Please refer to below Exam Question for Class 10 English Chapter 5 Amanda. These questions and answers have been prepared by expert Class 10 English teachers based on the latest NCERT Book for Class 10 English and examination guidelines issued by CBSE, NCERT, and KVS. We have provided Class 10 English exam questions for all chapters in your textbooks. You will be able to easily learn problems and solutions which are expected to come in the upcoming class tests and exams for standard 10th.

Chapter 5 Amanda Class 10 English Exam Question

All questions and answers provided below for Exam Question Class 10 English Chapter 5 Amanda are very important and should be revised daily.

Exam Question Class 10 English Chapter 5 Amanda

Short Answer Type Questions :

Question. What is the fear of the speaker that is explained in the last stanza?
Ans. In the last stanza, the speaker advises Amanda not to remain moody and sulky. The reason behind this is that she does not want to expose it before others. Otherwise, the people will think that she was teased by the speaker. It was her fear.

Question. Why are Stanzas 2, 4 and 6 given in parenthesis?
Ans. Given in parenthesis as a contrast — represent the imaginary and the dreamy world of Amanda — imagines herself as a mermaid in stanza 2 — an orphan in stanza 4 — Rapunzel in the 6th stanza.

Question. What does the girl yearn for? What does this poem tell you aboutAmanda?
Ans. Amanda values freedom as the greatest virtue in this world. She hates to receive instructions from her mother. She wants to lead her own kind of life. She hates to be asked what to do and what not.

Question. List the things which Amanda’s mother doesn’t want her to do.
Ans. Her mother doesn’t want Amanda 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.

Question. Read the last stanza. Do you think Amanda is sulking and is moody?
Ans. Yes — Amanda — seems to be sulking and moody — she is not happy with the way her mother nags her constantly — is moody — always lost in her own world of dreams and fancies.

Question. Do you think that Amanda doesn’t like to be controlled and instructed not to do one thing or the other? Give a reasoned answer.
Ans. Amanda loves her freedom. She doesn’t want it to be curtailed. She wants to lead her own kind of life. If she is asked what to do and what not, she feels that her freedom is curtailed. She doesn’t bother to answer her mother when she goes on instructing her what to do and what not.

Question. Why does Amanda want to be a mermaid?
Ans. An escapist — imagines herself to be a mermaid — wants to live on an island — the only inhabitant — loves freedom — loves drifting blissfully like a mermaid on that lonely island.

Question. Why does Amanda want to be an orphan?
Ans. Amanda values freedom more than anything in her life. She feels suffocated at home as she is constantly nagged by her mother there. She wants to be an orphan. Like an orphan she likes to wander about the streets freely with bare feet.

Question. Do you know the story of Rapunzel? Why does she want to be Rapunzel?
Ans. Rapunzel was a beautiful fairy. She was constantly nagged by her mother. She would escape herself into a tower. She had beautiful golden hair. Amanda wanted to be Rapunzel as she wanted to live in a lonely tower away from the constant nagging of her mother.

Question. How old do you think Amanda is? How do you know this?
Ans. Amanda seems to be a teenager. This is so because she has pimples on her face as teenagers usually have them on their faces. She is a school-going girl as she is asked by her mother to finish her homework. She is very imaginative and loves to live in her imaginary world of dreams as teenagers usually do so.

Question. Why does Amanda want to be Rapunzel?
Ans. Amanda is an escapist. She imagines herself as a fairy like Rapunzel. She wants to live happily in her lonely tower far from the maddening crowd of the world. Like Rapunzel, she wants to take care of her beautiful golden hair.

Question. What could Amanda do if she were a mermaid?
Ans. Amanda imagines herself being a mermaid. Being a mermaid, she would be the only inhabitant of an island in the emerald sea. She would like to roam around freely and blissfully like a mermaid there.

Question. Who do you think is speaking to her?
Ans. One of the parents, most probably her mother is speaking to her. Only a mother gives such instructions to her daughter.

Question. Why does Amanda’s mother ask her to stop sulking?
Ans. Amanda’s mother thinks — moody as — mood is always shifting — puts on an unhappy appearance — others will blame her mother — will think — being constantly nagged by her mother.

Question. What does Amanda yearn for?
Ans. Amanda is a little girl. She is asked to do or not to do this and that. She is nagged at by her parents. So Amanda yearns for freedom. She wants to lead a life without any restrictions.

Question. Who is the speaker in Stanzas 2, 4 and 6? Do you think this speaker is listening to the speaker in Stanzas 1, 3, 5 and 7?
Ans. Amanda is the speaker in stanzas 2, 4 and 6. She does not give any reply to the questions asked by her mother. She is only speaking to herself losing herself in the world of imagination and dreams.
The speaker doesn’t listen to the speaker in stanzas 1, 3, 5 and 7. The line. ‘‘Will you please look at me when I am speaking to you, Amanda’’ proves it.

