LESSON – 5

ON THE FACE OF IT
About the author

Novelist Susan Hill (English, 1963) published her first novel whilst
studying at King's. Susan was born in Scarborough, North Yorkshire
during World War II. Although the family moved to Coventry when
Susan was 16, many of her novels and short stories still feature her
hometown by the sea.

TITLE OF THE LESSON

The title of the story ‘On the Face of It’ seems to be very appropriate. The idiom ‘On the Face
of It’ means from appearance alone or apparently. In the play, Derry is frustrated and has lost
self-esteem due to people’s attitude to him. Everyone thought that his burnt face was
terrible, and he was handicapped. Similar was Mr. Lamb’s case. He had lost one leg in a bomb
explosion. Apparently both Mr. Lamb and Derry had deformities. But Mr. Lamb enabled Derry
to have faith in himself and look at the bright side of things and to learn to live with his
deformity. Their physical handicap was an apparent thing for them as well as for the world. But
the most significant thing is the strength of one’s soul. Mr. Lamb was a mentally strong person
who handled his own handicap and loneliness very effectively. He became instrumental in
Derry change his views about himself and his deformity and start taking things positively. The
play deals with the acceptance of the fact that things are not always as they appear, i.e.
physical handicap has nothing to do with the mental strength and positive attitude to life.

INTRODUCTION
The story is about an adolescent kid, Derry, who has a consumed face, and Mr. Lamb, who is
an impaired elderly person with a counterfeit leg made of tin. Derry accidentally enters his
garden to conceal himself from individuals who scorn him due to his revolting face. Mr. Lamb
invites him to his nursery and urges him to have an ordinary existence, abandoning his past.

THEME OF THE LESSON

The play revolves around the idea that people with physical disabilities suffer from loneliness
and mental pain. The play gives us an insight into how appearances are deceptive.

SETTING OF THE LESSON

The story starts with a teenage boy (Derry) who enters a garden. Due to an accident when
acid befell on his face and got burned on one side. He was afraid of facing people that's why he
has gone there to hide. Because other people tease him for having such a face.

MESSAGE OF THE LESSON

The play's message is that scars do not transform a person and that handicaps must be
embraced by both people and society." Deny had to confront prejudice as a result of his
scarred face, and he had become gloomy as a result.

GIST OF THE LESSON

 The play depicts beautifully yet grimly the sad world of the physically impaired.
 It is not the actual pain or inconvenience caused by a physical impairment that trouble
a disabled man but the attitude of the people around him.
 Two physically impaired people, Mr. Lamb with a tin leg and Derry with a burnt face,
strike a band of friendship.
 Derry is described as a young boy shy, withdrawn and defiant.
 People tell him inspiring stories to console him, no one will ever kiss him except his
mother that too on the other side of his face
 Mentions about a woman telling that only a mother can love such a face.
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  Mr. Lamb revives the almost dead feelings of Derry towards life.
 He motivates him to think positively about life, changes his mind set about people and
things.
 How a man locked himself as he was scared-a picture fell off the wall and got killed.
 Everything appears to be the same but is different- Ex. of bees. And weeds
 The gate of the garden is always open.
 Derry is inspired and promises to come back.
 Derry’s mother stops him but he is adamant saying if he does not go now it would be
never.
 When he comes back he sees lamb lying on the ground
 It is ironical that when he searches a new foothold to live happily, he finds Mr. Lamb
dead.
 In this way the play depicts the heart rendering life of physically disabled people with
their loneliness, aloofness and alienation.
 But at the same time it is almost a true account of the people who don’t let a person
live happily.

Answer the following questions in 30 - 40 words.

1. Who is Mr. Lamb? How does Derry get into his garden?
Ans. Mr. Lamb is an old man. He has lost one of his legs in the war. Now he has a tin leg in its
place. He lives in a big house and has a garden of his own. Derry gets into his garden not to
steal or pick up apples. He does so because he liked the place and thinks that nobody is inside
it. He climbs over the garden wall and comes inside.

2. Which peculiar thing does Derry notice about Mr. Lamb?

Ans. Mr. Lamb advises Derry that he should keep his ears shut. People usually say so many
things and he should ignore them all. All these seem peculiar to Derry and all the questions
asked by Mr. Lamb are not understood by him. So he calls Mr. Lamb a peculiar person.

3. How does Mr. Lamb try to remove the baseless fears of Derry?
Ans. Derry suffers from an acute sense of self- hatred and rejection on account of his burnt
face. Mr. Lamb tells him that there is so much beauty in the world to be explored and
appreciated. He suggests Derry that hatredness is the worst enemy of human beings. It would
harm Derry more than any bottle of acid. It will kill him within. So, he should not complain his
looks.

4. Why did Derek enter Mr. Lamb's garden?

Ans. All the children of the neighbourhood used to steal apples from Mr. Lamb's garden. He
never used to close the gates. Derek entered his garden out of curiosity. He wanted to explore
and see around when it was deserted.

