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Hare Krishna!
ON THE FACE OF IT
Page No: 56 Read and Find Out
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.
Page No: 62
1. Do you think all this will change Derry’s attitude towards Mr. Lamb?
Answer: Yes, all this will change Derry's attitude towards Mr. Lamb. Derry’s burnt face
made him the center of ridicule [mockery or derision]. Although people sympathized
with him, it was never a heartfelt one. This resulted in his pessimistic [negative or
hopeless] approach towards life. He thought that everyone detested [hated intensely]
and despised [looked down upon] 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. Mr. Lamb had a tin leg and Derry had a burnt face. So Mr. Lamb could
empathise [understand and share feelings]. He helped the boy to love and live life
happily without any contempt [scorn or disdain] 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.
Page No: 69 Reading with Insight
1. 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.
When Mr. Lamb hears this, he says that it can do him more harm than any bottle of
acid. Acid burns only the face, but hatred burns one's inside—the soul. 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.
2. 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

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 Literature Guru: "English is Easy & Fun with Pramod Sir!" 9352-4871-28

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. He did not have anyone to be with him. Another evidence of his loneliness is
the fact that the whole day he sat in the sun and read books. This proves that books
were his only true friends. He says that his “empty house” is full of books. This shows
that the void [emptiness or lack] 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 does 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. However, Derry had offered to help him
after informing his mother, but the old man was not sure of his return. Ironically, he
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 [mocked or derided] and punished with heartless pity. He expects
empathy [understanding and sharing of feelings] rather than sympathy. If everyone
looks down at him with a pessimistic [negative or hopeless] approach, he may never
be able to come out of his sorrow, and consequently, would recline [withdraw or
retreat] to his own secluded [isolated or private] world. He is already in 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 develops a strong
liking for this old man because he spoke the words to a person who was suffering
from the same ignominy [shame or disgrace]. The old man thought the boy would
wish to hear him.
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: No, Derry will not get back to his seclusion [isolation or privacy]. 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. He starts believing in his strengths
rather than his appearance. It is not likely that the death of Mr. Lamb would take him
back to his secluded [isolated or private] life. This big change in him is definitely there
to stay and would not be undone due to setbacks.

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