 Class 12 ENGLISH

 On the face of it
 (VISTAS)
 -Susan hill
 Chapter 6

• BY-
RAJESH SAHU
S.SHIVNATH
SARTHAK MISHRA
AUTHOR
 INTRODUCTION
 TITLE OF THE PLAY
 THEME
 SUMMARY
 KEYPOINTS
 SUSAN ELIZABETH HILL
BORN: 5 February 1942, Scarborough,England

English author of fiction and non-fiction works.

.
Susan Elizabeth Hill is a prolific writer: the
author of numerous novels, collections of short
stories, non-fiction and children's fiction as well
a respected reviewer, as critic, broadcaster and
editor.

Susan Hill published her first novel in 1961. Her books have won the Whitbread (now Costa), James Tait Black and
Somerset Maugham Prizes and were shortlisted for the Man Booker. The play adapted from her best-selling ghost
story The Woman in Black has been running in London's West End for 30 years. Susan has been a judge for most
British book prizes, and was made a CBE in 2012 for services to literature.
Derry: A boy of 14 with a burnt face, looks ugly, loner, pessimistic, suffered from severe
negative complexes, anger and frustration, withdrawn and introverted, low confidence,
indulged in self pity, suspicious of the intent of others.

Mr. Lamb: An Old man with a tin leg, lonely, craved for company and acceptance, jovial,
optimistic, lover of nature, social, outgoing, tolerant, helpful, sensitive, independent, didn't
mind children calling him Lamely Lamb or picking the Crab apples.

Derry's mother: Seems to be simultaneously overprotective and not understanding of her

son. She contributes to his isolation by keeping him home because of his facial injury, and
treats him with a sense of pity that robs him of dignity and agency-essentially treating him
like a perpetually helpless victim.
 INTRODUCTION

THE PLAY DEPICTS A UNIQUE BOND BETWEEN A FOURTEEN-YEAR-OLD BOY

DERRY AND AN OLD MAN MR. LAMB. BOTH OF THEM ARE PHYSICALLY
IMPAIRED. DERRY'S ONE SIDE OF THE FACE ISBURNT WITH ACID WHEREAS
MR. LAMB HAS GOT A TIN LEG BECAUSE HIS REAL LEG WAS BLOWN OFFIN
WAR. DERRY IS WITHDRAWN AND HE DOES NOT LIKE BEING NEAR PEOPLE.
HE FEELS ODD WHEN THEY STARE AND WHEN HE SEES THEM BEING AFRAID
OF HIM. MR.LAMB TELLS HIM THAT BEING SECLUDED IS NOT A SOLUTION TO
HIS PROBLEM. MR. LAMB MAKES DERRY AWARE OF THE REALITY OF LIFE
AND ENCOURAGES HIM IN EVERY WAY HOW HE CAN COPE WITH HIS
IMPAIRMENT IN THE BEST POSSIBLE MANNER. THUS MR. LAMB STRIKES UP A
FRIENDSHIP WITH DERRY. DERRY IS KEEN TO HELP HIM THOUGH HIS
MOTHER PERSUADES HIM NOT TO GO BACK TO HIS GARDEN. DERRY GOES
THERE BUT FINDS THE OLD MAN FALLEN ON THE GROUND DEAD
 TITLE OF THE STORY

 This definition of the expression should leave us in no doubt about the

appropriateness of the title. Mr. Lamb is called Lamely Lamb and mothers
were afraid of sending the children because of his tin leg. Derry has a
burnt face and everyone pities him. Only a mother could love such a face.
Both Mr. Lamb and Derry have been facing hatred and alienation. Mr.
Lamb takes comments lightly. But Derry does not have the attitude like
Mr. Lamb. The attitude of the people needs to be changed. On the face of
it, both suffer from disability but their attitudes are very different. The
title is therefore justified.
 THEMES

