ON THE FACE OF IT

THEME
On the Face of It summary, the theme 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.
Susan Hill’s short tale “On the Face of It” addresses the
subject of identity and the constraints that society places
on people.
We see two characters – Derry and Mr Lamb. Both are
handicapped but still have different views about life. The
writer wants to highlight that even though the characters
are in similar physical condition, yet they have opposing
views towards life which indicates the difference in their
attitude.
The battle to discover and claim one’s own identity in the
face of society expectations and constraints is the overall
theme of “On the Face of It.”

Extract-based questions
A. Read the given extract and answer the questions that
follow:
DERRY: You think…. ‘Here’s a boy. You look at me…and then
you see my face and you think. That’s bad. That’s a terrible thing.
That’s the ugliest thing I ever saw.’ You think, ‘Poor boy. But I’m
not. Not poor. Underneath, you are afraid. Anybody would be. I
am. When I look in the mirror, and see it, I’m afraid of me.

1. Why does Derry not want to be called ‘Poor’?

A For he was rich
B For he was well off
C For he had ample resources to earn
D None of these

Ans D None of these

2. Name the chapter.

A Indigo
B On the face of It .
C Evans Tries an O Level
D The Rattrap

Ans B On the Face of It

3. Why is everyone afraid of Derry, according to him?

A For he was physically disabled
B For he had burnt body
C For he had tin leg
D For he had half-burnt face
Ans D For he had half-burnt face

4. Who is the author of this chapter?

A Selma Lagerlof
B Susan Hill
C Colin Dexter
D None of these
Ans B Susan Hill
B. Read the given extract and answer the questions that
follow:
MR LAMB: Later on, when it’s a bit cooler, I’ll get the ladder and a
stick, and pull down those crab apples. They’re ripe for it. I make
jelly. It’s a good time of year, September. Look at them….orange
and golden. That’s magic fruit. I often say. But it’s best picked and
made into jelly. You could give me a hand.

1. Why does Mr. Lamb pick apples?

A To make Jellies
B To make toffees
C To make sweets for kids
D All of these
Ans d All of these

2. With whom is Mr. Lamb talking to?

A Derry
B Derry’s mother .
C Woman at a bus stop
D None of these
Ans A Derry

3. What does Mr. Lamb mean by ‘You could give me a hand’?

A He is asking for his help
B He is asking Derry for changing himself
C He is asking Derry not to be afraid
D All of these
Ans A He is asking for his help

4. What does Mr Lamb mean when he says ‘pull down’?

A drag the branches
B pluck the apples
C uproot the tree
D break the branches
Ans B pluck the apples
C. Read the given extract and answer the questions that
follow:
MR LAMB: Some call them weeds. If you like, then….a weed
garden, that. There’s fruit and there are flowers, trees and herbs.
All sorts. But over there….weeds. I grow weeds there. Why is one
green, growing plant called a weed and another ‘flower’? Where’s
the difference? It’s all life…. growing. Same as you and me.

1. What are weeds?

A Unwanted flowers
B Wanted flowers
C medicinal plants
D Wild flowers
Ans A Unwanted flowers

2. What is the difference between weeds and flowers

according to Mr. Lamb?
A Both are poles apart
B Both are same
C Both are different
D None of these
Ans B Both are same

3. What does the speaker mean by ‘All sorts’?

A All flowers
B All weeds
C All kinds
D All of these
Ans C All kinds

4. How does Mr. Lamb view his weeds?

A As same as flowers
B Not same as flowers
C As Derry views
D None of these
Ans A As same as flowers

SHORT QUESTIONS
Question 1.
What qualities of Mr. Lamb attracted Derry to him?
Answer:
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.

Question 2.
What did Derry’s mother think of Mr. Lamb?
Answer:
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.
Question 3.
What consolation did people give when they saw his
acid burnt face?
Answer:
Derry’s face was burnt by acid on one side. When
people saw Derry’s acid burnt face they tried to
console him by telling him fairy tales. They said that
it was not important what he looked like. Derry knew
that people lied and showed sympathy only to
comfort him and that he would not change and
would continue to look like a ‘monstrous beast’.

Question 4.
Mr. Lamb told Derry the story of a man who hid
himself in his room. Why did the man do so and with
what result?
Answer:
Mr. Lamb told Derry the incident of a timid man who
hid himself in his room and refused to come out lest
he should meet some fatal accident. But, ironically,
he died in his room itself because a picture hanging
on the wall fell off it, landed on his head and killed
him.

Question 5.
Why does Mr. Lamb leave his gate always open?
Answer:
Mr. Lamb always keeps his gate open because he
does not mind strangers entering his house, He is
an extremely social person and is ever ready to
welcome anyone who enters his garden.

Question 6.
How does Mr. Lamb keep himself busy when it is a
bit cool?
Answer:
When it gets a bit cool Mr. Lamb pulls down the ripe
crab apples from the trees with the help of a ladder
and a stick. He then makes jelly from them as that is
a good time of the year to pick and make jelly out of
orange and golden crab apples.

