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THE LEXICON SCHOOLS

(Wagholi ● Hadapsar ● Kalyani Nagar)
NOTES
Class: XII Sec: A,B,C,D,E Subject: English
Topic: Literature

LEARNING OUTCOMES
1. Students will be able to sympathise with differently abled people.
2. Students will be able to express their own insecurities and complexities.
3. Students will be able to comprehend the relation between the characters.
4. Students will be able to appreciate different forms of prose.

VISTAS L6 -
ON THE FACE OF IT BY SUSAN HILL

SUMMARY AND EXPLANATION

TEXT LINK
http://www.ncert.nic.in/ncerts/l/levt106.pdf
VIDEO LINK
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cy_WX_wNFCw

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Susan Hill is an English author of fiction and non-fiction works. 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. She was appointed Commander of the Order of the
British Empire (CBE) in the 2012 Birthday Honours for services to literature.

INTRODUCTION
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.

SUMMARY
1. Derry enters Lamb’s garden
The narrator describes the setting of scene 1. The location is Mr. Lamb’s garden. One can
occasionally hear the birds singing and the low sound of the tree leaves. Derry, a young boy
enters the garden hesitantly. When he comes out of the bushes, he is surprised to hear Mr.
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Lamb talking to him. Mr. Lamb warns him about the crab apples that usually fell in the long
grass from the tree above. Derry was shocked on hearing a voice. He asked as to who it was. 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. He also asked him not to
be afraid. Derry wanted to leave the place.

2. Derry’s face burnt

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.

3. Lamb has a tiny leg

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. Derry replied that there were weeds or unwanted
plants. 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.

4. Derry suffers from a complex

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. He said that once, a

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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 he said that he
won’t change. Mr. Lamb said that Derry was right at that. Derry said that no one would kiss him
ever because of his face. Even his mother kissed him on the good side of his face. He did not
like this at all. He said he didn't care even if nobody kissed him. Mr. Lamb asked him that did
Derry ever want to kiss someone. Derry asks him what he was talking about. Mr. Lamb said that
probably Derry wanted to kiss pretty girls who had long hair and large eyes or other people
whom Derry loved. Derry replied that no one would ever allow him to do so. Mr. Lamb said that
this was unpredictable. Derry said that he will never look different. When he will be as old as
Mr. Lamb then also he will have only half a face. Mr. Lamb said that yes he will always have half
a face but the world was full of so many things to look at. So, he must look at its beauty.

5. Derry indulges in Self – pity

Derry said that all this would not change his face. One day as he was waiting at a bus stop, a
woman passed by him. He heard her telling another woman that he had such a terrible face that
only his mother could love him and no one else could. Mr. Lamb asked him did he believe what
he heard. Derry stressed that he heard it. Mr. Lamb asked that was this the only thing he had
heard from someone. Derry said that no, he had heard many other things too. Lamb suggested
him to shut his ears i.e., he should ignore all this. Derry found Lamb’s words strange and added
that he couldn’t understand his questions. Mr. Lamb said that he liked to talk and also liked the
company of others. He also told him that there was no need to answer him and as the gates
were open, he could leave if he wanted to. Derry did not leave and he seemed unsure of it.

6. Mr. Lamb shows the way

Derry said that if he would have entered his garden even after knowing that he was there, it
would have been without his permission. Mr. Lamb said that was not the real reason. Derry said
that he did not like going near people as they got afraid of him and stared at him. Mr. Lamb
suggested that he could lock himself in a room forever. He then narrated a story about the man
who locked himself in his room as he was afraid of everything. The man thought that he would
meet with an accident with a bus, he would catch infection from someone, a donkey would kick
him to death, the lightning may hit him or he may die because the girl whom he loved may
leave him or he may even slip off a banana and people would laugh at him. In order to safeguard
himself from all such incidents, he locked himself in his room. Derry surprisingly asked Mr. Lamb
if he locked himself forever. He replied that no, he did so for a while. Derry asked him what
happened next. Mr. Lamb replied that a picture fell on his head and he died. This made him
laugh a lot and he said that Mr. Lamb narrated strange talks. Mr. Lamb said that they were
strange for some people.
Derry said that his family forced him to do things their way. Mr. Lamb said that it was Derry's
wish to agree with them or not. Derry was confused about what he wanted, something that was
only his, and no one had it - like the garden. Mr. Lamb said that he could find out what he
wanted. Derry asked how he could do that. Mr. Lamb told him to wait, watch and listen. He
added that he had to see the bees. Derry asked that did the other visitors talk to Mr. Lamb. Mr.
Lamb replied that some did while some did not. Derry said that he did not believe that someone
ever visited the place. Mr. Lamb lived alone all by himself. No one cared for him. Mr. Lamb said
that Derry could think as he pleased. Derry asked him the names of some of the visitors. Mr.
Lamb said that names were nothing. They could be like Tom, Dick or Harry. He left to see the
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bees. Derry said that perhaps Mr. Lamb was mentally challenged. Mr. Lamb said that was a good
excuse for Derry but Derry said that Mr. Lamb did not talk sense and that's why he said so. Mr.
Lamb repeated that it was a good excuse for not returning to the garden. Derry's face was
burned which was other people's excuse for not seeing Derry. Derry said that Mr. Lamb was like
other people. If he was not sorry that his face was burned, then maybe he was scared of it. If
not that, then maybe he thought that Derry was as ugly as a devil. He added that he was a
devil. Derry shouted. Mr. Lamb did not reply. He had gone to see the bees. Derry became calm
and said that Mr. Lamb did not think him to be a devil. He liked to be in the garden. Derry got
up and shouted that he was leaving and that he would return to see him. He did not have a tin
leg, could run and would be back soon.
Derry ran off. The place was silent with the sounds of the creatures of the garden.

