On The Face Of It- Workbook solution class 12

 On The Face Of It 

@wee_zy999 

-Susan Hill 

Marks-2/3

Short Answer Type Question:

1.why does Mr. Lamb leave his gate open?

Or,

Why does Mr. Lamb Leave The gate of his house always open?

Answer: Mr. Lamb always keeps his gate open because he does not mind strangers entering his house, He is an extremely social person and is ever ready to welcome anyone who enters his garden.

2. How does Mr. Lamb Keep himself busy when it is a bit cool?

Answer:  When it's a bit cool, Mr. Lamb keeps himself busy by pulling down the ripe crab apples of his garden with the help of the ladder and a stick.

3."It ate my face up. It ate me up". _ who said these words? why?

Answer: These words are uttered by Derry. He said these words because his face was eaten by acid. He had one side of his face disfigured with acid and didn't like it.

4. What kind of garden does Mr. Lamb have? Why does he like it?

Answer:  Mr. Lamb has a garden-outside his house. It has flowers, grass, trees arid bees. That's why he likes every inch of his garden.

5.How does Mr. Lamb react when Derry enters his garden?

Answer: Mr. Lamb realizes that Derry is startled by his presence in the garden. So, he tries to pacify the young lad with his reassuring and kind words. He tells Derry that he does not mind strangers entering his garden and so Derry should not be afraid of anything.

6. How does Mr. Lamb try to remove the baseless fears of Derry?

Answer: Mr. Lamb tells Derry that he, like others, has two eyes, two ears, two legs, two arms, brain and a tongue. He can do or achieve whatever he likes. In this way Mr. Lamb tries to remove baseless fears of Derry.

7.Why did Mr. Lamb Help Derry?

Answer: Lamb helped Derry develop a positive outlook and instilled faith and confidence in him. Derry had confined himself and looking at this Mr. Lamb decided to help the little boy fly high by teaching him some essential morals of life. He wanted to see Derry happy and confident.

8. Why does Derry's mother not want him to go back to visit Mr. Lamb?

Answer: She had seen children tease him and had heard people making adverse remarks. That's why she did not want him to go back to visit Mr. Lamb.

9. Who are Mr. Lamb and Derry?

Answer:  Mr. Lamb is an old man who lived in a big house with a lovely and enormous garden. Due to a bomb explosion, he had lost one of his legs, and it was now replaced with a tin leg. He enjoyed talking to people and making them his friends, so he always kept his garden gates open.

Derry is a complex-ridden fourteen-year-old boy. He is a victim of inferiority complex after acid accidently spilled and burnt one side of his face. 

10. What consolation did people give Derry when they saw his acid burnt face?

Answer: The people saw Derry's acid-burnt face. His ugly face had become fearful to look at. The people did not discourage him. Rather, they often asked him to look at those who are in pain but are brave.

11. How do people react to Derry's Face?

Answer: People are much scared of Derry's burnt face. They pass uncharitable remarks. Those who have got a slight sympathy, they call him a poor boy. Some call that Derry has got a terrible ugly face which can be loved by his mother alone.

12. Why does Derry tell Mr. Lamb That he is afraid of seeing himself in the mirror in the play "on the face of it"?

Answer: One side of Derry’s face is burnt. Acid had fallen on this side. His face looked very ugly. People would always keep on reminding of his face. Therefore, Derry tells Mr. Lamb that he is afraid of seeing himself in the mirror.

13. What qualities of Mr. Lamb attracted Derry towards him?

Answer: Mr. Lamb is a very positive person. He doesn't let his physical disability destroy the happiness in his life. He is not afraid of Derry's face, unlike others. The quality that attracted Derry most to Mr. Lamb was his tremendous patience as he listened to him.

14. What does Derry's mother think about Mr. Lamb ?

Answer: Derry's mother did not have any good opinion about Mr. Lamb. She considered him to be a worthless man. She thought that Mr. Lamb's talk was all nonsense. She did not want Derry to go there.

15. What does Mr. Lamb want to say by the example of bees?

Answer: Mr. Lamb tells Derry to shut out his ears towards those who speak mercilessly about him. Rather he should listen to sweet things like the buzzing of the bees. He should make him too strong to listen to only desirable things.

16. How does Derry deal with the fact that he is often subjected to either pity or curiosity?

Answer: Derry tells the old man that while some people are afraid of him, others pity him because of his face. He doesn't like the way people pretend in front of him, so he doesn't like to be around them.

17. Mr. Lamb tells Derry that the idea of the beauty and the beast is relative. What does he mean?

Answer: Lamb says to Derry; 'it's all relative, beauty and the beast', what essentially does he mean by that? Mr. Lamb means to say that different people have different view pints to look at the same thing. Some find one thing beautiful, others find it ugly. It all depends on outlook and attitude.

18. Elucidate the remark made by Mr. Lamb, "Handsome is as  handsome does".

Answer: The above idiom in the question "handsome is as handsome does" actually means that a person's character and behavior matter more than his appearance. This is valid because a person can wear the most expensive of apparels, but he does not behave well with other people, he his existence has no value.

