SUMMARY -
This is a play. Moreover, it is about the friendship between a young boy, Derry and an old man,
Mr. Lamb. Because of his facial scar, he is very upset and feels that people do not want to
associate with him. So, to hide from people he gets into the old man’s garden but panics when
he meets him. Mr. Lamb put him at ease and advised him to accept life as it comes. Further, he
has a more cheerful and optimistic approach to life. Also, he conveys Derry to live life to the
fullest and avoid bitterness. He further advises him to accept life as it is. However, Derry was
moved by Mr. Lamb’s attitude and spirit. Besides, when Derry tries to come out of his shell, he
met a great loss of the only person who makes friends with him.
The theme on the face of it revolves around the concept of human insecurities and the
constraints society puts on them. It also talks about the difference in people and their thought
processes. The difference in how people see life and live it. It sends out a message that it is
absolutely okay to have flaws and still live life with dignity, respect, and love. No matter how
much society puts you down, you have to be strong enough to face everyone. Also, if you want
everyone else to love you, you have to start loving yourself first.
Character Sketches:
Derry: Derry is a little boy who has his own insecurities. He is under-confident. He is lonely,
withdrawn, and likes to stay away from people. He is pessimistic and does not have a positive
approach towards life. He is a thoughtful and good kid who listens to Mr Lamb, spends time with
him, and analyzes that he has not been living a good life by creating a societal gap in his life.
Mr Lamb: He is an optimistic man who cares about people and wants to bring a change in the
lives of people. Despite his tinned leg, he talks to everyone with a smiling face and is always
open for a talk. He keeps the curtains of his house open to represent that he is open to
everyone who wants to have a conversation. He is empathetic, positive, and kind. He teaches
Derry that his flaws are beautiful and worth celebrating. The scars on his face should not be the
reason for him being lonely in his life. He should be talking to people, living a socially rich life,
and start looking at life with a positive attitude.
Textbook Questions -
1. Who is Mr. Lamb? How does Derry get into his garden?
Answer: Mr Lamb is an old man with a tin leg. His real leg was blown off years ago during the
war. He lives all alone in his house. There is a garden near the house. It has ripe crab apples
looking orange and golden in colour. Mr Lamb is sitting in his garden when Derry climbs over
the garden wall to get into his garden. Though the gate is open, the boy does not use it.
2. Do you think all this will change Derry's attitude towards Mr. Lamb?
Answer: Derry's burnt face made him the center of ridicule. Although people sympathized with
him, it was never a heartfelt one. This resulted in his pessimistic approach towards life. He
thought that everyone detested and despised him. On the contrary, Mr. Lamb did not show any
pity towards him. He considered Derry to be his equal and welcomed him in his garden. He
helped the boy to love and live life happily without any contempt for his own self. Derry had
initially considered the old man to be like others, but he gradually started respecting and liking
him for what he said.
3. What is it that draws Derry towards Mr. Lamb in spite of himself?
Answer :Derry finds Mr. Lamb different from others. Mr. Lamb shows no shock or fear on seeing
Derry's burned face. Rather he talks to him in a loving manner. He welcomes him to his garden.
He offers to pluck apples and make jelly for him. He calls him his friend. He says that things look
outwardly different, but inwardly they are all the same. He gives the example of flowers, trees,
herbs and weeds. They look different, but they are all growing living things. Similarly, people can
have different looks, but inwardly they are all the same. Derry says that he hates some people.
At this, Mr. Lamb says that it can do him more harm than any bottle of acid. Acid burns only the
face, but hatred burns one away inside. He tells Derry never to think of his burned face. He has
two arms, two legs, eyes, ears, tongue and a brain. And if he has a firm mind, he can do better
than others. It is by such words of encouragement that Mr. Lamb draws Derry to himself.
4. 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?
Answer : Although the loneliness of Derry dominates the play, there are evident traces of Mr.
Lamb's loneliness throughout the first scene of the play. The old man says that having heard the
bees for a "long time" he knows that they "sing", not buzz. It not only depicts how his perception
was different from others but also illustrates that he was lonely and that he did not have any one
to be with. Another evidence of his loneliness is the fact that whole day he sat in the sun and
books. This proves that books were his only true friends. He says that his "empty house" is full
of books, underlining the way in which the void of his empty life was filled in by books.
By the end of this scene, it becomes even clearer that he is lonely and sad when he mutters to
himself that no one comes back to him after the first meeting.
Likewise, he did not expect Derry to return. He was so sure that Derry would never return that
he climbed the ladder to collect all the apples himself, although Derry had offered to help him
after informing his mother. Ironically, the old man would have died unnoticed if Derry had not
returned to fill the emptiness of his own life.
3. 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?
Answer: A person with any physical impairment can live life with respect and honour, if he is not
ridiculed and punished with heartless pity. He expects empathy rather than sympathy. If
everyone looks down at him with a pessimistic approach, he may never be able to come out of
his sorrow, and consequently, recline to his own secluded world. He is already under
tremendous mental and emotional pressure. So, he expects others to be understanding rather
than remind him of his disability.
In the play, Derry and Mr. Lamb, both are caught in a similar situation. Mr. Lamb, as an adult, is
able to cope with such problems, but Derry, being a child, is not able to untangle this web alone.
He developed a strong liking for this old man because he spoke the words a person with such a
problem would want to hear.
4. 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?
Answer : The brief association of Derry with Mr. Lamb boosted his self-confidence and helped
him to respect his own self. The manner in which the old man made Derry realize the
importance of his being self-dependent, of respecting himself and of holding on to hope helped
Derry undergo a remarkable change. The new found self-esteem makes him tell his mother that
his looks are not important. It is not likely that the death of Mr. Lamb would take him back to his
secluded life. This big change is definitely here to stay and would not be undone due to
setbacks.
EXTRA IMPORTANT QUESTIONS -
1.How does Mr. Lamb keep himself busy when it is a bit cool?
Answer: When the weather was cool, Mr. Lamb would take a ladder and a stick and pull down
the crab apples. He would make jelly with the ripened oranges and golden apples to keep him
occupied.
2.As told by Mr. Lamb, why did a man lock himself up in his room and what happened to him?
Answer:The man locked himself up in his room because he was afraid that a bus might run him
over or a man might breathe deadly germs onto him, or a donkey might kick him to death or
lightning might strike him down or he might slip on a banana skin and fall and people would
laugh at him. But despite locking himself in the room, he died as a picture fell off the wall on his
head.
3.If you were to give a different ending to the story ‘On the Face of It’ how would you end it?
Answer:I would have given a happy ending to the story. I would not like Mr. Lamb to die at the
end. Instead Derry would be received by Mr. Lamb and they both would become good friends.
4.How does Derry interpret the fairy tale ‘Beauty and the Beast’? What does he feel about
himself?
Answer:Derry says Beauty loved the Beast and so she kissed him and he changed into a
handsome prince. But this would not happen to him because no one was going to kiss him.
Even his mother kissed him on the other side of the face.
Question 5.Why did Mr. Lamb help Derry?
Answer:Mr. Lamb himself was handicapped. He knew the difficulties faced by people like him.
But he was very optimistic and wanted to motivate and inspire others. He wanted Derry to look
at the things from a different perspective. It was.his nature of generosity, love and altruism that
compelled him to help Derry.
