ON THE FACE OF IT
People who suffer from disabilities must always look at the
bright side of things and adapt reality of life bravely. At the same time the
actual pain or inconvenience caused by a physical impairment is often much less
than the sense of alienation felt by the person with
disabled people needs support and acceptance and not our pity. The title ‘on
the face of it’ Is used to mean that something seems to be good, true etc. but
that needs to be changed when you know more about it.
Justification of Title
According to the Oxford
Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, “On the Face of it” is an informal expression
used to say that something seems to be good, true etc. but this opinion may
need to be changed when you know more about it.
This definition of the expression should leave us in no doubt about the appropriateness of the title. An individual may be quite different from what we think of him or what he or she may apparently appear to be at first glance. There is the imperative need for us to view others by removing our glasses of prejudice, hatred, hearsay and dislike.
On the face of it, Mr. Lamb appears to be mysterious, lonely, lame old fellow who lives in a neighbourhood house with a huge garden, but in reality he is very kind, generous, loving and altruistic. Similarly, although Derek has an ugly looking scary face, he is fine lad of fourteen with a deep longing for love. There is nothing wrong with Mr. Lamb and Derek. What is wrong is the way people in their lives and around them view and treat them.
On the face of it, there is so much of diversity, so many differences and divides between the people and other species of the world but underneath is a oneness, a sameness – all of them are created by God and all of them need to live and grow together with love and mutual acceptance/ As the play progresses the characters’ views about each other and our impression of them changes for the better.
Thus, Susan Hill has quite appropriately entitled her play “On the Face of it”
This definition of the expression should leave us in no doubt about the appropriateness of the title. An individual may be quite different from what we think of him or what he or she may apparently appear to be at first glance. There is the imperative need for us to view others by removing our glasses of prejudice, hatred, hearsay and dislike.
On the face of it, Mr. Lamb appears to be mysterious, lonely, lame old fellow who lives in a neighbourhood house with a huge garden, but in reality he is very kind, generous, loving and altruistic. Similarly, although Derek has an ugly looking scary face, he is fine lad of fourteen with a deep longing for love. There is nothing wrong with Mr. Lamb and Derek. What is wrong is the way people in their lives and around them view and treat them.
On the face of it, there is so much of diversity, so many differences and divides between the people and other species of the world but underneath is a oneness, a sameness – all of them are created by God and all of them need to live and grow together with love and mutual acceptance/ As the play progresses the characters’ views about each other and our impression of them changes for the better.
Thus, Susan Hill has quite appropriately entitled her play “On the Face of it”
Summary
·
Derry was a teenager, highly
pessimistic and withdrawn from the mainstream society. He developed this
attitude after one side of his face was disfigured by acid. He avoided company
of others and remained lonely lest he be noticed by other people.
·
He believed that no one loved him and
his mother loved him because she was supposed to. Derry cannot be completely
blamed for his pessimistic and aggressive attitude towards the world around
him. Once he heard two women commenting about his monstrous appearance.
·
They said only a mother could love a
face like his. On another day Derry heard his parents conversing that he would
not survive after their death because he was deformed. The shock he received
from these words was big.
·
On another occasion Derry heard his
relatives saying that his being put in the hospital where he had been treated
after the accident was good for him. In their opinion a deformed boy like Derry
could accommodate himself with other deformed boys and girls.
·
Derry had his ears always open for
such comments and used to respond to them in his silent way. He concluded that
the world altogether didn’t need a boy like him.
·
One day Derry accidently met a man
called Mr. Lamb. Mr. Lamb was an old man with a lame leg. After he became lame,
Mr. Lamb began to develop a positive attitude with his deformity. He worked
hard to defeat this impairment and learnt to walk and climb ladders. He was
happy to be alive and ignored his lameness. He made everyone his friend and had
a house with no curtains and open doors. He welcomed anyone who came to him.
·
While Mr. Lamb took his impairment as
a challenge and tried to overcome it, Derry believed that he was unwanted and
lost. His pain was physical and mental. Being a child he was not as strong as
Mr. Lamb about suffering. He couldn’t take the sneering and sympathizing world
as taken by Mr. Lamb. Mr. Lamb was able to sit smart and unaffected as long as
he wore trousers and sat but Derry had no way to hide his face.