19. Why does Mr. Lamb make the remark that the world has got a whole face? what does he mean?

Answer: Lamb inspires Derry to look at the world with positive attitude. The world like all things has both good and bad things. He wants Derry to look at the whole picture instead of focusing only on the half of it, which has shown him negative things in life.

20. Why are there no curtains at the windows at Mr. Lamb's house?

Answer: There aren't any curtains at the windows of Mr. Lamb's house because he was not fond of it. He is an open-hearted man, He hates things shut out and in. He likes light, darkness and sound of wind.

Long Answer Type Question:

Marks-6

1.Justify the title of the play "on the face of it".

Answer: The title "On the face of it" justifies the theme of the chapter. With a burned face, Derry had to face discrimination, because of which he had turned pessimistic. He had started hating being around people and had concluded that everyone hated him too because of his face.

2. What message does the play give to the society? Elucidate with suitable examples.

Answer: The message woven into the plot of the play is that scars do not change a person and handicaps must be accepted by individuals and society.”With a burned face, Deny had to face discrimination, because of which he had turned pessimistic. He had started hating being around people and had concluded that everyone hated him too because of his face. Then Derry meets Mr Lamb, a person who looks at things with a “half full” perspective. He points out that how one green plant is considered desirable and how the other (weed) is undesirable and how the sound made by the bees may be noise to some and music to others. He teaches Deny not to look at his burned face as a disability and try to overcome it just as Mr Lamb had dealt with his tin leg. The moral is very loud and clear that people who are physically disabled should not be isolated, we should help them expand their social interactions and help them fight loneliness, depression and disappointment. Mr Lamb tells Derry that it all depends upon people’s individual perceptions. A thing is a beauty for one while that beauty may be a beast for others.

3. How does Mr. Lamb try to remove the baseless fears of Derry?

Answer: His face got attacked by acid, and after that, he had a feeling that nobody will like him further. But Mr. Lamb is an exact opposite and has a very broad mind with a positive approach towards anything. was his exact opposite.

He was very open-minded and kept a positive outlook towards the world.

Mr. Lamb is also a handicap, so he strongly motivated the Derry to move forward and not to look at the people who do not like Derry for his appearance.

Mr. Lamb also encouraged Derry to do great things.

4. Compare and contrast the characters of Mr. Lamb and Derry as revealed in the story "on the face of it".

Answer: Both Mr Lamb and Derry suffer from a physical impairment. Mr Lamb has an artificial leg made of tin and Derry has a severely burnt face — both the experiences have been terribly painful for the respective sufferers.

Apart from this Mr Lamb does not bother about his lameness or that children make fun of him. He takes life as it comes without grumbling. He keeps the gates of his house and windows open. Mr Lamb loves all the creatures of God and states, ‘There’s nothing God made that doesn’t interest me’. Weeds and flowers demonstrate life and growth. If one isolates oneself; one might suffer like the man in Mr Lamb’s story who died when a picture fell off the wall and killed him.

Derry, on the other hand, is a young boy of fourteen who is conscious of his ugly face and is full of bitterness. Derry is withdrawn and complexed. He hates meeting people. He suffers on account of the pain caused by his notions of how much people hate him and are repulsed by him. Derry is forced by Mr Lamb to see that actions are more important than looks and even weeds have their value. Mr. Lamb’s positive attitude changes Derry and inspires him to rush back and face the world.

5.Why do handicapped people suffer from inferiority complex? How can we remove the obstacle?

Answer: Mr. Lamb is an elderly gentleman who suffers from a physical handicap. He has a tin leg because his leg had been blown off in the war. The children tease him by calling him “Lamey Lamb” but he does not mind it.

Derry suffers from an acute sense of self-hatred and rejection because of his burnt face. He feels he is very ugly and so no one will love him. Mr. Lamb too has heard Derry only complain and bemoan about himself. He feels very sad to see a fourteen-year-old boy giving up on life just because of his physical disability. Mr. Lamb at first startles Derry with his strange talk. He tells Derry he is interested in everything created by God. His encouraging words have a magical effect on Derry. Mr. Lamb’s conversation that everyone and everything is essentially the same, the notion of beauty is relative and his concept of the world and friendship baffle but appeal to Derry and he is fascinated by the old man. Mr. Lamb inspires Derry by telling him not to focus on the shortcomings of life and his handicap and instead he should try to enjoy the blessings of life. He tells him to be thankful to God for two arms, two legs, two eyes and ears, a tongue and a brain and advises him to be friendly with everyone around him. Derry’s long conversation with Mr. Lamb helps him overcome his inferiority complex and poor self-esteem.

6.Why did Derry feel the urgency to come back to Mr. Lamb?

Answer: Derry was a young boy, but his face was burnt. people usually got afraid by looking at his face. But Mr. lamb was a wise person he treats Derry like a normal person. He told to Derry to make friends as the people are not there enemy, they all are friends, Derry has to face the world to live a happy life. Derry also wants to live a free life so he makes friend to Mr. Lamb but he wants to ask to his mother to stay for some time at Mr. lamb's garden. so, Derry goes to his mother and ask her to stay with Mr. lamb. But Derry's mother doesn't want his son to stay with a stranger, so she doesn't allow Derry to go back. But Derry was not ready to listen to his mother and he go back to Mr. lamb as he was the only friend of Derry.

