On the face of it Std 12

An explanation along with question and answers

1. Welcome

2. On the face of it By Susan Hill

3. The title means that it’s not the problem but the way we look at the problem that matters. “On the Face of it” is an informal expression used to say that something seems to be good and true but this opinion may need to be changed when you know more about it.

4. INTRODUCTION OF THE Playwright SUSAN HILL Susan hill was born on 5th February 1942 in North Yorkshire. She went to scarborough convent school where she showed interest in theatre and literature . Susan hill did her English degree at King’s college, London. Her novels include the ‘woman in black’, ‘The mist in the mirror’ and ‘I’m the king of the castle’ for which she received the Somerset Maugham award in 1971. .

5. Don’t Judge someone based on their appearance. Looks can be deceiving.

6. I feel so lonely, I feel someone will hug me Having everyone stare at my scars. I hide. I wish I was never born. One-day I wish, I could walk on a street without people shunning away I sometimes wish it was all just a nightmare .

7. On the face of it Introduction to the lesson The story is about a teenage boy, Derry, who has a burnt face and Mr. Lamb who is a disabled old man with an artificial leg made of tin. Derry accidently enters his garden so that he can hide himself from people who hate him because of his ugly face. Mr. Lamb not only welcomes him in his garden but also encourages him to lead a normal life, leaving behind his past.

8. Setting of scene one. The location is Mr. Lamb’s garden. One can occasionally hear the birds singing and the low sound of the tree leaves .

9. Mind the apples! What? Who’s that? Who’s there?

10. Mr. Lamb introduced himself and also said that small sour apples known as crab apples had fallen on the ground. If Derry would not be careful while walking through the grass, he could trip over them and get hurt. Derry said that he didn’t know that someone was present in the garden. He thought it to be empty and even the house seemed empty to him. Mr. Lamb tried to comfort him by saying that the house was empty as he was out in the garden.

11. You don’t have to leave. I don’t mind who comes into the garden, the gate is always open.Only you climbed the garden wall. You were watching me. I had not come to steal anything

12. Mr. Lamb agreed by saying that at many times, apples had been stolen by young boys and that Derry was not so young. But still, Derry wanted to leave.

13. Why should that be? Some think I am bad or ugly while some even take pity on me by saying I’m a poor boy but I’m not poor. You are afraid. Anybody would be . I am . when I look in the mirror. I am afraid of me.

14. Mr. Lamb said that he wasn’t afraid of Derry. Derry was shocked to hear that. Then Mr Lamb told him that he would bring a ladder and stick and pick fine and ripe crab apples as they made a good jelly. He also told him that in September, they get ripe and become a magic fruit having orange and golden colour. He also asked him to join him in doing so. Derry pointed him for changing the topic just like other people did. He added that Mr. Lamb didn’t ask him about his face because he was afraid of asking about it. Derry got annoyed and said that he did not like the company of people. Mr. Lamb guessed that may be his face got burnt in some fire. Derry told him that it was due to acid that had burned half of his face. He was so grieved (sad) that he kept on repeating that acid ate his face and that it would never get cured.

15. Mr. Lamb said that he was interested in each and every creation of God. He pointed out at a wall and asked him what did he see beyond it.

16. Mr. Lamb explained that there were a number of plants in his garden. There were flowers, trees and herbs - some plants were considered good and some were called ‘unwanted plants’ (weed). It was not because they were different, all of them were green in colour. It was about how people considered them to be- herbs or weeds. In reality, they all were same just like Derry and himself. Derry did not agree to this. Mr. Lamb told him that there was no difference. He was young and Mr. Lamb was old. He had a burned face and Mr. Lamb had a tin leg. These things were not so important and so, they didn’t make any difference. Derry asked him the reason behind his tin leg. He replied that it got damaged in an explosion many years ago. Kids teased him by calling him ‘Lamey- lamb’. Derry said that he could cover the tin leg with his trousers so that no one could see it. Mr. Lamb said that it did not bother him much as one day, people would get tired of teasing him and would start discussing something else. Derry showed his face in reply to Lamb’s statement. Mr. Lamb suggested that things like crab apples, weeds, spiders and the tall sunflowers could also be some of the other things that people would probably look at and discuss.

17. Derry commented that the other things mentioned by Mr Lamb were things i.e. they were non - living. Mr. Lamb replied that all the things were related to each other. Just like beauty is related to the beast i.e. a beautiful creation is related to ugliness. Derry was confused. Mr. Lamb asked for Derry’s opinion. Derry replied that often he had heard people saying that beauty is not related to one’s appearance, rather, inner beauty is our real beauty. Even a handsome man is the one who does something good rather than one who looks good.

