12 English-On The Face of It - Notes

On the Face of it
by Susan Hill
Gist of the Lesson

• Derry was a teenager, highly pessimistic and withdrawn from the mainstream society.
• He developed this attitude after one side of his face was disfigured by acid. He avoided
company of others and remained lonely lest he be noticed by other people.
• He believed that no one loved him and his mother loved him because she was supposed to.
• Well, Derry cannot be completely blamed for his pessimistic and aggressive attitude
towards the world around him.
• Once he heard two women commenting about his appearance. They said only a mother
could love a face like his.
• On another day Derry heard his parents conversing how would he ever survive after their
death.
• The shock he received from these words was big.
• On another occasion Derry heard people saying that his being put in the hospital where he
had been treated after the accident was good for him. In their opinion a deformed boy like
Derry could accommodate himself with other deformed boys and girls.
• Derry had his ears always open for such comments and used to respond to them in his silent
way.
• He concluded that the world altogether didn’t need a boy like him.
• One day Derry accidently met a man called Mr. Lamb.
• Mr. Lamb was an old man with a lame leg. After he became lame, Mr. Lamb began to
develop a positive attitude with his deformity.
• He worked hard to defeat this impairment and learnt to walk and climb ladders.
• He was happy to be alive.
• He made everyone his friend and had a house with no curtains and open doors. He
welcomed anyone who came to him.
• While Mr. Lamb took his impairment as a challenge and tried to overcome it, Derry
believed that he was unwanted and lost.
• His pain was physical and mental. Being a child he was not as strong as Mr. Lamb about
suffering.
• He couldn’t take the sneering and sympathizing world as taken by Mr. Lamb.
• Mr. Lamb was able to sit smart and unaffected but Derry had no way to hide his face.
• After meeting Mr. Lamb Derry realized how foolish he had been to believe his parents.
• For him Lamb was a man who opened the doors of his closed world, the same of which
were shut on him by his parents and therefore believed that his company with Lamb would
make him a perfect person.
• At the end Derry goes back to his house where his mother cross questioned him. She had
instructed him not to step out of the house.
• Derry tried to convince his mother that Mr. Lamb was an extremely good man but she was
not ready to listen.
• Ignoring his mother’s thoughtless restrictions, Derry left his home and ran to Mr. Lamb’s
garden.
• On reaching, Derry found a motionless Mr. Lamb fallen from the ladder.
• He had fallen while pulling the crab apples down from the tree.
Justification of Title
According to the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, “On the Face of it” is an informal
expression used to say that something seems to be good, true etc. but this opinion may need to be
changed when you know more about it. This definition of the expression should leave us in no
doubt about the appropriateness of the title. An individual may be quite different from what we
think of him or what he or she may apparently appear to be at first glance. There is the imperative
need for us to view others by removing our glasses of prejudice, hatred, hearsay and dislike
On the face of it, Mr. Lamb appears to be mysterious, lonely, lame old fellow who lives in a
neighbourhood house with a huge garden, but in reality he is very kind, generous, loving and
altruistic. Similarly, although Derek has an ugly looking scary face, he is fine lad of fourteen with
a deep longing for love. There is nothing wrong with Mr. Lamb and Derek. What is wrong is the
way people in their lives and around them view and treat them.
On the face of it, there is so much of diversity, so many differences and divides between the people
and other species of the world but underneath is a oneness, a sameness – all of them are created by
God and all of them need to live and grow together with love and mutual acceptance.
Thus, Susan Hill has quite appropriately entitled her play “On the Face of it
Theme
People who suffer from disabilities must always look at the bright side of things and adapt reality
of life bravely. At the same time the actual pain or inconvenience caused by a physical impairment
is often much less than the sense of alienation felt by the person. The disabled need support and
acceptance and not our pity. The title ‘On the Face of it’ is used to mean that something seems to
be good, true etc. but that needs to be changed when you know more about it.
Appearances are deceptive and most often, we go on dealing with impressions and prejudices about
other without caring to know about them actually. People know Mr. Lamb as a lonely eccentric
lame old man but in reality he is a very kind and generous man who longs for company and he
loves his fellow human beings along with all the other creations of God. Similarly Derek appears
to be an abominable ugly boy with a huge scar on his face whom no one loves or likes or befriends.
He is the object of other people’s hateful stares ridicules and neglect. Even his mother does not
dare to kiss him on the cheek with the scar. Yet this boy who is suffering from an acute inferiority
complex has a tender and sensitive heart. He wants to love and be loved. Fortunately he meets Mr.
Lamb who transforms him with his healing touch.
Question & Answers
Q1. Who is Derry? What self-opinion does he hold?

