Amanda

About the Poet

Robin Mc Maugh Klein is and 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.

Introduction of the lesson

Robin Klein has expressed the views of a little girl, Amanda who is constantly pointed out by
her mother for making mistakes. Mistakes which she considers so as they are not part of the
code of good conduct laid out by the society in which we live.

Summary
The poem describes a girl named Amanda and her mother who is nagging her for her
mistakes. She is first pointed out most probably by her mother for biting her nails and for not
sitting in the right posture. The mother also feels that Amanda sits in a very lazy manner. To
this, Amanda imagines herself as a mermaid who lives a calm and relaxing life in the beautiful
green sea. Further, she is nagged for not cleaning her room and shoes and also for not doing
her homework. She then imagines herself to be an orphan because she is now fed up of being
watched by her parents continuously. She says that she would have enjoyed her freedom
then, by making the patterns of her bare feet on the sand and would live a peaceful life. Next,
Amanda is scolded for eating too many chocolates as this causes pimples. She is also scolded
for not listening to her mother. So, now Amanda thinks of being Rapunzel, a character from a
fairy tale and wants to live in a huge tower like her. In the tower she will be alone and will live a
peaceful life and will never allow anyone to come in. Finally, the mother asks her to stop being
moody because she doesn’t want anyone to blame her for harassing her daughter. At this time
the poet has not written any reaction from Amanda’s side. This constant nagging has made
her so sad that she has even stopped to imagine herself as someone else. She used to do so
in order to escape from the continuous harassment and dominance of her parents.

Word Meaning
Hunch: bend
Slouching: sitting in a lazy way
Languid: relaxed
Emerald: here, green color
Inhabitant: resident
Drifting: carried slowly by the water
Blissfully: happily
Orphan: A child whose parents are dead
Hushed: quiet and still place
Acne: Pimples
Rapunzel: A girl in the fairy tale by Brothers Grimm
Tranquil: calm, quiet
Rare: uncommon
Sulking: be in a bad mood
Moody: unstable
Nagged: harass

Literary devices:
Anaphora: Repeated use of a word at start of two or more lines (don’t bite… don’t hunch)
Assonance: use of vowel sound ‘o’ (don’t hunch your shoulders)
Rhyme: aabaccc (Amanda, Amanda, straight, Amanda, sea, me, blissfully)
Repetition: use of word ‘Amanda’
Alliteration: ‘Stop that slouching and sit up straight’ - ‘s’ sound is being repeated at the start of
closely placed words.
MCQs

Q1- Who is the poet of the poem "Amanda"?

A) Leslie Norris
B) Robert Frost
C) Carolyn Wells
D) Robin Klein

Q2- What is the meaning of "slouching"?

A) Bend
B) Sit in a lazy way
C) lie down
D) bend backwards
Q3- What could Amanda do if she were a mermaid?
A) be in the green sea
B) lead a relaxing life
C) All of the above
D) None of the above
Q4- Name the literary devices used in the line "Stop that slouching and sit up straight".
A) Anaphora
B) Assonance
C) Metaphor
D) Alliteration

Q5- Name the literary device used in the line "Don't bite your nails, Amanda! Don't hunch your
shoulders,
Amanda!"
A) Anaphora
B) Enjambment
C) Metaphor
D) Alliteration

Q6- What does she want to do as an orphan?

A) walk freely in the streets
B) play in dust with bare feet
C) All of the above
D) None of the above

Q7- Name the literary device used in the line "freedom is sweet"
A) Anaphora
B) Enjambment
C) Metaphor
D) Alliteration
 
Q8- What does she imagine being when she pictures herself in a tower?
A) Mermaid
B) Orphan
C) Rapunzel
D) None of the Above
Q9- What does she picture herself as in the last stanza?
A) Mermaid
B) Orphan
C) Rapunzel
D) None of the Above

Q10- What will Amanda's behaviour make people think?

A) her mother loves her
B) her mother harasses her
C) her mother is understanding
D) both 1 and 3

ANSWER KEY

1 D

2 B

3 C

4 D

5 A

6 C

7 C

8 C

9 D

10 B

Q1) How old do you think Amanda is? How do you know this?
Ans- Amanda is about a 9-10 year old school going girl. She is being scolded for things typical
for that particular age. Her parents are trying to inculcate in her good manners and etiquettes.
Amanda is very innocent and immature.

