NCERT Solutions for Class 12

English
Chapter 6 – On The Face Of It

1. Who is Mr. Lamb? How does Derry get into his garden?
Ans: Mr. Lamb is an elderly gentleman with a rusted leg. Years ago, during
the war, his real leg was blasted off. He is the sole occupant of his home which
has a garden. It's filled with luscious crab apples that are orange and golden
in color. When Derry jumps over the garden wall to get into Mr. Lamb's
garden and does not utilizes the open door to enter only to find Mr. Lamb
sitting in his garden.

2. Do you think all this will change Derry’s attitude towards Mr. Lamb?
Ans: Yes, Derry's attitude toward Mr. Lamb will change as a result of all of
this. Derry's charred face has made him the target of scorn. People
sympathized with him, but it was never a heartfelt sympathy. As a result, he
developed a negative outlook on life. Everyone loathed and despised him, he
believed. Mr. Lamb, on the other hand, showed no sympathy for him.
Mr.Lamb had a tin leg, and Derry had a burnt face, so Mr.Lamb could
sympathize with him. He assisted the youngster in learning to love and live a
happy life without disrespect for himself. Derry had initially dismissed the
elderly man as ordinary, but he grew to appreciate and admire him as a result
of what he said.

3. What is it that draws Derry towards Mr. Lamb despite himself?

Ans: Mr. Lamb is distinct from the others, according to Derry. When Mr.
Lamb sees Derry's charred face, he exhibits no surprise or alarm. Instead, he
speaks to him in a caring tone. He extends a warm welcome to him in his
backyard. He offers to help him by picking apples and making jelly. He refers
to him as a friend. He claims that things may appear to be different on the

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 surface, but they are all the same on the inside. He uses flowers, trees, plants,
and weeds as examples. They may differ in appearance, but they are all
growing live organisms. People can have diverse outward appearances, yet
they are all the same on the inside. When Mr. Lamb hears Derry declare he
dislikes some individuals, he says it can injure him more than any bottle of
acid. Hatred, on the other hand, burns one's insides - the soul. He encourages
Derry to forget about his burned face. He has two arms and legs, as well as
eyes, ears, a tongue, and a brain. And if he has a strong mind, he will be able
to outperform others. Mr. Lamb attracts Derry to himself with such words of
encouragement.

4. In which section of the play does Mr. Lamb display signs of loneliness and
disappointment? What are how Mr. Lamb tries to overcome these
feelings?
Ans: Although Derry's loneliness is the focus of the play, there are signs of
Mr. Lamb's loneliness throughout the first scene. The old guy claims that he
has heard the bees for a "long time" and that they "sing" rather than buzz. It
not only shows how his perception differed from others, but it also shows that
he was lonely because he had no one to accompany him. Another sign of his
loneliness is that he spent the entire day sitting in the sun reading books. This
demonstrates that his only actual buddies were books. He claims that his
"empty house" is full of books, implying that reading filled the hole in his life.
When he mutters to himself that no one comes back to him after the first
meeting at the end of this scenario, it becomes even evidence that he is lonely
and depressed. He also does not anticipate Derry's comeback. He was so
certain Derry would never return that he ascended the ladder himself to collect
all of the apples. Derry, on the other hand, had offered to assist him after
alerting his mother, but the elderly man was unsure of his return. Ironically, if
Derry hadn't returned to fill the need in his own life, he would have died
undetected.

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 5. 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 behavior that the person expects from
others?
Ans: If he is not mocked and punished with cold pity, a person with any
physical handicap can live a life of dignity and honor. Instead of sympathy,
he expects empathy. If everyone looks down on him with a pessimistic
attitude, he may never be able to shake his sadness and, as a result, retreat to
his little world. He's already under a lot of mental and emotional strain. As a
result, he expects others to be understanding rather than point out his
handicap. Derry and Mr. Lamb are both caught in a similar scenario in the
play. Mr. Lamb, as an adult, is capable of dealing with such issues, but Derry,
as a youngster, is unable to unravel this web on his own. He takes a liking to
this elderly man because he said the words to someone who was going through
the same humiliation. The old man assumed the child would want to hear him.

6. 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: No, Derry will not return to his seclusion. Derry's brief relationship with
Mr. Lamb increased his self-esteem and taught him to value himself. Derry
underwent a remarkable transformation as a result of the elderly man's
teaching him the significance of being self-sufficient, appreciating oneself,
and holding on to hope. He tells his mother that his appearance is unimportant
because of his newfound self-esteem, and he begins to believe in his abilities
rather than his appearance. Mr. Lamb's death is unlikely to bring him back to
his reclusive existence. This significant shift in him is irreversible and will not
be undone by setbacks.

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