: It stresses the need to understand children’s psychology, allow them space for imagination, and balance discipline with freedom to nurture individuality.
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