Q2) Who do you think is speaking to her?

Ans- One of her parents is speaking to her. Most probably it is her mother. In a traditional
household mother is held responsible for the conduct of child. In this case also, the range of
instructions suggests that the speaker is Amanda’s mother.

Q3) Why are stanzas 2, 4 and 6 given in parenthesis?

Ans- Stanzas 2, 4 and 6 are given in parenthesis because they reflect the inner
thoughts of Amanda. They can be taken as the reaction of the child for the
instructions given in stanzas 1, 3 and 5. Here, there is an alternate sequence of
scolding of the mother, and corresponding reaction to it given by the child. Also,
parenthesis is used here to make the reading of ‘ the poem friendly
Q4) 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- Speaker of the stanzas 2, 4 and 6 is the child, Amanda. No, she is not paying any
attention to the speaker of stanzas 1, 3 and 5 as she is lost in a world of her own. Her
imagination provides her an escape from her sorry reality.

Q5) What could Amanda do if she were a mermaid?

Ans- Amanda wishes to be a mermaid so she could carelessly move along on a languid
emerald sea. She just wishes to be carried away by the green sea waves slowly and gradually.
Amanda longs for a place where she is all by herself as her happiness is not dependant on
any other human being. Hence, she desires to be a mermaid because for a child, mermaid is a
symbol of freedom and wonder.

Q6) Is Amanda an orphan? Why does she say so?

Ans- No, Amanda is not an orphan, though she wishes to be one. She is so much stressed
with the continuous nagging of her parents that she imagines herself to be better without them.
The mere presence of her parents around her depresses her. Amanda is a little girl who seeks
‘golden’ silence and ‘sweet’ freedom. She wishes to roam around streets and draw patterns
with her bare feet. Indeed it is horribly depressing that Amanda expects being an orphan.

Q7) Do you know the story of Rapunzel? Why does she want to be Rapunzel?
Ans-Story of Rapunzel – Rapunzel’s story revolves around her life on a tower Rapunzel was
made to live on a high tower by a witch. She eventually got used to living there. She was
happy and satisfied with her life. Rapunzel had very long golden hair, using which the witch
used to pay her a visit. The fate of Rapunzel took a turn when one day a prince came to meet
her using her hair. The witch had punished both of them by separating them. Finally they met
after a couple of years only to be united forever this time. Amanda Wishes to live like Rapunzel
on a high tower away from everyone. She seeks peace and harmony. That is the reason
Amanda wishes to be like Rapunzel. However, she also makes a point that in order to avoid
being disturbed she would never let her hair down for anyone to climb to her. She needs no
one to make her life happy.

Q8) What does the girl yearn for? What does this poem tell you about Amanda?
Ans- A girl like Amanda yearns for freedom and space for herself. She is incapable to fulfil the
expectations of her parents. Amanda is no less than a symbol for all the children who face
similar fate irrespective of class, colour or nationality. Traditional societies demand a certain
type of behaviour from the individuals and the training to produce such begins at a very young
age. Parents ignore the innocence and understanding level of their children and thereby the
young ends up killing their imagination and thoughts.

Q9) Read the last stanza. Do you think Amanda is sulking and is moody?
Ans- No, Amanda is neither sulking nor moody. She is simply not interested enough in the
nagging business of her parents. Amanda cares more about her imagination and thought
process over the manners her parents are trying to inculcate into her.
 Short Answer Type Questions [2 Marks each]

Question 1.
Write a short note on the title of the poem?
Answer:
The title of the poem is Amanda as it revolves around the upbringing of little girl named
Amanda. Her life is full of struggles where she is denied freedom and expression. Amanda is
so much irate that she escapes reality by living in her imaginative world. Through this gateway
she experiences calmness, away from her nagging parents.

Question 2.
Why is Amanda getting scolded for having chocolate?
Answer:
Amanda is getting scolded for having chocolates as previously it had caused her acne.
Amanda’s mother is very particular about such things.
Amanda is made conscious about her physical appearance. It is very sad that at such a young
age Amanda is made to worry about natural experiences.

