Amanda Class 10 Questions and Answers
Textbook Questions
Thinking about the Poem :
Question 1.
How old do you think Amanda is? How do you know this?
आपके विचार में अमेन्डा कितनी बड़ी है? आप यह कैसे जानते हैं?
Answer:
I think Amanda is a little school going girl. She must be less than 8 years as she still likes fantasy. She wants to be a mermaid or the beautiful princess Rupunzel.
Question 2.
Who do you think is speaking to her ?
आपके विचार में उसके साथ कौन बात कर रहा है?
Answer:
I think her mother is speaking to her. Mothers want their daughters to be perfect that is why they keep on telling them not to do this or that.
Question 3.
Why are stanzas 2, 4, 6 given in parenthesis?
2,4,6 पद्यांश कोष्ठक में क्यों हैं?
Answer:
They are in parenthesis because the ideas in them are different. They reflect the inner thoughts of the girl and not responses to the mothers instructions.
Question 4.
Who is the speakeer of stanzas 2, 4, and 6? Do you think the speaker is listening to the speaker in stanzas 1, 3, 5 and 7 ?
पाद्यांश 2, 4 और 6 का वक्ता कौन है ? क्या वह पद्यांश 1, 3, 5 और 7 के वक्ता को सुन रहा है अथवा नहीं?
Answer:
The speake of stanzas 2, 4 and 6 is the little girl. She is not listening to the speaker of stanzas 1, 3, 5 adn 7 attentively but only half heartedly as she is busy in per reverie.
Question 5.
What could Amanda do if she were a mermaid?
अगर अमेन्डा मत्स्यकन्या होती तो क्या कर सकती थी?
Answer:
She could drift blissfully in the emarald sea.
Question 6.
Is Amanda an orphan ? Why does she say so?
क्या अमेन्डा अनाथ है? वह ऐसा क्यों कहती है?
Answer:
No, Amanda is not an orphan. She says so because she thinks that orphans have the liberty to roam about the street barefooted. An orphan has no shoes so no question of cleaning them arises. The mother has asked her to clean her shoes and perhaps she does not like to do this job, to escape it she dreams to be an orphan.
Question 7.
Do you know the story of Rupunzel? Why does she want to be Rupunzel ?
क्या आपको रूपन्जल की कहानी आती है? वह रूपन्जल क्यों बनना चाहती है?
Answer:
Rupunzel is the story of a beautiful princess whose stepmother keeps her captivated in a tower with no steps or door. It only has a window. The princess lives there all alone with no servants or maids. A fairy comes to her everyday to provide her food or other necessities. Rapunzel has very long silky hair. One day a prince happens to come that way on his horse. He and the princess fall in love with each other at first sight.
The princess lets down her long hair through the window. The prince holds them and climbs up. He takes the princess in his strong arms, jumps on the horse and thus both escape. Amanda wants to be Rupunzel 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 that is why she saysT’ll certainly never let down my bright hair.’
Question 8.
What does the girl yearn for? What does this poem tell you about Amanda ?
लड़की की आन्तरिक इच्छा क्या है? अमेन्डा के विषय में यह कविता आपको क्या बताती है?
Answer:
The girl yearns for freedom, to live her life peacefully, in her own way. Nobody should give her any instructions and tell her what to do and what not to? Amanda is fed up getting instructions and being nagged by her mother. She wants to escape all this. She is a moody, imaginative girl who loves fantasy and wants to live in her world of imagination.
Question 9.
Read the last stanza. Do you think Amanda is sulking and is moody?
अन्तिम पद्यांश पढ़िये। क्या आप के विचार में अमेन्डा मूडी तथा अन्दर ही अन्दर गुस्सा खा (कुढ़) रही होती है?
Answer:
Yes, I think she is sulking and moody. Perhaps she is fed up by the constant instructions and nagging of her mother. To escape them she lets herself into the world of fantasy.
Additional questions short answer type questions
Answer the following questions in about 30-40 words.
Question 1.
Amanda imagines herself to be Rapunzel, yet would not like to do what all she did. Identify and state the reasons for her decision.
