ON THE FACE OF IT

-Susan Hill
About the Author:
Susan Hill is an English prolific writer and has authored many novels, collection of short stories
and children’s fiction. She is a revered critic, reviewer and editor. She became interested in
theatre very early in her life and says she liked the sound and smells of theatre. She had to
undergo tragic circumstances in her life and hence talks a great deal about loss and sense of
loneliness and isolation in her semi-autobiographical novel ‘In the Springtime of the Year 1974.’
She is reminiscent of Derry from the play. 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.
THEME:
On The Face Of It, a short play by Susan Hill, deals with the themes of loss, sense of isolation
and transformation. In this most inspiring short play, Susan Hill makes it clear that handicaps
can only be overcome when one makes a deliberate choice to change or when you 'set your
mind to it'. One must brave every situation in one’s life and accept whatever comes one’s way
with aplomb. The play depicts beautifully yet grimly the sad world of 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.
MESSAGE:
On The Face of It propounds the belief that handicaps can be overcome by those who make a
choice! People who suffer from disabilities must always look at the bright side of things and
adapt reality of life bravely. Appearances are deceptive and most often, we go on dealing with
impressions and prejudices about other without caring to know about them actually.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS:
 In the play, Mr Lamb plays the pivotal role of an elder, a teacher or a mentor who helps
Derry go through a process of transformation, a process that will help him overcome his
handicap.
 Derry's handicap is more symbolic than actual, it lies in his faulty perception of how the
world looks at him.
 The play explores how emotional trauma can be more painful and difficult to heal than
physical trauma. The play also highlights the futility of shutting off one's self from the
world, and why one needs to give the benefit of doubt to everything one overhears.
 He believed that no one loved him and his mother loved him because she was supposed
to.
 Derry cannot be completely blamed for his pessimistic and aggressive attitude towards
the world around him.
 In their brief encounter, Mr Lamb was able to make him see the brighter side of life.
 On the face of it is a lesson that tells us how the actual pain or inconvenience caused by
the acid would have been less than the emotional pain of having the scar
 Derry liked Mr Lamb because he made see what was good in life. He liked Mr Lamb
because he made him think about life. He made him feel good. He rekindled life in him.
 Derry has finally learned to look beyond his scar, his mental handicap, his self-created
fear of people and their perception of him
 While Derry closes himself off to avoid being hurt by other people, Lamb keeps himself
open to all kinds of interaction. This is also symbolized by the state of his house
 Derry has also internalized society’s view of him, saying that he even fears himself when
he looks in a mirror. He considers himself monstrous because of this disability. He tells
Mr. Lamb, “you think I’m ugly as a devil. I am a devil.” Derry considers himself
fundamentally different from other people because of his disability, and feels only
shame and anger because of this.
 Instead of seeing disabilities as things to be hated, hidden away, or ashamed of, they
can be treated as simple facts of certain people’s experience, and addressed as such
without degrading people’s humanity or dignity
 The play’s title, which most clearly refers to Derry’s burned face, also asks its audience
to look beyond what is “on the face of it” when dealing with disability.
 There are certainly differences between people, but there’s no reason to use some of
these differences as an excuse to elevate some and oppress others.
 Mr. Lamb’s says his disability doesn’t matter in terms of his humanity, and isn’t
somehow definitive of who he is simply because it’s a visible part of his body.
 “That’s a good excuse. Good excuse not to come back. And you’ve got a burned-up face,
and that’s other people’s excuse.” The point he’s making here is that people find
reasons to separate themselves from others for fear of being hurt. Whether this is
avoiding someone because of a physical disability they have or refusing to get closer to
someone because of the way they challenge one’s beliefs, people long for connection
but also isolate themselves in an attempt to avoid pain.
 The play ultimately advocates a shift in perception about disability—both on a societal
and an individual level—to more fully embrace the value and dignity of all people,
whatever their experience or appearance might be. This also includes changing the
perspectives of people with disabilities themselves so that they might stop seeing their
own disabilities as something to be hated or ashamed of.
 On the Face of It portrays characters who have many good reasons to avoid other
people, but it also illustrates how human beings long for connection with others, and
how isolation and alienation can lead to great suffering. Alienating others and secluding
one’s self can be a means of self-preservation, but as the play shows, this isolation only
leads to greater unhappiness in the end.
 Mr. Lamb’s openness towards other people, as he accepts all kinds of human
interaction, either positive or negative, and tries to learn from it.
 Mr. Lamb might be lonely for friends and family, but he also seems satisfied and at
peace with his contemplative life, and finds company in his plants, bees, books, and the
occasional visitor like Derry.
 “There’s plenty of other things to stare at. Like crab apples or the weeds or a spider
climbing up a silken ladder, or my tall sun-flowers.” Instead of focusing inward on his
own problems, Lamb prefers to look outward at the world, and he finds a sense of
peace in contemplating nature rather than the negative aspects of humanity or his own
disability.
 Lamb treats Derry like any other boy, and challenges his extreme reservations. Mr. Lamb
embodies the play’s philosophy of openness, and he presents this to Derry as an
 alternative to his bitter isolation. Derry does in fact long for human connection even as
he fears the potential pain of being rejected
 At the play’s end, Mr. Lamb falls and seems to have died, but it’s clear he has touched
Derry deeply. As the boy runs to Lamb’s body, Derry starts weeping—a sure sign of a
bond between the two, despite the briefness of their relationship.