Question 3.
How life on a tower would be different from life anywhere else for Amanda?
Answer:
Life on tower for Amanda would be very different from her reality. Just like Rapunzel, even she
desires to live on top of a tower, away from everyday chaos. Amanda suffers due to the
constant nagging from her parents. She seeks a place full of peace and serenity, where there
is no one to disturb her. Hence, she wishes to live on a tower.

Question 4.
Why does Amanda seem moody most of the times? [CBSE 2016]
Answer:
Amanda seems moody most of the time because she is trying to make an escape from her
sorry reality where she is nagged most of the times. It is indeed a sorry state for a small child
like Amanda to bear. Here the only defence against such reality is her imagination where she
often escapes to.
Hence, it makes her look moody and uninterested.

Question 5.
Why does Amanda wish to be a mermaid, an orphan, or Rapunzel?
Answer:
Amanda wishes to be a mermaid so she could drift alone by blissfully languid, emerald sea.
She yearns to be an orphan so that she is able to roam the sea and make pattern using her
bare feet. Being Rapunzel means she could live carefree on a high tower. Amanda wishes to
be these so that she could avoid her suffocating reality.

Question 6.
How does it help Amanda to be an orphan?
Answer:
Amanda feels troubled around her parents, so she wishes herself to be an orphan. As then
only she could live a life of her own without much hassle.

Question 7.
Do you consider Amanda’s mother to be a nagging mother?
Answer:
Amanda’s mother is indeed a nagging mother. She is all about instructions and finding faults.
No doubt it is her responsibility to instil good values into her daughter, but not at the cost of her
child’s happiness. One should know how to strike a balance between maintaining
responsibilities and taking good care.

Question 8.
Is Amanda at fault at all?
Answer:
Amanda is not at fault at all. It is too harsh for a small child to understand the concept of acne
and not eating a chocolate. Love of parents is missing from Amanda’s life. It is with pity that we
look towards Amanda. There is nothing worst for a child who wishes to be an orphan. Amanda
just seeks freedom from the overpowering environment around her.

Question 9.
What is the central theme of the poem Amanda?
Answer:
The poem Amanda by Robin Klein highlights the importance of upbringing of a child. It points
out that upbringing doesn’t involve making a child responsible and fit for the society only. It is
important to note that upbringing involves understanding from both the sides. One cannot just
force a child to be civilised and good mannered. “Love and proper care is required in nurturing
of a child.

Short Answer Type Important Questions

Answer the following questions in 30-40 words:

1. What are the role/ importance of punctuation marks in language? Why has the poet
used the exclamation mark after Amanda? Comment on the title of the poem.

Ans. (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) The 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.

2. Is the purpose of someone constantly giving instructions to Amanda being fulfilled?

Explain.

Ans. 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.

3. Amanda imagines herself to be Rapunzel, yet would not like to do what all she did.
Identify and state the reasons for her decision.

 Ans. Amanda wants to be Rapunzel 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
like Rapunzel. She never wants to escape and leave such a peaceful atmosphere, with no
instruction and no work to do.

4. Who is the mermaid in ‘Amanda’, what does ‘she’ wish to do?

Ans. The mermaid is Amanda herself; as imagined by Amanda. She wishes to drift blissfully
on a dreamy, emerald sea, without anyone else accompanying her.

5. What is the theme of the poem — ‘Amanda’?

Ans. Too many instructions and too much control are resented by children. They get bored
and fed up. Then, they listen to their parents half-heartedly and indulge in daydreaming.

6. What message does the poet want to give through the poem — ‘Amanda’?

Ans. 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 as Amanda did.

7. Who was Amanda? What idea do you form her through the poem?

Ans. 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.

8. Why does she dream to be an orphan?

Ans. 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 bare feet. They don’t
have to clean the shoes or room or do the homework.

9. Amanda imagines herself to be Rapunzel, yet would not like to do what all she did.
Identify and state the reasons for her decision.

Ans. 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.

10. What made Amanda sulk and become moody?

Ans. 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.

Q.11. How does Amanda is seen behaving when the poem starts? What does the
speaker ask her not to do?