Question. Don’t eat that chocolate, Amanda!
Remember your acne, Amanda!
Ans. Why is Amanda asked not to eat chocolate?
Already suffers from acne, a skin disease — If she eats — will aggravate her problem further — asked not to eat chocolate.

Question. What could Amanda do if she were a mermaid?
Ans. Amanda is a little girl. She, in fact, is a symbol of every child who is instructed by the parents to do or not to do this or that. If she were a mermaid she would blissfully drift in the sea.

Question. Is Amanda an orphan? Why does she say so?
Ans. Amanda — not an orphan — her mother is there for her — imagines herself as an orphan — hates being confined — four walls of her house — constantly nagged by her mother — an orphan — can roam around the streets freely.

Long Answer Type Questions :

Question. Discuss the importance of proper upbringing with reference to the poem, ‘Amanda!’ by Robin Klein.
Ans. Upbringing—essential—personality development — admire or criticise someone —on upbringing of that person. Proper balance — dealing with such delicate issues. — poem Amanda poses the question –what constitutes good upbringing of a child? — child feels trapped — the cluster of instructions. No proper space is given to her creativity. — is instructed for everything. — feels trapped and seeks an escape. — imagination proves to be her escape and also her defense against her nagging parents. — imagines herself as enacting various roles varying from mermaid to Rapunzel. — wishes to live alone and carefree.

Question. What picture do you form of Amanda’s mother/parents after reading the poem ‘Amanda’?
Ans. Amanda’s mother seems to be an overprotective mother. She believes that Amanda is still a girl and must live her life as her mother wants. Being a girl, she needs constant tutoring and taking instructions from her. She should be very careful the way she sits and stands. She should not bend down but sit up straight. She forbids her eating chocolate as it would not be good for her pimples. Her constant nagging leads her daughter far away from her. Amanda escapes into the world of dreams imagining herself a mermaid, an orphan or a fairy. She doesn’t look at her mother while she is speaking to her. Amanda’s mother fails to understand why her daughter remains unhappy and moody. She only asks her to stop sulking lest people should blame her mother for nagging her.

Question. Why does Amanda escape into the dreamy world of mermaids, fairies and orphans? Does she find any solace there?
Ans. A teenager — loves freedom — wants to lead her own kind of life — doesn’t want to be an overprotected child — Nor does she want — her parents — control and guide her activities. What should — what not, is her own choice — should not be dictated by her mother — Mother’s constant nagging — away from her — creates a world of her own — Her world — not the world of harsh realities — an imaginary world of fairies and mermaids — she finds solace — can wander in a lonely island blissfully like a mermaid — can enjoy freedom roaming around the streets like an orphan —craves to live in a lonely tower — leading a peaceful life like Rapunzel — avoids her mother — doesn’t like her constant nagging — doesn’t look at her while she is speaking to her.

Extract Based Questions : 

1. Read the given extracts to attempt the questions that follow:

Don’t bite your nails, Amanda!
Don’t hunch your shoulders, Amanda!
Stop that slouching and sit up straight,
Amanda!

Question. Who is the speaker in these lines?
Ans. Amanda’s mother is the speaker of these lines.

Question. How should Amanda sit?
Ans. She should sit upright and straight.

Question. How is Amanda keeping her shoulders?
Ans. She is keeping her shoulders down.

Question. Does Amanda bother what her mother wants?
Ans. Amanda does not bother what her mother wants. She is lost in her dreamy world.

Question. What is Amanda doing with her nails?
Ans. Amanda is biting her nails with her teeth.

2. Read the given extracts to attempt the questions that follow:

Don’t eat that chocolate, Amanda!
Remember your acne, Amanda!
Will you please look at me when I’m speaking to you, Amanda!
(a am Rapunzel, I have not a care,
life in a tower is tranquil and rare;
I’ll certainly never let down my bright hair!)

Question. Why is eating chocolate harmful for her?
Ans. She should not eat chocolate as she has pimples on her face.

Question. Where should she look when someone is talking to her?
Ans. She should look at the speaker when someone is speaking to her.

Question. What decision does she take about her hair?
Ans. She will never let her hair down.

Question. Who is the speaker of these lines?
Ans. Amanda’s mother is the speaker of these lines.

Question. What is she asked not to do?
Ans. She is asked not to eat chocolate.

3. Read the given extracts to attempt the questions that follow:

Did you finish your homework, Amanda?
Did you tidy your room, Amanda?
I thought I told you to clean your shoes, Amanda!
(a am an orphan, roaming the street.
I pattern soft dust with my hushed, bare feet.
The silence is golden, the freedom is sweet.)

Question. What does she ask about her homework?
Ans. She asks Amanda if she has finished her homework.

Question. What does she ask about her shoes?
Ans. She asks if Amanda has polished her shoes as she was asked earlier to do so.

Question. Who is the speaker here?
Ans. Amanda’s mother is the speaker here.

Question. How are silence and freedom valued here?
Ans. She realises that silence is golden and freedom is the greatest virtue in the world.

Question. What does she say about the room?
Ans. She asks if Amanda has made her room neat and clean.