Derek, also called Derry was a young boy of 14. He was a quiet, shy and defiant boy. One side of
his face was totally burnt by acid. He was a victim of inferiority complex.
Q2. ‘I am not afraid, people are afraid of me’, why does Derry say so?
Derry lives in a cocoon of complexes – due to his burnt face – isolated himself – doesn’t mix up
– considers his burnt face an unpleasant-people are afraid of
Q3. Mr. Lamb says to Derry; ‘it’s all relative, beauty and the beast’, what essentially does
he mean by that?
Mr. Lamb means to say that different people have different view points to look at the same thing.
Some find one thing beautiful, others find it ugly. It all depends on outlook and attitude. It is,
therefore, important to adopt a positive attitude towards everything just like the Princess Beauty
who loved the monstrous Beast in the fairy tale. The point is that what you look like is not
important, but what you are inside matters.
Q4. What does Derry know about the fairy tale ‘Beauty and the Beast’? Why is he not
convinced by its moral?
-Derry had heard the tale; Beauty liked the monstrous Beast; when she kissed he turned into a
handsome prince; moral was not how you look outside but how you look inside is important; Derry
was not convinced as even if someone kissed he would never change and his mother always kissed
him only on the other cheek.
Q5.Mr. Lamb has successfully learned to cope with his loneliness. How?
-Keeps himself busy by gardening, rearing bees, making toffees etc. Also keeps windows and
doors open, welcomes all.
Q6. What did Derry’s mothers think of Mr. Lamb?
Derry’s mother does not hold a good opinion about Mr. Lamb. She had heard many things about
the old man, therefore stops Derry to visit Mr. Lamb.
Q7. How does Lamb try to remove the baseless fears of Derry?
Mr. Lamb influences Derry – his optimistic philosophy – advised him not to give attention to
other’s comments – try to be internally pure and strong – eliminate the negativity of life.
Q8. Comment on the moral value of the play.
The moral of the play is very loud and clear. The physically disabled should focus on the brighter
side of life and not to brood over the shortcomings. The society should accept them as they are
and expand their social interactions .In this way they can fight out the loneliness, depression and
disappointment.
Q9“When I look in the mirror…I’m afraid of me.” Why does Derry say so?
-burn scar on his face, curious looks by people make him conscious, avoids meeting others, sour
experiences have made him bitter.
Q10What is ironical about his mother’s behaviour towards Derry?

-her over-protective attitude stops Derry from meeting new people, discourages him, instead of
making him brave – makes him timid.
Q11. “It’s got nothing to do with my face and what I look like.” What change do Derry’s
words indicate?
*Derry attitude is now positive & he looks forward to a better life, no longer hiding from others.
Q12.Though the play ends with Mr. Lamb’s death there is still an element of hope. Explain.
-positive change in Derry’s attitude by Mr. Lamb will be permanent, his life will get better. Mr.
Lamb has passed his knowledge and philosophy to younger generation. Though Mr. Lamb is
physically dead, but his ideas will remain alive in Derry’s heart.
Q13. What is it that draws Derry towards Mr. Lamb?
Lamb makes Derry feel comfortable, doesn’t question him about his disability, instills confidence
in him, is a good friend to him.
Q14.Why does Mr. Lamb leave his gate always open?
– happy to have visitors / children … come there for apples, pears and toffees / to overcome his
feeling of loneliness
Long answer questions
Q1 How did Mr. Lamb’s meeting with Derry become a turning point in Derry’s life?
• Both Lamb and Derry handicapped
• Derry in the beginning withdrawn and defiant
• couldn’t stand people staring at him
• Lamb open-minded and generous.
• kept garden gates open and welcomed all
• had a positive attitude, taught Derry not to indulge in self pity/love life
• taught him the ways of dealing with people
• Derry confessed to his mother that Lamb talked of things that nobody had ever talked of –
things that gave him an optimistic outlook.
• Even defied his mother- Derry’s return to Lamb’s garden shows his appreciation for Lamb/
restored confidence.
.Q2. How did Mr. Lamb try to give courage and confidence to Derry?
• Welcomed him and accepted him as he was.
• Told him its important to see how you are on the inside than how you look on the outside
• One cannot go through life being scared and alienated
• Shouldn’t brood over limitations but count on his blessings-he had brain, legs, tongue, arms
and thus was totally functional-this was a blessing
• Enjoy simple joys of everyday living with people around and nature, ignoring the
unpleasant-see beauty in bees buzzing or humming-weeds growing-flowers blooming
• One’s attitude that matters
• Individuals make a difference to the problem
• Extended unconditional love
• Inspired him with love for life and instilled confidence in him to look at life in an optimistic
way. Embrace his burnt face and rise above it.

12 English-On The Face of It - Notes

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

12 English-On The Face of It - Notes

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

12 English-On The Face of It - Notes

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

On the Face of it

Gist of the Lesson

Q1. Who is Derry? What self-opinion does he hold?

Q10What is ironical about his mother’s behaviour towards Derry?

Long answer questions

You might also like