Ans. When the poem beings, we find that Amanda is biting her nails. She is hunching her
shoulders. She is sitting in a slouching posture. That is why the speaker asks her to behave
normally. He asks her not to bite her nails and hunch her shoulders. She should sit up straight.

Q.12. In her day-dreaming, Amanda reaches the sea. What does she imagine herself to
be?

Ans. Amanda finds that the sea is relaxed and peaceful. She is the only creature in the sea.
She imagines herself to be a mermaid. She is happy. She is drifting on the waves blissfully.

Q.13.What three things the speaker ask Amanda to do which she has not done?

Ans. The speaker asks Amanda to finish her homework. Then he asks her if she has cleaned
up her room. Finally, he finds that her shoes are not clean even though he had asked her to
clean them.

Q.14. How does Amanda describe her life as an orphan?

Ans. Amanda says that she is an orphan. She is free and roams the street. There is soft dust
in the street under her feet. She walks silently and creates patterns on the soft dust with her
bare feet. She thinks that silence is golden and freedom is sweet.

Q.15. Why is Amanda forbidden to eat chocolate? How does Amanda behave when she
is addressed by the speaker?

Ans. The speaker asks Amanda not to eat chocolate. It is because she has had acne already.
Eating chocolate might create more pimples. Amanda listens to the speaker without raising her
face.

Q.16. What does Amanda say, ‘I am Rapunzel’? What does she promise not to do?

Ans. Rapunzel was a beautiful girl with long hair. She was locked up in a tower by a witch. In
her imagination, Amanda thinks herself to be like Rapunzel who led a peaceful life. She
promises never to let down her bright hair.

Q.17. What does the speaker tell Amanda in the end? What is the speaker afraid of?

Ans. The speaker thinks that Amanda is sulking and moody. He thinks that Amanda is always
moody. He asks her not to sulk because he is afraid that people will think that he is nagging
Amanda.

Q.18. What is the central idea of the poem?

 Ans. The central idea of the poem is that children love freedom. They do not want any
restrictions on their activities. Secondly, they have a dream world of their own. They like to
spend most of their time in that dream world. But the elders are always destroying that dream
world by ordering them around.

Q19. 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.

Q20. List the things which Amanda’s mother doesn’t want her to do.

Ans. Her mother doesn’t want her 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.

Q21. Why does Amanda want to be a mermaid?

Ans.  Amanda is an escapist. She imagines herself to be a mermaid. She wants to live on an

island where she is the only inhabitant. She loves freedom. She loves drifting blissfully like a
mermaid on that lonely island.

Q22. 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.

Q23. 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.

 Q24. Why does Amanda’s mother ask her to stop sulking?

Ans. Amanda’s mother thinks that she is moody as her mood is always shifting. If she puts on
an unhappy appearance, others will blame her mother. They will think that she is being
constantly nagged by her mother.

 Q25. 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.

Q26. 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.

Q27. Don’t eat that chocolate, Amanda!

Remember your acne, Amanda!

Why is Amanda asked not to eat chocolate?

Ans. Amanda already suffers from acne, a skin disease. If she eats chocolate it will aggravate
her problem further. That is why she is asked not to eat chocolate.

Q28. 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 sulking. The
reason behind this is that she does not want to expose it before others. Otherwise, people will
think that she was teased by the speaker. It was her fear.

Long Answer (Value Based) Type Questions [4 Marks each]

Question 1.
Discuss the importance of proper upbringing with reference to the poem Amanda by
Robin Klein.
Answer:
Upbringing plays an essential role in personality development of an adult. Whenever we wish
to admire or criticise someone we question the upbringing of that person. Robin Klein’s poem
Amanda highlights the tension in the ‘proper’ upbringing of a child. To instil good values and
moral principles in a growing child comes as a foremost duty for the parents. However, the
poem Amanda shows how a child feels trapped within the cluster of instructions. Amanda is no
less than a victim in this travesty. No proper space is given to her creativity. She is instructed
for everything. As a result, she feels trapped and seeks an escape. Her imagination proves to
be her escape and also her defence against her nagging parents. Situation of Amanda is so
worse that she wishes to be an orphan, in order to get rid of her parents. She imagines
enacting various roles varying from mermaid to Rapunzel. Amanda wishes to live alone and
carefree. It is very important to understand the situation of Amanda where her freedom is cut
short by constant instructions and guidelines. Proper balance should be maintained when
dealing with such delicate issues. Love and care should always be part of this two way
transaction.