Answer:
Amanda says it. In the story Rapunzel lets down her long, beautiful hair to escape with the prince. But Amanda is fascinated by Rapunzel’s life in the tower. She never wants to escape and leave such a peaceful atmosphere, with no instruction and no work to do.
Question 2.
Why does she dreams to be an orphan ?
Answer:
She thinks orphans lead a carefree life. There is no one to pester them with instructions. They can wander in a street and make patterns in the soft dust with their barefeet. They don’t have to clean the shoes or room or do the homework.
Question 3.
Who is the mermaid in ‘Amanda’, what does ‘she’ wish to do?
Answer:
The mermaid is Amanda herself, as imagined by Amanda. She wishes to drift blissfully on a dreamy, emerald sea, without anyone else accompanying her.
Question 4.
What made Amanda sulk and become moody ?
Answer:
Amanda sulks and becomes moody when her mother gives her too many instructions. She does not want to follow them but she can’t dare to ignore them either, so she sulks.
Question 5.
Is the purpose of someone constantly giving instructions to Amanda being fulfilled? Explain.
Answer:
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.
Question 6.
What is the theme of the poem ‘Amanda’?
Answer:
Too many instructions and too much control is resented by children. They get bored and fed up. Then, they listen to their parents half-heartedly and indulge in daydreaming.
Question 7.
What message does the poet want to give through the poem – Amanda’?
Answer:
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 like Amanda did.
Question 8.
Who was Amanda ? What idea do you form of her through the poem ?
Answer:
Amanda was a little school going girl. She seems to love fairy tales, stories like Rapunzel and mermaids. She does not like too many instructions or nagging which make her sulk and become moody. Then she does not listen to her mother attentively and starts daydreaming.
Question 9.
What is the role/importance of punetuation marks in language ? Why has the poet used the exclamation mark after Amanda ? Comment on the title of the poem. (2016-80L2GE2)
Answer:
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. 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.
Long answer type questions
Answer the following questions in about 100-150 words :
Question 1.
Is Amanda’s attitude a typical teenage behaviour? What is the lesson for parents from this poem ?
Answer:
Amanda’s attitude is typical of a teenager. Teenagers can be rebellious and apparently hotheaded 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 makes them more detached as we see in Amanda’s case, where she wishes to be a lone mermaid, an orphan or the lonely Rapunzel. She doesn’t want to listen to anyone.
Question 2.
“Stop that sulking at once, Amanda!
You’re always so moody, Amanda!
Anyone would think that I nagged at you, Amanda! Bringing up teenagers can be both a challenge and fun. How far do you agree? Express your views with reference to Amanda’s life.
Answer:
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 makes them more detached, as we see in Amanda’s case, where she wishes to be a lone 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!
Summary :
Every child feels that he/she is controlled and instructed not to do one thing or the other. Amanda is a little girl. She, too is instructed the same way not to bite her nails and hunch her shoulder. Whether she had done her homework, tided the room and cleaned her shoes.
She is instructed not to eat chocolates, stop sulking and not to be so moody. But Amanda listens to all these instructions half heartedly. She is busy in her own reverie (day-dreaming). She dreams that she’s a mermaid or an orphan or the princess Rupunzel.
हर बच्चा बच्ची महसूस करती है कि उसे नियन्त्रित किया और निर्देश दिये जाते हैं कि यह न करो वह न करो। अमेन्डा एक छोटी सी लड़की है, उसे भी इस प्रकार निर्देश दिये जाते हैं अपने नाखून न खाओ और कंधे मत झुकाओ। क्या उसने अपना गृह कार्य किया है, अपना कमरा साफ किया और जूते साफ किये हैं कि नहीं।
उसे निर्देश दिया जाता है कि चॉकलेट न खाये, अन्दर ही अन्दर गुस्सा खाना छोड़े और इतना मूडी न बने। परन्तु अमेन्डा इन सब निर्देशों को आधे मन से सुनती है। वह अपने दिवा स्वप्न में व्यस्त है। वह सपना लेती हैं कि वह एक मत्स्यकन्या है व एक अनाथ है अथवा राजकुमारी रूपन्ज़ल।
Complete text with hindi translation and extract based short answer type questions :
Stanza – I
Don’t bite your nails, Amanda! Don’t hunch your shoulders, Amanda! Stop that slouching and sit up straight, Amanda!
