CBSE Class 12 English On the Face of It Notes Set 03

THEME

Susan Hill's “On the Face of It” is play that examines issues of solitude, perception, and acceptance. It is a socio-psychological narrative about two invalids who hold opposing viewpoints. The plot revolves around two individuals, Derry and Mr Lamb. Derry is a young child who has led a wretched life since a bottle of acid distorted his face, while Mr. Lamb is a lame old man who lives a joyous life despite losing one of his legs in a blast. The chapter discusses human vulnerabilities and the constraints that society imposes on them. It also deals with the differences in people's mental processes, how people perceive and experience life.

Main points

• 1. Derry climbs over the garden wall to access Mr Lamb’s Garden.
• 2. Mr. Lamb offers to give Derry crab apples.
• 3. Derry panics, but Mr Lamb calms him.
• 4. Derry claims that people fear him because of his hideous appearance.
• 5. One side of his face was burned when a bottle of acid dropped on it.
• 6. Derry has a complex. He remains alone and avoids others.
• 7. He can't stand the people who make disparaging remarks about him.
• 8. Mr Lamb cautions him that he cannot keep himself locked up in a room indefinitely.
• 9. He must close his ears and cease listening to what others say about him.
• 10. Mr Lamb shows him the way. Derry has two eyes, ears, and legs. He possesses both a tongue and a brain.
• 11. Mr Lamb has a tin leg. But he does not bother. He accepts life as it comes. He doesn't mind when kids call him "Lamey-Lamb".
• 12. Derry should follow his philosophy in life. If he works hard, he can become like the others. He can even outperform the others.
• 13. Derry returns home. He promises Mr Lamb that he would return.
• 14. According to Mr Lamb, most people make promises but seldom follow through.
• 15. Derry's mother prohibits him from meeting Mr Lamb.
• 16. When Derry arrives, Mr Lamb is on the ladder, with a stick. The ladder slips, and Mr Lamb falls. He dies.
• 17. Derry shouts, "Lamey-Lamb." "I did come back."

READ THE EXTRACT GIVEN BELOW AND ANSWER THE QUESTIONS THAT FOLLOW: (SOLVED)

Q1.DERRY: What do you do all day?
MR LAMB: Sit in the sun. Read books. Ah, you thought it was an empty house, but inside, it’s full. Books and other things. Full.
DERRY: But there aren’t any curtains at the windows.
MR LAMB: I’m not fond of curtains. Shutting things out, shutting things in. I like the light and the darkness, and the windows open, to hear the wind.
DERRY: Yes. I like that. When it’s raining, I like to hear it on the roof.
MR LAMB: So you’re not lost, are you? Not altogether? You do hear things. You listen.
DERRY: They talk about me. Downstairs, When I’m not there.

a. What does Mr. Lamb mean by being 'lost'?
(a) He who ignores what others say is lost.
(b) He who does not value humans and nature is lost.
(c) He who does not halt to consider wind and rain is lost.
(d) He who rejects nature and its wonders is lost.
Answer: (b)

b. Choose the one that best represents a message from the play.
(a) People's attitudes should not prevent individuals from experiencing life.
(b) What others say has no bearing on how you feel about things.
(c) People can't be altered. One can and should only change oneself.
(d) One's opinions should not be influenced by what others say behind one's back.
Answer: (a)

c. Complete the sentence appropriately. "Shutting things out, shutting things in" suggests that.........
Answer: Curtains are used to prevent or restrict the passage of light and air into the home.

d. State whether the following statement is true or false with reference to the extract. The listener likes to hear the pitter-patter of the rain drops.
Answer: True

e. “DERRY: They talk about me.” “They” refer to .........
Answer: Derry’s parents who are worried about his burnt face.

SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS 

(a) In the play, why does Derry tell Mr. Lamb that he fears looking in the mirror?
Answer: Derry has acid burns on one side of his face. He had an extremely terrible face. Everyone would frequently talk about his face. Derry then admits to Mr. Lamb his phobia of looking in the mirror.

(b) What brought Derry to the garden?
Answer: Derry assumed it was a deserted place with no occupants. He wanted to learn more about the place. He had no desire to take the apples. He walked inside out of curiosity, as the place appeared to be unoccupied.

(c) Describe Mr. Lamb’s Garden.
Answer: Mr. Lamb's garden outside his house includes flowers, grass, trees, and bees. Every inch of his garden is to his taste. He thinks constructively. Even the weeds in his garden are considered living beings in his eyes. He loves hearing bees buzz. He kills time by making jam with crab apples. He stays active because of his garden. As a result, he likes it.

LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS:

(a). Derry sneaked into Mr. Lamb’s Garden and it became a turning point in his life.
Answer: Derry is a fourteen-year-old boy with low self-esteem. Since his face had been damaged by acid, he believed that everyone was afraid of him and pitied him. When he sneaked into Mr. Lamb's garden and had a brief talk with him, it marked a turning point in his life.
Mr. Lamb's outlook on life transformed Derry. Despite losing one leg in the battle, Mr. Lamb was cheerful. He didn't care about what others thought of him. He befriended Derry and urged him to enjoy his life as it is. He helped Derry realise that he must learn to accept both the positive and negative aspects of life. This helped Derry change.
Derry's self-esteem and regard for himself improved as a result of their brief encounter. He realised that he was self-sufficient. This enabled Derry to undergo a spectacular transformation. He recognised that his appearance wasn't significant and that it was not important how the rest of the world perceived him. This transformation in Derry is permanent because, after Mr. Lamb's death, he did not return to his solitary life.

(b). The actual pain or inconvenience caused by a physical impairment is often much less than the sense of alienation felt by the person with disabilities. What is the kind of behaviour that he expects from others?
Answer: A person with a physical disability can live a life of dignity and honour if he is not mocked and punished with uncaring sympathy. He expects empathy, not sympathy. If everyone looks down on him with a negative attitude, he may never be able to recover from his sorrow and, as a result, retreat to his own lonely world. He is already under immense mental and emotional stress. As a result, he expects others to understand his condition instead of trying to remind him of it.
In the play, Derry and Mr. Lamb find themselves in a similar situation. Mr. Lamb, as an adult, is capable of dealing with such issues, but Derry, as a youngster, cannot disentangle this web alone. He develops a strong liking for this old man because this old man's words were exactly what a person with a problem needed to hear.