Question 2.
How does Amanda tackle the nagging nature of her parents? Explain with examples
from the poem. What values does it portray about Amanda?
Answer:
Amanda is a small girl who is termed as moody for her careless behaviour. But it is very
surprising to know that this is her
defence mechanism to shield against her nagging parents. Amanda is getting instructions from
her parents, which become too much to handle for the small girl. She is told not to eat her nails
and sit in a proper position. Amanda’s response to it is her work of imagination where she is a
mermaid drifting effortlessly by the languid river. Further, she is asked about cleaning her room
and finishing her homework to which she reacts being an orphan roaming in the street and
making patterns with her bare feet. Amanda then faces the heat for eating a chocolate, which
had once caused her acne. She takes the form of Rapunzel and wishes to live on top of a
tower away from everyone in her imagination. Amanda’s parents are upset over her behaviour
and casualness, but she stays in her own world. All these portray Amanda in a positive light
while her parents in a negative light. We as readers feel very sorry for a child like Amanda.

Question 3.
State the key points in the poem Amanda. What do you learn from it? [CBSE2016]
Answer:
Every child is special in itself, and it requires a great deal of patience and love to make them
understand this. Parents should give proper space to children, as they learn through
experiences as well. Children do tend to learn certain bad habits, to undo that requires great
level of understanding and right approach. One cannot teach their child everything in one day
and expect them to behave properly henceforth. It is natural for a child like Amanda to seek
freedom at her place, to curb that freedom means to make her angry and moody. Growing up
of child should not be about dos and don’ts only. To have nagging parents judging every action
of child would do more harm than good. Robin Klein points to the fact that Amanda is
forbidden to do anything without seeking permission. Everything she does it is corrected by her
mother all the time, she cannot perform a single thing according to her will. She can’t sit lazily
around, she can’t eat chocolate for that could cause acne. Life of Amanda is very suffocating
and limited in itself. She yearns for freedom and choice. Her mother doesn’t understand the
fact that Amanda is innocent and naive, she is too small to understand the benefits of advice.
Only thing that matters to Amanda’s mother is what society will make of Amanda. We witness
miserable failure of parents when Amanda wishes to be an orphan so that she could be free.

Answer the following questions in 100-120 words:

1. Is Amanda’s attitude a typical teenage behaviour? What is the lesson for parents
from this poem?

Ans. Amanda’s attitude is typical of a teenager. 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 make them more detached as we see in Amanda’s case, where she
wishes to be a love mermaid, an orphan or the lonely Rapunzel. She doesn’t want to listen to
anyone.

2. Bringing up teenagers can be both a challenge and fun. How far do you agree?
Express your views with reference to Amanda’s life.

Ans. 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 make them more detached, as we see in Amanda’s case,
where she wishes to be the alone 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!

3. What does the girl yearn for? What does this poem tell you about Amanda?

Ans. Most of the children feel that they are controlled and instructed not to do one thing or the
other by their parents. So, the child or 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 also thinks so. She 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.

Q4. 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.

Q5. Why does Amanda escape into the dreamy world of mermaids, fairies and orphans?
Does she find any solace there?

Ans. Amanda is a teenager. Like all teenagers, she loves freedom. She wants to lead her own
kind of life. She doesn’t want to be an overprotected child. Nor does she want that her parents
should control and guide her activities. What she should do and what not is her own choice.
She should not be dictated by her mother. Mother’s constant nagging leads her away from her.
She creates a world of her own. Her world is not the world of harsh realities but it is an
imaginary world of fairies and mermaids. There she finds solace as she can wander in a lonely
island blissfully like a mermaid. She can enjoy freedom by roaming around the streets like an
orphan. She craves to live in a lonely tower leading a peaceful life like Rapunzel. She avoids
her mother as she doesn’t like her constant nagging. She even doesn’t look at her while she is
speaking to her.