·
After meeting Mr. Lamb Derry realized
how foolish he had been to believe his parents. For him Lamb was a man who
opened the doors of his closed world in an hour’s time the same of which were
shut on him by his parents and therefore believed that his company with Lamb
would make him a perfect person.
ON THE FACE OF if
Susan Hill
The play "on the face of it" deals with loss and sense
of Isolation and how an Individual should deal with it. Derek a young lad of
fourteen was sinking in the abyss of despair and frustration. He disliked every
one. Mr. Lamb a physically challenged old man changed his pessimistic
attitude-towards life.
Notes
v First Scene: Derek encounters
Mr. Lamb
·
Derek a 14 years boy enters a garden thinking it an empty place
·
Finds an old man Mr. Lamb minding the apples
·
Derek feels embarrassed and wants to go back.
·
Mr. Lamb assures him that he does not mind strangers
·
The gates of garden are open for every one
v Derek-A complex ridden boy
·
Thinks people are afraid of him because of his burnt face
because of acid
·
Does not like to mix with Mr. Lamb
·
Thinks even his mother kisses him only on the good side of his
face.
·
Have bitterness for the world
·
Over obsessed with himself
v Mr. Lamb positive attitude
·
Tells Derek that he too is handicapped
·
loves all creatures made by God
·
Nothing in this world is worthless
·
Even weeds have their own values
·
Advise Derek to think of the beautiful objects of the world
·
Never believe on your eyes believe on your ears
·
Avoid people's comments
·
Love all mankind because hatred corrodes us and hurts more than
acids.
·
Considers Derek to be his friend
·
Thinks to be acquainted with one is not necessary
·
Thinks his bees humming
v Mr. Lamb tells a story to
give Derek a lesson
·
A Timid man- Refused to come out in fear of fatal accident.
·
In his own room a picture fell of the wall on his head and he
died
v Change in Derek's attitude
·
Takes interest in Mr. Lamb's talking
·
Likes Mr. Lamb's house without curtain
·
Likes to listen more to Mr. Lamb
·
Wants to help Mr. Lamb in his work
·
Accepts Mr. Lamb's Challenge that he would not come.
v Derek follower of Mr. Lamb
·
He is changed lad now
·
Runs home and tells his mother his decision
·
In spite of mother's protest he runs back
·
Mr. Lamb has fallen down along with the ladder
·
Does not respond to Derek's words
·
He is dead
·
He has trained and tutored one of the next generation to carry
on his good work before passing off to the next world
Questions and Answers
1.
What sort of a boy was Derry?
Derry was a teenager, a highly pessimistic and withdrawn from the mainstream society. He developed this attitude after one side of his face was disfigured by acid. He avoided company of others and remained lonely so that he would not be noticed by other people. He believed that no one loved him and his mother loved him because she was supposed to.
Derry was a teenager, a highly pessimistic and withdrawn from the mainstream society. He developed this attitude after one side of his face was disfigured by acid. He avoided company of others and remained lonely so that he would not be noticed by other people. He believed that no one loved him and his mother loved him because she was supposed to.
2.
Why did Derry go into Mr. Lamb’s
garden?
Derry preferred a lonely life in order to hide his disfigured face from the world. Yet he had love for the world such as a garden and he wished to own one. He thought that Mr. Lamb’s garden and his house were empty and therefore went into it.
Derry preferred a lonely life in order to hide his disfigured face from the world. Yet he had love for the world such as a garden and he wished to own one. He thought that Mr. Lamb’s garden and his house were empty and therefore went into it.
3.
Why did Derry wish to get out of Mr.
Lamb's garden immediately after getting into?
Derry went into Lamb’s garden because he thought it was empty. But when he saw Mr. Lamb there and that he had been being watched by Mr. Lamb, he felt ashamed and wished to get out of the garden.
Derry went into Lamb’s garden because he thought it was empty. But when he saw Mr. Lamb there and that he had been being watched by Mr. Lamb, he felt ashamed and wished to get out of the garden.
4.
What kind of a man was Mr. Lamb?
