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Amanda Summary in English by Robin Klein
Amanda by Robin Klein About the Poet
Robin Mc Maugh Klein is an Australian author of books for children. She writes Children’s and young adult fiction. Some of her famous books are Hating Alison Ashley, People might hear you, etc.
| Poet Name | Robin Klein |
| Born | 28 February 1936 (age 84 years), Kempsey, Australia |
| Genre | Children’s and young adult fiction |
| Movies and TV Shows | Hating Alison Ashley, Say a Little Prayer, Halfway Across the Galaxy and Turn Left |
| Awards | Dromkeen Medal, Grammy Award for Best Music Film |
Amanda Summary in English
Amanda’s mother tells Amanda in a very strict voice not to bite her nails. Then she tells Amanda not to slouch her shoulder’s. Instead she wants Amanda to sit up with her back straightened. Amanda withdraws from her real life to an imaginaty world. She imagines that there is a beautiful green sea, in which only she lives and there is nobody there to bother her Moreover, she is no longer a human being, but has taken the form of a mermaid, and is drifting along in a relaxed fashion within that sea.
Amanda’s mother asks Amanda whether she has completed the homework. She further asks Amanda whether she has cleaned up her own room. Finally, she asks Amanda whether she has cleaned her shoes or not. Amanda withdraws into again an imaginary world. She imagines that she is an orphan and is romancing around on the street bare feet. She designs in the soft dust with her bare feet thus making them dirtier. She cherishes the silence and the freedom.
Amanda’s mother forbids her to have any chocolate for they might cause her to develop acne on her face. She commands her to look at her when she is talking to her. Amanda withdraws into her fantasy world and imagines herself to be Rapunzel. She imagines that she is perfectly happy to live alone in the tower, for she has nothing to worry about. In fact, she is so happy with her life that she will never let down her hair in an attempt to escape from the tower.
Amanda’s mother tells her to stop sulking. She also accuses her daughter of having mood swings very frequently. Finally, she tells Amanda that anyone who saw her would think that her mother has been nagging at her.
(The poem depicts the dilemma of a teenage girl when she feels that her freedom is curtailed.)
Amanda Summary Questions and Answers
Question 1.
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow’s by choosing the most appropriate options.
Don’t eat that chocolate, Amanda!
Remember your acne, Amanda!
Will you please look at me when I’m speaking to you,
Amanda!
a. The speaker in the above lines is ……………….
(i) Amanda’s n-eighbour
(ii) Amanda’s friend
(iii) Amanda’s mother
(iv) Amanda’s physician
Answer:
(iii) Amanda’s mother
b. She is advised not to eat the chocolate because eating of chocolate ……………….
(i) causes skin problems
(ii) spoils the habits
(iii) is not good for children
(iv) is a very costly habit
Answer:
(i) causes skin problems
c. The person addressed here is listening to the advice ……………….
(i) inattentively
(ii) angrily
(iii) attentively
(iv) indifferently
Answer:
(iv) indifferently
Question 2.
Who is Amanda? What could Amanda do if she were a mermaid?
Answer:
If Amanda were a mermaid she could drift in the sea. It shows her desire to get away from the restrictions of her mother.
Question 3.
(I am an orphan, roaming the street ….)
Who is ‘I’? Is she an orphan? Why does she say so?
Answer:
‘I’ here refers to Amanda. No, she is not an orphan. She imagines to be an orphan as she feels her freedom is curtailed in her present position. By imagining herself as an orphan she can do whatever she wants to do.
Question 4.
‘The silence is golden, the freedom is sweet’
Why does Amanda say so?
Answer:
Amanda is a child and she does not like several restrictions put on her by her mother.
Therefore, she wants solitude and. freedom.