18. Once, a beautiful girl loved a beast for who he was and kissed him which turned the beast into a handsome prince.He wouldn’t have changed, if she hadn’t kissed him. But then I won’t change. You are right!

19. Derry asked what Mr Lamb did all day. He replied that he sat in the Sun, reading books. He said that the house was full of books. Derry looked at the house and said that there weren't any curtains on the windows. Mr Lamb replied that he did not like curtains. He liked transparency- light, darkness and the wind too. Derry added that he also liked all of them and he also liked the sound of the rain falling on the roof of his house. Mr Lamb commented that Derry was present minded as he could hear . Derry said that his family worried about him that what would he do in the future with a burned face. Mr Lamb said that Derry had everything - two arms, two legs, two eyes, two ears, etc. He wanted to make Derry realize that he had so much which many other people were deprived of. He added that Derry could accomplish a lot if he determined to do so. Derry asked how was it possible and Mr Lamb replied that the same was as he did.

20. Derry said that his mother would be waiting for him. His home was five miles away, across the fields. He was fourteen years of age but still he was supposed to tell her where he was. Mr Lamb added that people had the habit of worrying. Derry added that actually they were in the habit of fussing. Mr Lamb asked Derry to go home and inform his mother of his whereabouts. His house was three miles away. As the weather was fine and he had legs, he could easily go home, tell them and return. Derry said that once he went home, he would not be allowed to return. Mr Lamb added that once home Derry himself would not feel like coming back. Derry said that Mr Lamb did not know what all he could do. Mr Lamb said that only Derry knew what he could do. Derry started to say that if he chose... but was interrupted by Mr Lamb. He said that Derry had to choose and he could not tell him what to do.

21. The second scene is at Derry’s house and Derry is talking to his mother.

22. His mother asked what did Derry think of her. She had already heard about Mr. Lamb. Derry told her not to believe what others said but she warned him that she knew what was required to be known about any person and therefore, asked him not to go back. Derry asked her the reason of her fear. He told her that Mr Lamb was just an old man with a tin leg and had a big house without curtains and a garden. He said that he wanted to go back and listen to things. His mother was curious to know what was it that he wanted to listen. He replied that he wanted to hear bees singing and wanted to listen to what Mr Lamb said. But she didn’t find it suitable and so she told him to stay at home and think about what he wanted to

23. Derry said that he hated to remain at home. His mother excused him for speaking wrong because he felt bad and so spoke that way. Derry said that it had nothing to do with his face. The important thing was how he thought and what he saw or heard. He announced that he would go back into the garden to help Mr. Lamb with the crab apples. His mother tried to stop him but he ran away shutting the door behind him.

24. Scene 3 Back in the garden,Mr lamb was on a ladder picking apples with the help of the stick,suddenly ladder falls and Mr lamb falls too . Derry opened the gate, he was still breathing rapidly and declared to Mr. Lamb that he had returned. He looked at him and found him lying on the ground. He went near him and tried to talk to him but no one replied. Derry kept on calling him by his name and suddenly started crying. He did so because he realized that Mr. Lamb was dead.

25. Moral 1.The positive moral of the story is, the ones who are physically challenged and differently abled must focus on the brighter side of the life and they must not brood over the shortcomings they have. 2. All we need to do is, is to accept physically challenged people as they are instead of pitying them.

26. Glossary Occasional: sometimes Rustling: whisper, low sound Tentatively: hesitantly, without confidence Startled: feeling a sudden shock Crab apples: a small sour apple Windfalls: unexpected gain, jackpot Scrump: steal from garden Pretend: to behave as if something is true when you know that it is not Underneath: directly below

27. Weed: unwanted plant Stare: to look at Signify: be a sign of Daft: silly, foolish Dribble: to fall slowly Whispered: To say something very slow Peculiar: strange, unusual Hive: dome shaped structure in which bees live Trespassing: enter without permission

28. SUMMARY 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 •.

29. • 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.

30. Question &answers

31. Who was Derry? What problems did he have? Ans. Derry is a complex-ridden fourteen year old boy. He is a victim of inferiority complex after acid accidentally spilled and burnt one side of his face. His handicap has filled him with bitterness and so Derry suffers more on account of the pain that his own views of how everyone hates him, causes him. Mr. Lamb has a garden that is full of fruits, flowers and trees and herbs of all sorts. He likes his garden because it attracts young children and he gets a sense of pleasure in pulling down the ripe crab apples from the trees and making jelly for the children who visit his garden. 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 the person expects from others? Ans. The sense of alienation caused by physical impairment is no doubt more painful than the inconvenience caused by physical impairment. This is clearly proved in the play ‘On the Face of It’. Derry seems to be a living example of this fact. He got his face burnt due to spilling of acid leaving scars and infirmity. The attitude of the people towards him gave him more pain than his physical pain. He was deeply hurt and disgusted when he realized that his family was anxious about his future. He felt pain when he overheard two women talking about his ugly face. The insensitive remarks of the women in which they suggest him to be in the company of people like him, developed a sense of alienation in him. He closed himself in a shell and developed a very negative attitude to society and finally to life.