Mr. Lamb was an old man with a lame leg. Since he was lame, Mr. Lamb began to develop a positive attitude with his deformity. He worked hard to defeat this impairment and learnt to walk and climb ladders. He was happy to be alive and ignored his lameness. He made everyone his friend and had a house with no curtains and locked doors. He welcomed anyone who came to him.
Mr. Lamb was an old man with a lame leg. Since he was lame, Mr. Lamb began to develop a positive attitude with his deformity. He worked hard to defeat this impairment and learnt to walk and climb ladders. He was happy to be alive and ignored his lameness. He made everyone his friend and had a house with no curtains and locked doors. He welcomed anyone who came to him.
5.
Both Mr. Lamb and Derry had much to
suffer yet Derry was the worst affected. Explain.
Mr. Lamb was an old man who had lost one of his legs in a blast while Derry was a teenager with a burnt face. While Mr. Lamb took his impairment as a challenge and tried to overcome it, Derry believed that he was unwanted and lost. His pain was physical and mental. Being a child he was not as strong as Mr. Lamb about suffering. He couldn’t take the sneering and sympathizing world as taken by Mr. Lamb. Mr. Lamb was able to sit smart and unaffected as long as he wore trousers and sat but Derry had no way to hide his face.
Mr. Lamb was an old man who had lost one of his legs in a blast while Derry was a teenager with a burnt face. While Mr. Lamb took his impairment as a challenge and tried to overcome it, Derry believed that he was unwanted and lost. His pain was physical and mental. Being a child he was not as strong as Mr. Lamb about suffering. He couldn’t take the sneering and sympathizing world as taken by Mr. Lamb. Mr. Lamb was able to sit smart and unaffected as long as he wore trousers and sat but Derry had no way to hide his face.
6.
How does Mr. Lamb explain the dual
faces of a weed garden?
Mr. Lamb believes in a positive attitude. He always found the better parts of reality. He says that it is people’s perception that goes wrong, not the realities. Some people consider some plants fit for a garden while some other people consider the same plants as weeds, to be removed from their gardens. Both have leaves and flowers and the beauty of these flowers vary from person to person.
Mr. Lamb believes in a positive attitude. He always found the better parts of reality. He says that it is people’s perception that goes wrong, not the realities. Some people consider some plants fit for a garden while some other people consider the same plants as weeds, to be removed from their gardens. Both have leaves and flowers and the beauty of these flowers vary from person to person.
7.
What does Mr. Lamb teach Derry from
his exploring the two types of sounds of the bees?
Mr. Lamb believes in a positive attitude. He always found the better sides of reality. He says that it is people’s perception that goes wrong, not the realities. Bees produce the very same sound: music for some and irritation for others. If one is happy, the bees sound music and if one is sad, the bees buzz. He explored this dual perception to show Derry that it was important for him to change his attitude.
Mr. Lamb believes in a positive attitude. He always found the better sides of reality. He says that it is people’s perception that goes wrong, not the realities. Bees produce the very same sound: music for some and irritation for others. If one is happy, the bees sound music and if one is sad, the bees buzz. He explored this dual perception to show Derry that it was important for him to change his attitude.
8.
What makes Mr. Lamb say that Derry
wasn't completely lost?
When Derry entered Mr. Lamb’s garden, the former appeared to be highly pessimistic and withdrawn. He sounded bitter because the world had been so cruel to him. But at one point Derry said that he loved a garden and a house like the one as Lamb’s, Mr. Lamb saw his love for the nature and beauty and this gave Mr. Lamb the hope that Derry was not completely lost in his gloomy world.
When Derry entered Mr. Lamb’s garden, the former appeared to be highly pessimistic and withdrawn. He sounded bitter because the world had been so cruel to him. But at one point Derry said that he loved a garden and a house like the one as Lamb’s, Mr. Lamb saw his love for the nature and beauty and this gave Mr. Lamb the hope that Derry was not completely lost in his gloomy world.
9.
Why did Derry's mother warn him to
keep away from Mr. Lamb?
Derry’s mother was very particular about not letting her son mix with other people. She was much stricter about not allowing the boy to go to Mr. Lamb as she had heard that the old man was not good.