5. What does Mr. Lamb do every day?

Ans. Mr. Lamb lives all alone in a large house with a big garden. All the neighbourhood
children visit his garden for crab apples, pears, toffee and jelly. During the day he is busy
picking apples, making jellies and toffee. He likes talking to the children who come to his
house. He likes to read as well.

6. How does Derry get an ugly face and why does he say that people are afraid of
him?
Ans. Derry had an ugly face because acid fell on that part of his face. It became burnt.
Whenever people saw him, they stared at him and became afraid of him. People said much
cruel things about his face. Somebody said that he had got a terrible face and his mother could
love. All these saying hurt Derry badly.

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7. What kind of a house did Derry want for himself?
Ans. Derry wanted a house with a garden, open windows and no curtains. The gates of the
house should be always open. Mr. Lamb's house was like that. When Derry told Mr. Lamb that
he wanted a house like his, Mr. Lamb told him that he could come there anytime he felt like.

8. Why do you think Mr. Lamb changed the subject when Derek was talking to him
about being unwanted?
Ans. Derek talks to Mr. Lamb about handicapped people being ugly and consequently the
society does not want them. Mr. Lamb deliberately changes the subject to apple picking and
jelly making to prevent Derek from getting into a self- pity mode. He does not want Derek to
feel miserable.

9. Why does Derry tell Mr. Lamb that he is afraid of seeing himself in the mirror?
Ans. Derry tells Mr. Lamb that he is afraid to see his face in the mirror as his face is terribly
scarred. His face was burnt with acid and because of it he draws much attention. Some people
are repulsed by its ugliness, while others regard him with pity, but in Derry's own perception,
most people are afraid of it.

10. Why is one green growing plant called a 'weed' and another 'flower'? What does
Mr. Lamb mean by this statement?
Ans. Mr. Lamb believes that God has created the entire Nature. It sis man who has given
different names to different creatures and species. All are living beings and all grow and
multiply. There are certain inherent differences which we need to respect and appreciate.

Answer the following questions in 100 words.

1. How did Mr. Lamb's meeting with Derry become a turning point in Derry's life?
Ans. Me Lamb was an old man who had lost his leg in a bomb explosion. Derry was a young
boy of 14 years. His face was burnt from one side as a bottle of acid fell on him. Due to his
disfigured face, he had become defiant and withdrawn. He had developed a complex and
remained withdrawn from people. When Derry sneaked into Mr. Lamb's garden, he met Mr.
Lamb and they got talking about his failure to come with his disfigured face and people's
uncharitable remarks. Mr. Lamb tried to console Derry. He told him to face harsh realities of
life bravely. He tried to make him understand that it was the inner beauty of a person that
matters. Lamb encouraged him to look at the world around him. Slowly Derry started finding a
lot of truth, sense and inspiration in Mr. Lamb's words. Derry appeared quite impressed by the
way. He suddenly found a friend in Mr. Lamb. All this helped Derry to start loving life and
people around him and that had brought a turning point in his life.

2. Both Derry and Mr. Lamb suffer physical disabilities but their attitude towards life
and people is totally different. Highlight their contrasting traits in your own words.
Ans. Derry's one side of the face has burnt as acid fell that side of his face. He suffers from a
tremendous sense of inferiority complex. He is always conscious of the fact that his face is
'bad,' 'terrible' and ' the ugliest thing.' People commented him. He tries to escape people. He
allows himself alienated from the world. He is never in the mainstream of life. He thinks that
no one will ever love and kiss him except his own mother. He can't stand people staring at him
or passing uncharitable remarks. He is like an open wound-touchy and hyper sensitive.
On the other hand, Mr. Lamb has a positive attitude towards life, things and people. He doesn't
allow his physical disability to come in his way. He accepts life as it comes. He is open minded
and open hearted. He keeps the gate of the garden open all the times. All are welcomed by
him. He loves everybody and everything. He doesn't find solace in escapism but he remains in
the mainstream of life. Children tease him by calling ' Lamey-lamb' but he doesn't mind it. On
the other hand, he gives them
jelly and toffees. He has lost his one leg in the bomb explosion in the war yet he enjoys life at
his best. He enjoys sitting in the sun, reading books and growing weed plants and flowers. He
collects honey, makes jelly and dealing with peop0le and things.

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3. Explain: "It is the thinking and something inside us provide to get prominence."
Ans. Derry has developed inferiority complex in him because of his ugly face. He thinks that
no one of this world will ever love and kiss him. He is afraid of seeing people and likes to live in
seclusion. Mr. Lamb traces inferiority in Derry. In order to remove this complex, he explains
that in his garden weeds and flowers and found which form life and beauty of the garden. He
then reminds him, the fairy tale of Beauty and the Beast. Derry knows how a princess loves a
beast who turns into a handsome prince when she kisses. It is because he has something very
beautiful inside him. Derry is too good from inside. His face is not important. The important
thing is what he thinks and feel and what he wants to see and find out. Mr. Lamb tells Derry
that he has brain and limb. He can attain whatever he chooses in case he sets his mind on it.
He should not care for others what they say. This has a very healthy effect on the boy.

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