Vocabulary:
- hunch (हंच) – a hump (कूबड़)
- slouching (स्लाउचिंग) – to sit in a loose attitude (ढीला मला बैठना)
अनुवाद : अमेन्डा अपने नाखून न कुतरो। अमेन्डा अपने कंधे न झुकाओ। ढीला-ढाला बैठना छोड़ो, सीधे बैठो अमेन्डा।
Question i.
Who’s giving those instructions to Amanda and why?
Answer:
Amanda’s mother is giving such instructions to Amanda, who is in her teens. Amanda loves to be free and independent without being nagged by her parents, but her mother wants to keep her disciplined.
Question ii.
What characteristics of Amanda is evident in these lines?
Answer:
Amanda is a teenage girl. She is a very casual person who wants to lead her own way of life without being instructed too much. So she bites her nails, slouches on her place and keeps her shoulders hunched.
Stanza – II
(There is a languid, emarald sea, where the sole inhabitant is mea mermaid drifting blissfully.)
Vocabulary :
- languid (लैंगुइड) – spiritless, dull (शिथिल)
- emarald (ऐमराल्ड) – a precious stone of dark green colour (गहरे हरे रंग का माणिक)
- inhabitant (इनहैबिटेन्ट) – resident (निवासी)
- mermaid (मरमेड) – having upper body of a woman with a trunk of a fish (मत्स्यकन्या)
- drifting (डरिफ्टिग) – swayed with flow of waves (लहरों के बहाव के साथ बहना)
- blissfully (बलिसफुली) – with highest happiness (आनन्दपूर्वक)
अनुवाद : गहरे रंग के शिथिल समुद्र का एक ही निवासी है और वह मै हूँ, एक मस्त्यकन्या आनन्दपूर्वक लहरों के बहाव में बहती हुई।
Question i.
Who says these lines and why?
Answer:
Amanda says these lines. She is a teenage girl. She lives in her own dream world as she is fed up with too much of disciplining by her mother.
Question ii.
What do we understand by the expression, ‘a mermaid drifting blissfully’?
Answer:
Amanda, the teenage girl, does not want to be disciplined by her mother. She wants to live in her own dream world which is the languid, sea. There she is the only inhabitant. She yearns to lead a free life just like a mermaid that happily moves around without being controlled.
Stanza – III
Did you finish your homework, Amanda? Did you tidy your room, Amanda ? I thought I told you to clean your shoes, Amanda!
Vocabulary:
- tidy (टाइडी) neat, orderly (व्यवस्थित)।
अनुवाद : अमेन्डा क्या तुमने अपना गृह कार्य किया? अमेन्डा क्या तुमने अपना कमरा व्यवस्थित किया? मेरा ख्याल है कि मैंने तुम्हें अपने जूते साफ करने के लिए कहा था, अमेन्डा।
Question i.
Why is Amanda being instructed constantly?
Answer:
Amanda is a teenage girl, who loves to live in a dream world. Naturally, she does not want to maintain any discipline in her life. She needs to be constantly reminded of her work by her mother.
Question ii.
Who do you think is right – Amanda or her mother?
Answer:
Both Amanda and her mother are right. Amanda being a girl in her teen, wants to be in her own dream world. Her mother, however, had to do her duty to keep her child disciplined.
Stanza – IV
(I am an orphan, roaming the street I pattern raft dust with my hushed, bare feet The silence is golden, the freedom is sweet)
Vocabulary:
- orphan (ओरफन) – parentless (अनाथ)
- roaming (रोमिंग) – wandering (अवारा घूमना)
- pattern (पैटन) – make pattern or designs (नमूनेबना)
- hushed (हशड) – silent (चुप, बिना शोर किए)
- bare (बेयर) – without cover (नंगे)
अनुवाद : मैं एक अनाथ हूँ। गली में घूमती हुई नरम धूल में अपने शान्त पैरों से नमूने बनाती हूँ। चुप्पी सोना है और स्वतन्त्रता मीठी है।
Question i.
