On the Face of it Summary

ON THE FACE OF IT

By Susan Hill

Introduction

The play is about the friendship between an old man and a young boy who is withdrawn and defiant. Both of them had some physical impairment, but the outlook of each of them towards life in general and people in particular was very different. The old man had a positive outlook towards life, whereas the young boy with the scarred face had become withdrawn and pessimistic.

Theme

The play, 'On the Face of It' brings out the idea that the people who have any handicap/ physical impairment of some kind, generally suffer from a sense of loneliness and mental pain. It also talks about how appearances are deceptive and most often, we go on dealing with impressions and prejudices about others without caring to know about them actually.

Main Characters

Derry

Withdrawn and defiant; bitter towards the world; lonely and pessimistic, cares too much about his disability and hates it when people stare or pity him.

Mr Lamb

Optimistic; lonely but happy; does not care too much about his disability and has learnt to accept it.

Summary

The play entitled, 'On the Face of It' written by Susan Hill deals with the issues of the disabled people. It does not deal with actual pain or inconvenience due to a physical impairment which distresses a disabled person. It rather deals with the behavior of the people all around them. People discard a disabled person as a useless limb and refuse to accept him as a part and parcel of society. It makes him feel alienated from the human society and make him want to Iive in seclusion.

The play has two disabled persons Derry, a young Lad of fourteen who bears a burnt face and Mr Lamb an old man with a tin leg Darry is quite withdrawn and defient. He by chance meets Mr Lamb in his garden. The old man devises ways and means to overcome his feelings of isolation and disappointment.  He even helps the boy to come of of his seculusion and infuses in him the courage and determination to live on successfully in this world without bothering about him. In the end the end,Derry breaks out of his shell, but walks in a dead Mr Lamb.

NCERT Questions

1. Who is Mr Lamb? How does Derry get into his garden?

Ans. Mr Lamb is an old man. Apparently, he had served in the army where one of his legs was blown off in the war. Now, he has a tin leg. He stays in a big house and has a garden. He even keeps the gate of his garden open. Everyone is welcome in his garden. Most of his time is spent in reading books or sitting in the garden.

Mr Lamb has adjusted himself with his physical impairment and had rather got over it with the passage of time. He has learnt how to keep himself steady on the ladder while plucking apples from the branches. Children call him 'Lamey-Lamb' when he goes down the street, but he is undisturbed, taking it as fun. Thus, they are not afraid of him. They come into his garden for apples and pears. So, Mr Lamb has a jolly good time. Derry gets into his garden by climbing the wall even though the gate is open. Perhaps, he does not want to be noticed by the people while entering through the gate.

2. Do you think all this will change Derry's attitude towards Mr Lamb?

Ans. Before coming into contact with Mr Lamb, Derry showed signs of loneliness and disillusionment. He felt alienated due to the behaviour of the people. Initially, he thought Mr Lamb was like other people, so he drew back from him. But he found Mr Lamb to be different from others. Mr Lamb said peculiar things which Derry was unable to comprehend, yet he felt that these things did matter. Mr Lamb was able to inspire in him the self-confidence and determination to overcome his physical impairment. Derry. who regarded Mr Lamb as a crazy old man, initially, was filled with love and admiration for him towards the end of the play. This is quite obvious as he wept over the death of Mr Lamb.

3. What is it that draws Derry towards Mr Lamb inspite of himself? [CBSE (AI) 2009)

Ans. Mr Lamb boosted Derry's morale through his talk. He made him realise that there was more to life than being stuck on with a handicap or a burnt face. The ridicule of the people did not matter. Life is a challenge and one should face it. It is important to move on in life and have a positive attitude in life. We should not be affected by the petty prejudices and reactions of other individuals.