What do you learn from the poem ‘Amanda’?

The poem depicts the state of a little girl Amanda’s mind, who is constantly intruded on by her parents about what she should do and what she shouldn’t. She is asked not to bite her nails, hunch her shoulders, she should sit up straight. She is told to finish her homework, tidy her room and clean her shoes. She is forbidden from eating chocolates because she has acne problems. She is sick and tired of her parents, nagging nature. She completely ignores them and dreams of her becoming a mermaid in the emerald sea, of roaming barefoot in the dusty streets to the extent of becoming an orphan and of the golden-haired Rapunzel, who lived alone in a high tower. She wants to remain isolated, all alone without her parents’ interference.

Parents are over possessive about their children. They want to inculcate good habits in their child. But no child learns all in one day. Children need freedom like Amanda. But parents who are judging their child every time would do more harm than good. She is continuously scolded every time. We witness the miserable failure of parents when Amanda wishes to be an orphan so that she could be free. Thus, the poem teaches us that a child should never be denied his/her freedom. It highlights the struggle faced by a child within himself/herself. They should not be forced to take the wrong steps by their parents.