7.Briefly narrate the transformation of Derry from a pessimist to an optimist.

Or

How  is Mr. lamb responsible behind the transformation?

 

Answer: Lamb teaches Derry to look positively at the world and to love it and admire he sees and hears. He encourages Derry to make friends with people and not to be bothered by their comments. He reminds Derry that he can live a normal life as he has two legs, two eyes, two hands, two ears and a brain like everyone one else.

8. What kind of boy is Derry? Do you support his activities?

Answer: ‘On The Face Of It’ is used to say that something seems to be good, true, etc. but that this opinion may need to be changed when you know more about it.

Apparently, the play seems to be an interaction between two persons suffering from physical impairment. Being a drama of ideas, it has minimum physical action. The old man’s efforts to strike up a friendship with a young boy of fourteen, who is very withdrawn and defiant, seems to be the main issue. The old man’s effort is worth appreciation.
However, as we go on reading further, more is in store for us. We learn the mental anguish, emotional starvation and physical distress of the physically challenged who are unable to lead normal life among normal persons. The play is not didactic, but it inspires people like Derry, who have some physical blemish, to ignore it as well as comments of people about it. They should set goals for themselves and strive to outshine even the other normal persons. Thus, the title is quite appropriate and highly suggestive.

9.Sketch the character of Mr. Lamb as you find  him in the play "on the face of it".

Answer: Mr. Lamb is the protagonist in the play. He dominates the play from beginning to end. He impresses us as a sensitive, watchful, kind, considerate and sympathetic person. He is quite gentle, accommodating and protective. He is more concerned about the boy’s well-being than the apples.

He is a victim of alienation due to his physical impairment. Though he keeps his gates open and says he has many friends, actually he lives alone and is quite miserable. He loves company and wants to talk. He shares his thoughts even with the young boy.
Mr Lamb is like a modem communicator and a psychologist who believes in drawing out the best of an individual. His tactful handling and peculiar questions make Derry shed some of his firmly fixed notions and respond to the things of the world around him. Thus, he is a source of inspiration to the depressed and gloomy.
Mr Lamb is pragmatic. His way of life is an object lesson for all who suffer some physical handicap or the other. One can always undertake some meaningful activities which give life some purpose and aim and save it from boredom. Even in his fall with the ladder, he exhibits Christ-like grace.

10.Was Derry properly behaved? If not, why did such things happen? What is your opinion?

Answer: Derry does not use the gate to enter the garden. He climbs over the garden wall. His footsteps are heard as he walks slowly and hesitantly through the long grass. He is startled when Mr Lamb asks him to mind the apples and warns that he might trip.

11. Derry sneaked into Mr. Lamb's garden and it became a turning point in his life. Explain.

Answer: When Derry sneaked into Mr.Lamb's garden it became a turning point in his life because Mr.Lamb taught him to love himself and accept himself the way he is despite his physical deformity.

Mr.Lamb told him that he was unique and special and that the fact that he had extra limbs should not cause him to be insecure about himself.

Mr.Lamb had lost a leg in war and therefore also had physical deformity which helped Derry in connecting with him.

Mr. Lamb teaches him to be brave and confident despite his disability.

12." things that matter. Things nobody else has ever said things i want to think about".

What are the "things" that Derry is referring to ?

How did Derry's Chance meeting with Mr. Lamb prove meaningful for him?

Answer: The things Derry is referring to are the words of truth and reality that Mr. Lamb conveys to him whenever he is in conversation with him. Together, they can speak their hearts out about all the things they have had to face, even from their own families, because of their physical disability. Derry’s chance of meeting with Mr. Lamb proved helpful to him because he feels inspired by the old man’s insights on how to lead a life even after being physically impaired and living amidst either mockery or pity. The positive attitude Mr. Lamb has towards his life inspires Derry to not shut himself out but actually enjoy life like everyone else.

13. Derry and Mr. Lamb both are victims of physical impairment, but much more painful for them is the feeling of loneliness. Explain.

Answer: Derry’s main problem is his burnt face. One side of his face had been burnt by acid. He suffers from a tremendous sense of inferiority complex. He is always conscious of the fact that his face is “bad”, “terrible” and “the ugliest thing”. People are “afraid” of him. He tries to escape from people. He allows himself to be alienated from the world. On the other hand, Mr. Lamb doesn’t allow his physical disability to come in his way. He accepts life as it comes. He has a positive attitude towards life, things and people. He doesn’t find solace in escapism. Children tease him by calling him “Lamey-Lamb” but he doesn’t mind it. One of his legs was blown off in the war. But he is full of life and enjoys it to his best. He enjoys sitting in the sun, reading books and growing weeds and flowers.

Derry is withdrawn and defiant. He doesn’t trust people. He thinks that no one will ever love and kiss him except his own mother. He can’t stand people staring at him or passing uncharitable remarks. He is touchy and hyper sensitive. Mr. Lamb is open-minded and open-hearted. All are welcome. He loves everybody and everything. He teaches Derry how to handle people and things.