 Human Connection and Openess On the Face of It, a short play that mostly consists of
a conversation between an old man, Mr. Lamb, and a fourteen-year-old boy, Derry, is
largely concerned with the relationships between people and the things that divide
them or bring them together. Derry has a burned face and Mr. Lamb has lost a leg,
and so society treats them differently from other people. In response to this, Derry has
learned to close himself off and avoid others, while Mr. Lamb maintains an attitude of
openness. Ultimately, Lamb's friendliness and non-judgmental acceptance win Derry
over, and the two find a strong (though brief) connection. In Mr. Lamb's character,
playwright Susan Hill presents a worldview that embraces openness, the dignity and
value of all people, and the importance of connection and kindness between them-and
though Lamb's story ends in tragedy, his positive effects off ty are what linger beyond
the play's final scene.
 THEME
Nature, Observation, and Contemplation
While on the Face of It is primarily concerned with issues of human
connection and alienation, it also touches on the value of simply sitting in
nature, contemplating one's experience, and observing the world and other
people. Again, this is mostly presented through the character of Mr. Lamb,
and also in the way that Derry is converted to Lamb's contemplative
worldview over the course of their conversation. In connection to its theme
of remaining open to all kinds of experience, the play emphasizes the
importance of appreciating nature and observing and learning from one's
surroundings.
 THEME
Disability and Perception
The two main characters of On the Face of It both have a physical disability, but they
react to their disabilities in very different ways. The fourteen-year-old Derry had half of
his face badly burned by acid in an accident, while Mr. Lamb lost one of his legs in
World War II. Because he has been treated poorly by society as a person with a visible
physical disability, Derry avoids others and assumes that everyone either pities or fears
him. Mr. Lamb, on the other hand, sees disabilities as something that don't matter when it
comes to one's humanity, and his conversation with Derry offers the boy a different
perspective. 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
 THEME
Loneliness and Alienation
The play largely consists of a single conversation between an old man, Mr. Lamb, and a boy,
Derry, who had previously never met but who eventually find a sense of connection and
companionship with each other. A large part of the poignancy of this brief connection (brief
because Mr. Lamb presumably dies before their relationship can grow further) is the fact that
both characters live in a society that makes them feel alienated and alone. Because of their
respective physical disabilities, Derry and Mr. Lamb are treated differently from other
people, and this leads them to lives of relative isolation, whether willingly or not . Theme On
the Face of It explores some of the ways people separate themselves from others and alienate
certain people, and shows just how damaging loneliness and isolation can be
 SUMMARY
The story begins with a teenage boy entering a garden. His face is burnt on one side
due to an accident when acid fell on half of his face. He has gone there to hide himself
as he is afraid of facing people. He fears being teased by others for having such a face.
Upon entering the garden he finds someone already presents there. Hence, he tries to
leave but the old man, Mr. Lamb(owner of the garden) stops him .
Mr. Lamb state to him that he has a tin leg and how kids make fun of him. Yet he
enjoys his life to the fullest. Their conversation went on and on and reveal various
things about Derry's fear, hatred, and depression about being in such a condition. Also,
Mr. Lamb keeps on telling him to think about the positive things.
BEFORE LONG THEY BECAME FRIENDS AND MR. LAMB ASKS DERRY TO ASSIST
HIM IN PLUCKING THE CRAB APPLES OF HIS GARDEN.
DERRY STATE TO HIM THAT HE HAD COME TOO FAR FROM HIS HOME AND
HADN'T TOLD ANYTHING ABOUT THIS TO HIS MOTHER. SO, MR. LAMB ASKS
HIM TO TAKE PERMISSION FROM HIS MOTHER . EVENTUALLY, DERRY AGREES
AND TELLS MR. LAMB THAT HE WOULD COME BACK AFTER ASKING
PERMISSION FROM HIS MOTHER. HOWEVER, HIS MOTHER DOES NOT WANT
HIM TO GO BUT HE CAME BACK TO FULFILL HIS PROMISE.
IN THE MEANTIME, MR. LAMB CLIMBS A LADDER ON HIS OWN TO PLUCK THE
CRAB APPLES AS HE WAS SURE THAT DERRY WOULD NOT RETURN.
MOREOVER, BECAUSE OF HIS DISABILITY, IT WAS DIFFICULT FOR HIM TO
CLIMB. SO, HE SLIPS FROM THE LADDER AND DIES. ON THE OTHER HAND,
DERRY RETURNS TO THE GARDEN TO HELP HIM BUT ON ENTERING THE
GARDEN HE SEES HIM LYING ON THE FLOOR. FURTHER, HE ATTEMPTS TO
MOVE HIM BUT DIDN'T GET ANY RESPONSE FROM HIM. IN THE END, HE CAME
TO KNOW THAT HE IS DEAD AND STARTS CRYING.
 KEY POINTS

 The play depicts beautifully yet grimly the sad world of the 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.
 Two physically impaired people, Mr. Lamb with a tin leg and Derry with a burnt face, strike a
band of friendship.
 Derry is described as a young boy shy, withdrawn and defiant.
 People tell him inspiring stories to console him, no one will ever kiss him except his mother that
too on the other side of his face.
 Mr. Lamb revives the almost dead feelings of Derry towards life.
 He motivates him to think positively about life, changes his mind set about people and things how
a man locked himself as he was scared-a picture fell off the wall and got killed.
Everything appears to be the same but is different- Ex. of bees. and weeds.
The gate of the garden is always open.
Derry is inspired and promises to come back.
Derry's mother stops him but he is adamant saying if he does not go now it
would be never.
When he comes back he sees lamb lying on the ground.
It is ironical that when he searches a new foothold to live happily, he finds
Mr. Lamb dead.
In this way the play depicts the heart rendering life of physically disabled
people with their loneliness, aloofness and alienation.
But at the same time it is almost a true account of the people who don't let
aperson live happily.