Summary of Amanda Class 10 First Flight

Answer

This poem depicts the state of a little girl’s mind who is constantly instructed about the do’s and don’ts by her elders. She is told not to hunch her shoulders and to sit up straight. She is told to finish her homework and tidy her room. She is forbidden from eating a chocolate that she has. But all the time, the little girl Amanda keeps dreaming of a life of freedom in the open. She dreams of mermaids in the sea, of roaming barefoot in the dusty street and of the golden haired Rapunzel who lived alone in a high tower. She takes no note of what is being said to her. Then she is rebuked for being moody and sulking all the time.

Don’t bite your nails, Amanda!
Don’t hunch your shoulders, Amanda!
Stop that slouching and sit up straight,
Amanda!
(There is a languid, emerald sea,
where the sole inhabitant is me—
a mermaid, drifting blissfully.)

While Amanda’s guardian is mouthing right behaviour lessons for her she is engrossed in her own world. She is dreaming of being a mermaid who is drifting blissfully in the sea. Drifting is different from swimming. While swimming amounts to controlled strokes, drifting is more careless. Swimming can be extraneous but drifting can be more pleasant.

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

Amanda is being asked if she has finished her homework, cleaned her room. But Amanda is feeling like an orphan who is roaming aimlessly in the street. Like a carefree kid she is making patterns on soft dust with her bare feet. She has shut her ears to what is being told to her and instead enjoying the golden silence of her inner world.

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

Rapunzel was a princess with long golden hair. Her hair was so strong that she used to drop her hair from the watchtower she was living in and her prince charming used to climb by using her hair.
But Amanda wants to enjoy the tranquility of her tower and doesn’t want to let down her hair. She doesn’t want any prince to disturb her peace.

Stop that sulking at once, Amanda!
You’re always so moody, Amanda!
Anyone would think that I nagged at you,
Amanda!
Her gloomy face provokes her guardian to scold her for looking so gloomy. Because the guardian thinks everybody will come to know that Amanda had been scolded. Amanda’s condition may be witnessed in every child’s life. When you are told a long list of dos and don’ts then you feel that every time you are being made a target. A target of a disciplined life, with a strict moral code of conducts. Most of you feel like shutting off your mind from the outside world. It can be debatable if you should do that or not. But you should always remember that whatever your parents or teachers are telling is for your good only. Biting nails can lead to worm infestation so stop doing if you are habituated to it. Cleaning up your room and other things will help you develop as a responsible individual. Doing homework develops a habit of accomplishing the task at hand. These habits will help you in your adult life when you will be building your dream career.

Answer

• The little girl Amanda is biting her nails.
• Her mother asks her not to do it.
• Amanda is putting her shoulders down to one side.
• Her mother asks her to lift up her shoulders and adopt the right posture.
• Amanda seems to be stooping on one side.
• Her mother asks her to sit up straight.
• Amanda doesn’t bother what her mother says.
• She is lost in a world of dreams and fantasy.
• She imagines herself as a mermaid.
• She lives in a peaceful emerald sea all alone.
• She is moving all around freely and blissfully like a mermaid.
• Amanda’s mother asks if she has finished her homework.
• She asks if she has made her room tidy and clean.
• Amanda’s mother reminds her that she instructed her to clean her shoes and she hasn’t done so.
• Amanda doesn’t care a bit what her mother says to her.
• She is again in the world of dreams and fantasy.
• She prefers to be an orphan than living such a life.
• She wants to roam around the streets freely and aimlessly.
• She wants to walk on the soft dust with her bare feet.
• The pressing of the feet will create designs on the soft dust.
• She loves silence, and freedom is the sweetest thing that she values in her life.
• Again, Amanda’s mother stops her from eating chocolate.
• She must remember that eating chocolate might cause her some problems.
• Her mother reminds her to observe good manners.
• She must not look the other way when her mother is speaking to her.
• Again, Amanda ignores her mother.
• She imagines herself as Rapunzel living in a tower where there is a reign of peace and tranquillity.
• Amanda is proud of her beautiful hair and would not let them down like Rapunzel.
• Amanda’s mother calls her moody.
• She asks her to stop being sulky and unhappy at once.
• If she remains unhappy, people will think that her mother has been nagging her.

Answer

यह कविता अमांडा नामक एक छोटी लड़की के जीवन की आज़ादी के बारे में,उसके विचारो के बारे में बताती है.उसे हिदायत दी जाती है कि बह अपने नाखूनों को दातो से न काटे और अपने कंधो को न उचकाए.उसे सीधे बैठने कि हिदायत दी जाती है.बह सव्तंत्रता की चाह रखती है और एक जलपरी की भाति समुन्द्र में विचरड़ करना चाहती है.बक्ता उससे पूछता है की क्या उसने अपना गृहकार्य कर लिया है और अपना कमरा तथा जूते साफ़ कर लिए है.इस पर लड़की कामना करती है की एक अनाथ बच्ची होती और अपनी मर्ज़ी से धूलभरी सड़को पर घूमती रहती.बक्ता उसे चॉकलेट खाने से मना करता है लकिन छोटी लड़की उसकी ओर देखती भी नहीं है क्योकि उसे इस तरह के प्रतिबध पसंद नहीं है.बह सोयम को रेपुंजल मानती है और इच्छा करती है कि किसी दिन कोई राजकुमार उसे स्वतंत्र कराने के लिए आएगा.

Answer

Childhood — 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.

Amanda is biting her nails: Her mother asks her not to do so. Nor does the mother want that she should hunch her shoulders down. She wants her to sit straight. Amanda seems to be dropping her body towards one side. Her mother wants her to adopt the right posture and sit up straight.

Amanda doesn’t Bother: Amanda doesn’t bother what her mother wants. She is lost in her dreamy world. She imagines as if she were in a quiet emerald island. There is no one there except her. There, she moves around freely and blissfully like a mermaid.

Mother gives Instructions: Amanda’s mother asks if she has finished her homework. She asks if she has made her room tidy or not. Amanda has not cleaned her shoes yet. Her mother has already asked her to clean her shoes.

Prefers to be an Orphan: Amanda doesn’t want to be instructed at every step. She wants to lead her own kind of life. She prefers to be an orphan roaming aimlessly around the streets. She wants to walk over the soft dust with her bare feet. She wants her bare feet to leave patterns or designs on the dust. She wants to lead a silent and peaceful life. She wants to preserve her freedom. It is the sweetest thing to her in life.

No Chocolate: Amanda’s mother instructs her not to eat chocolate. She must remember that she has acne. Eating chocolate can create problems for her. Amanda doesn’t bother what her mother is saying. Nor does she look at her mother when she is giving her instructions. The mother expects her to look towards her while she is speaking.
7. Amanda Becomes Rapunzel: Again, Amanda doesn’t care a bit what her mother says. She is again lost in her dreamy world. She imagines herself as Rapunzel living in a lonely tower. In that tower, life is free from all cares. It is rare peace and tranquillity that prevails there all the time. She is proud of her beautiful hair as Rapunzel was. She will certainly never let down her bright hair like her.
8. Mother Finds her Moody: Amanda’s mother asks her not to sulk or feel unhappy any more. She feels that Amanda is always moody and keeps on behaving like that she must stop sulking and feeling unhappy. Otherwise, people will think that Amanda is unhappy because her mother is always nagging at her.