Is Amanda really an orphan? Why does she say so?
Answer:
No, Amanda is not an orphan. She is a teenage girl, who keeps day dreaming. She is irresponsible of her duties, and does not want to be bound by any social or familial obligation. She thus considers herself an orphan who could freely move around without commitment.
Question ii.
What sort of a freedom does Amanda yearn for?
Answer:
Amanda yearns for freedom from any responsibility or commitment, and freedom from a disciplined life. She is a teenage girl who loves daydreaming. So, she wants to be free from being instructed or nagged by her mother.
Stanza – V
Don’t eat that chocolate, Amanda! Remember your acne, Amanda! Will you please look at me when I’m speaking to you, Amanda!
Vocabulary :
- acne (ऐक्ने) a disease which is marked with pimples (मुहासे)
अनुवाद : चॉकलेट मत खाओ, अमेन्डा । याद करो तुम्हारे मुंहासे हैं, अमेन्डा । तुम कृपा करके मेरी तरफ देखोगी जब मैं तुमसे बात कर रही हूँ तो, अमेन्डा
Question i.
Do you agree that Amanda is a perfect example of a teenage girl? Justify your stance.
Answer:
Yes, Amanda is a perfect example of a teenage girl. She doesnt have any discipline. She needs to be instructed every moment. At the same time, she also does not want to be nagged.
Question ii.
Is Amanda right in all she does? Why?
Answer:
No, Amanda is not doing anything right. She exhibits all qualities of a teenage girl. She is a day dreamer and totally indisciplined. She is very casual in her approach and does not bother about what others tell her. If she continues in that manner. she may not achieve success in life.
Stanza – VI
I am Rupunzel, I have not a care; life in a tower is tranquil and rare; I’ll certainly never let down my bright hair!)
Vocabulary :
- tranquil (ट्रैन्क्यूल) – peaceful (शान्त)
- rare (रियर) – not common (दुर्लभ)
अनुवाद : मैं रूपन्जल हूँ, मुझे कोई परवाह नहीं है। टॉवर में जिन्दगी शान्त और दुर्लभ है। मैं कभी अपने चमकीले बाल नीचे नहीं गिराऊँगी।
Question i.
Who is Rapunzel? What do you know about her story?
Answer:
Rapunzel is a fairy tale princess who is carried away by a witch and kept imprisoned. She has a long hair, with the help of which her lover climbs up the tall tower and later saves her.
Question ii.
Why does Amanda compare herself with Rapunzel?
Answer:
Rapunzel is a fairy tale character. She is a princess who has a strong sense of curiosity and wants to step out of her dwelling. Just as she is trapped inside her tower, so also does Amanda feel herself trapped in her house.
Stanza – VII
Stop that sulking at once, Amanda! You’re always so moody, Amanda! Anyone would think that I nagged you, Amanda!
Vocabulary :
- sulking (सकलिंग) – to feel angry/sad (अन्तःकोप, उदासीनता)
- nagged (नेगड) – found fault (दोष निकले)
अनुवाद :
अन्दर ही अन्दर उदासीनता छोड़ो अमेन्डा। तुम हमेशा इतनी मूडी हो जाती हो अमेन्डा। कोई भी सोचेगा कि मैं तुम्हारे दोष farmer Top , HST!
Question i.
Why does Amanda sulk?
Answer:
Amanda is a teenage girl who loves daydreaming. She yearns to be independent, uncontrolled or disciplined by her parents. But her mother keeps instructing her about the little things that discipline her. Amanda gets annoyed at her mother and sulks.
Question ii.
What do you understand about Amanda?
Answer:
Amanda is a teenage girl. She leads a very casual life and keeps day dreaming. However, her mother keeps instructing her throughout the day for even little things. Amanda therefore yearns for freedom, like a mermaid or a Rapunzel. She gets annoyed at her mother and remains moody.