Question 7.
What peculiar things does Derry notice about the old
man, Lamb?
Answer:
Derry thinks that the old man. Mr. Lamb, is peculiar
and says peculiar things. Derry notices that although
Mr. Lamb talks about his friends he has not seen
anyone visiting the old man, who lives all by himself.
Even when he asks Mr. Lamb to name his friends,
Mr. Lamb fails to give him any name. Mr. Lamb
refuses to admit his loneliness. Also he asks Derry
questions he does not understand. There are no
curtains at the windows in his house. He likes the
light and darkness and hears the wind with the
window open.

Question 8.
Who was Derry? What did he suffer from?
Answer:
Derry is a complex-ridden fourteen year old boy. He
is a victim of inferiority complex after acid accidently
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.

Question 9.
If you were to give a different ending to the story,
‘On The Face of It’ how would you end it?
Answer:
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.

LONG QUESTIONS
Question 1.
The lesson, ‘On The Face of It’, is an apt depiction
of the loneliness and sense of alienation
experienced by people on account of a disability.
Explain.
Answer:
The lesson ‘On the Face of It’ aptly depicts the
loneliness and sense of alienation experienced by
Derry and Mr. Lamb on account of a disability. The
actual pain and inconvenience caused by the
disabilities is often much less than the sense of
alienation felt by the disabled person. Derry suffered
from severe negative complexes because of his
burnt face.

He became a pessimistic loner who indulged in self

pity and was always suspicious of the intention of
others. His anger and frustration made him
withdrawn and an introvert.

Mr. Lamb, on the other hand, was inwardly a loner

who craved for company and acceptance. Though
outwardly he was always jovial, outgoing and
optimistic, he was an extremely sensitive person.
Derry and Mr. Lamb’s physical disabilities caused
pain and suffering not only to their body but also to
their mind and soul.

Question 2.
How did Mr. Lamb’s meeting with Derry become a
turning point in Derry’s life?
Answer:
Derry, a complex-stricken lad of fourteen, is a victim
of inferiority complex which is borne out of a
misinterpretation of himself and the world. He suffers
from an acute sense of self-hatred and rejection due
to his burnt face and this leads him to total
alienation.

Mr. Lamb too has a disability, a tin leg, but he never

allows his handicap to interfere with the pace and
pleasure of his life. Mr. Lamb’s meeting with Derry
brings a turning point in the latter’s life. He gives
Derry confidence and persuades him to develop a
positive attitude towards life.

His message to Derry is very clear. Alienation and

withdrawal is not the solution. Derry believes in
running away from people but Mr. Lamb lives among
people. Derry’s brief association with Mr. Lamb
proves to be quite rewarding. Mr. Lamb teaches him
a new perspective of looking at life, people and
things.

Derry decides never to get back to his old

seclusion. His burnt face will no longer interfere with
his self-respect, poise and confidence. He will
gradually learn to find his place in the mainstream of
life. Mr. Lamb helps Derry rediscover himself and
gives a new meaning to his life.

Now Derry wants to leave his handicap behind,

forge ahead in life and live life to the fullest.

Question 3.
What is the bond that unites the two—the old Mr.
Lamb and Derry, the small boy? How does the old
man inspire the small boy?
Answer:
The bond that unites Mr. Lamb and Derry is the
loneliness and alienation they experience on
account of their physical disabilities. Mr. Lamb lost a
leg in the war and has a tin leg while Derry has an
acid bum on one cheek which gives him an ugly
appearance.

The actual pain and inconvenience caused by a

disability is often much less than the sense of
estrangement felt by a disabled person. But, unlike
Derry, Mr. Lamb always maintains a positive attitude
towards life and is a downright extrovert.

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 tells him to be thankful to God for two arms, two
legs, two eyes and ears, a tongue and a brain and
advises him to be friendly with everyone around him.

Mr. Lamb’s inexplicable words of wisdom inspire

Derry and towards the end of the story we see him
rushing back to Mr. Lamb’s garden to adopt the
attitude and path that have been shown by him.
Derry’s long conversation with Mr. Lamb helps him
overcome his inferiority complex and poor self-
esteem.

Question 4.
Derry said, “It (acid) ate me up.” How did this fact
affect his attitude towards life?
Answer:
Derry’s attitude towards life becomes totally bitter
after the acid bums one side of his face. He suffers
from a sense of alienation, low selfesteem and self
rejection. Derry’s suffering is further aggravated by
the feeling that he is unwanted and no one loves
him.

His behaviour also results from people’s

indifference, lack of concern and compassion for
physically impaired people. He feels their words of
sympathy lack genuineness and so he feels very
hurt when they unwittingly remind him of his
impairment.
Derry always remains very conscious of his
handicap. He says that no one will ever love him
because he will continue to look ugly. He does not
like Mr. Lamb’s sermonizing as he feels that it or
anything else cannot change the ugliness of his
face.

Thus Derry feels a terrible sense of frustration and

loneliness due to his severely burnt face.