32. What did Derry’s mother think of Mr. Lamb? Ans. Derry’s mother did not think very highly of Mr. Lamb and claimed to have heard not really good things about him. She had been told and warned by people about Mr. Lamb and so she tells Derry not to go back to him. She also tried to hold him back but he does go back to Mr. Lamb. What qualities of Mr. Lamb attracted Derry to him? Ans. Derry suffers from a terrible complex. But his meeting with Mr. Lamb is a turning point in his life. He gives confidence to Derry and encourages him to develop a positive attitude towards life. Derry’s life now has a new meaning and purpose and for this all the credit goes to Mr. Lamb’s motivation and words of encouragement. How did Mr Lamb’s meeting with Derry become a turning point in Derry’s life? Ans. Derry’s brief association with Mr Lamb changed him from a bitter, pessimistic and complex-ridden boy to a mature and confident person. His attitude towards life underwent a transformation. He got encouraged by Mr Lamb’s unending enthusiasm and unceasing zeal to live life. Thus Mr Lamb’s unfailing optimism helped transform Derek completely. Mr Lamb’s conversation with him about everything and everybody being essentially the same, his notion of beauty being relative, his talk about pretty girls and love, his concept of the world and friendship and the incident of the timid man, all fascinated and inspired Derek. Gradually, Derek was able to shed his old self and rediscover life. He was able to experience the joy of little things of life like rain drops falling pitter-patter on the roof. He even told his mother, “You shouldn’t believe all you hear.” Thus, Derek’s brief association with Mr. Lamb became a turning point in his life.

33. Despite all that the old man says, he is yet a lonely old man. How is this brought out in the course of the play? How does Mr. Lamb overcome this? Ans. Mr. Lamb is an old man with a tin-leg. He is alone and lives in a big house with a big lawn. Though, he is very optimistic and accepts everything very positively, his loneliness is evident from the fact that he leaves his gate and windows open so that people can come in whenever they want. He overcomes . this loneliness by getting himself involved in making toffees, jelly, etc. with the crab apples that grow in his garden. He loves to talk and spend time with the children who come to his lawn. What is the bond that united the two—the old man, Mr. Lamb, and Derry, the small boy? Ans. Derry is a small boy who has a burnt face due spilling of acid. He is very withdrawn and defiant. He runs away from the world as he hates others staring at him. He thinks people are afraid of his deformity. Similarly, Mr. Lamb, too is a handicapped person. He lost one leg in a bomb explosion during the war years ago. He lives alone. The two of them have deformity and are rejected by the people. Both have a vacuum in their hearts for not having company. Mr. Lamb is a man full of positive energy. When Derry meets him, he finds himself drawn to him. Mr. Lamb seems to be the only one who gives him a new line of thought about his physical disfigurement.

34. What benefits did Derry reap from his association with Mr. Lamb? Ans. Derry was a fourteen years old boy whose face was partly burnt due to spilling of acid. As a result, he became conscious of his ugly face. He found that people either ridiculed him or pitied him. He developed a negative attitude to life. He became frustrated. But when he met Mr. Lamb, he got inspiration from him to live life as it came. Derry was encouraged by Mr. Lamb to look at the world and to take interest in things around him. He found truth, sense and inspiration in Mr. Lamb’s words. He learnt from Mr. Lamb to handle his handicap and loneliness. In fact, it was Mr. Lamb who brought Derry back to life. Derry learnt the way to live life fully by dealing with his deformity in an appropriate manner. If you were to give a different ending to the story, ‘On The Face of It’ how would you end it? Ans. I would rather want the story ‘On the Face of It’ to end with a happy reunion between Mr. Lamb and Derry wherein the two become good friends with one another. Mr. Lamb should continue to influence Derry positively and put him in a position where he is able to befriend others despite his handicap. Why did Mr. Lamb help Derry? Ans. Mr. Lamb and Derry are united by the bond of loneliness and alienation they share on account of their physical disabilities. Mr. Lamb lost a leg in the war and has a tin leg while Derry has an acid burn on one side of his face. Mr. Lamb inspires Derry by telling him not to focus on the shortcomings of life and his handicap and instead he should try to enjoy the blessings of life. He persuades him to develop a positive attitude and move forward in life.

35. Animation Courtesy Thank you English Animation

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