7. Derry comes back but Mr. Lamb dies

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.
The third scene is in Mr. Lamb’s garden. There was the sound of branches. Mr. Lamb was talking
to himself while he was plucking the apples. Suddenly a harsh sound of the cracking wood was
heard and the ladder fell on the ground. Mr. Lamb fell 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.

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Q1. What is it that draws Derry towards Mr. Lamb in spite of himself?
Ans. Both Derry and Mr. Lamb are disabled. Derry has a burnt face and Mr. Lamb has a tin leg.
Derry is depressed because of his ugly face. People don’t like him or are afraid of him. His
parents also think that he will not be able to do anything after their death. Such things have
made him so sad and depressed that he has started to hate people. Mr. Lamb discovers this
about him while talking to him. He encourages him to lead a normal life and suggests him to
watch and listen to everything in order to enjoy life. He gives him his own example that people
tease him for his tin leg but he doesn't care about this. Such positive things draw Derry towards
Mr. Lamb.

Q2. In which section of the play does Mr. Lamb display signs of loneliness and disappointment?
What are the ways in which Mr. Lamb tries to overcome these feelings?
Ans. In the middle part of the first scene, we observe that Mr. Lamb is lonely. He tells Derry
that when it is a bit cooler, he will get the ladder and a stick, and pull down those crab apples.
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He makes jelly with them. Derry could help him. He also tells him that he is interested in
anybody or anything that God has created. It may be a person, flower, fruit, grass, weeds or
rubbish. He also tells him that he sits in the sun and reads books and that he does not use
curtains in his house because he wants to enjoy both light and darkness. These all are the signs
of his loneliness and also his ways of overcoming it.

Q3. 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?
Ans3. The story reveals the bitter truth of a life led by a disabled person. They not only suffer
physical pain but also suffer emotionally due to the absurd behavior of people. They are teased
and disliked by others. Derry has a burnt face and people don’t like him for being ugly. Some
get afraid of him which does not allow him to stay with them. On the other hand, Mr. Lamb has
a tin leg and is teased by kids as ‘Lamey Lamb’. He lives alone in his big house and has no one in
his life. Such instances show that the sense of alienation that these people feel causes them
constant pain. Such persons expect cooperation from others. They do not want sympathy but
just a reasonable behavior just like normal people get from their counterparts.

Q4. Will Derry get back to his old seclusion or will Mr Lamb’s brief association effect a change
in the kind of life he will lead in the future?
Ans. Derry will not get back to his old seclusion because Mr. Lamb had changed his way of
thinking. He told him that hating people and living alone is more harmful then what acid did to
him. He told him to take risk and face people. He also suggested that it’s just his face that has
disfigured. He has legs, arms, heart and brain and he could do whatever he wants to do in his
life. He also says that there are chances that Derry can achieve more than a normal person can
if he makes a firm determination to achieve something. This surely had a great impact on him
and this can be seen that he returned back to the garden though his mother was not ready to let
him go. He decided to face it and live without fear of being disliked by anyone and therefore
runs back to the garden in order to live those moments again which he liked when he was in the
company of Mr. Lamb.

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THE LEXICON SCHOOLS

(Wagholi ● Hadapsar ● Kalyani Nagar)
WORKSHEET
Class: XII Sec: A,B,C,D,E Subject: English
Topic: On the Face of it

Q1. Answer the following questions in 40-50 words-

a. Why does Mr. Lamb leaves his gate open?
b. What peculiar things does Derry notice about the old man, Mr. Lamb?
c. According to Derry, what do people think and say about him?
d. What is the bond that unites the two – the old man, Mr. Lamb and Derry, the young boy?

Q2. Answer the following questions in 100-120 words-

a. Both Derry and Lamb are victims of physical impairment, but much more painful for them
is the feeling of loneliness. Comment
b. Derry is withdrawn and defiant because he has developed a deep inferiority complex in
him. Does he show a sign of change in him at the end?

Q3. Suggest an alternative ending to the story in about 2-3 dialogues.

Q4. Read the book, ‘Wonder’ written by R. J. Palacio or you can also watch the movie
based on the book.
a. Compare the protagonist of both the stories, i.e Derry and August Pullman in about 120 –
150 words
b. Write an article titled, ‘Alienation: Not the solution for Physically Disabled People’ in
about 12- - 150 words.

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