Derry’s mother was very particular about not letting her son mix with other people. She was much stricter about not allowing the boy to go to Mr. Lamb as she had heard that the old man was not good.
10.
Why does Derry say that he would
never go out to the world if he didn't go to Mr. Lamb?
Derry’s parents were greatly responsible for making an introvert out of him. They believed that the world was not the place for their son due to his burnt face. They advised him to keep away from people. They convinced him that his life would be impossible after their death. Thus Derry’s parents shut him in a narrow world of his own, inspiring him to hate and avoid everyone. But after meeting Mr. Lamb Derry realized how foolish he had been to believe his parents. For him Lamb was a man who opened the doors of his closed world in an hour’s time the same of which were shut on him by his parents and therefore believed that his company with Lamb would make him a perfect person.
Derry’s parents were greatly responsible for making an introvert out of him. They believed that the world was not the place for their son due to his burnt face. They advised him to keep away from people. They convinced him that his life would be impossible after their death. Thus Derry’s parents shut him in a narrow world of his own, inspiring him to hate and avoid everyone. But after meeting Mr. Lamb Derry realized how foolish he had been to believe his parents. For him Lamb was a man who opened the doors of his closed world in an hour’s time the same of which were shut on him by his parents and therefore believed that his company with Lamb would make him a perfect person.
11.
Do you think Mr. Lamb really had a
lot of friends? Explain?
Mr. Lamb claimed to have a lot of friends but in fact he appears to have few. Mr. Lamb is a peculiar person with no complaints about his deformity but his heavy, philosophical talks may bore people who run into him. Even though Mr. Lamb had claimed he had hundreds of friends, he didn’t know of those names and no one showed up while Derry was with him for such a long time. Moreover, Mr. Lamb himself is found telling his bees that human beings do not keep their promise of returning to his garden. From all these one can conclude that Mr. Lamb had no friends but the bees and the nature around him.
Mr. Lamb claimed to have a lot of friends but in fact he appears to have few. Mr. Lamb is a peculiar person with no complaints about his deformity but his heavy, philosophical talks may bore people who run into him. Even though Mr. Lamb had claimed he had hundreds of friends, he didn’t know of those names and no one showed up while Derry was with him for such a long time. Moreover, Mr. Lamb himself is found telling his bees that human beings do not keep their promise of returning to his garden. From all these one can conclude that Mr. Lamb had no friends but the bees and the nature around him.
12.
Mr. Lamb says to Derry: ‘It’s all
relative. Beauty and Beast’. What does he mean by that?
Mr. Lamb believes in the relativity theory of beauty. Quoting the fairy tale, ‘The Beauty and the Beast,’ he said that everyone has beauty inside but people hardly recognize that. The beautiful ones are not always good at heart and the ugly ones can have a beautiful heart.
Mr. Lamb believes in the relativity theory of beauty. Quoting the fairy tale, ‘The Beauty and the Beast,’ he said that everyone has beauty inside but people hardly recognize that. The beautiful ones are not always good at heart and the ugly ones can have a beautiful heart.
13.
Who should be ‘friends’ according to
both Derry and Mr. Lamb?
Both Mr. Lamb and Derry keep different views regarding friendship and company. Derry thinks that one should know all the particulars of a person before becoming friends. He also thinks that two people who met casually on the way cannot be friends because they are not going to meet again. In contrast, Mr. Lamb doesn’t agree with Derry. He doesn’t know the names of his friends yet he has a lot of friends. For him anyone is his friend, whether he met them just once or so many times.
Both Mr. Lamb and Derry keep different views regarding friendship and company. Derry thinks that one should know all the particulars of a person before becoming friends. He also thinks that two people who met casually on the way cannot be friends because they are not going to meet again. In contrast, Mr. Lamb doesn’t agree with Derry. He doesn’t know the names of his friends yet he has a lot of friends. For him anyone is his friend, whether he met them just once or so many times.
14.
“That would do you more harm than any
bottle of acids.” Explain.
Mr. Lamb was a man who tried to look at problems with reduced importance while Derry thought his deformity was the last word of his life and existence. He said that he hated some people for their hatred and sympathy for him. Seeing the burning hatred in Derry, Mr. Lamb warned him that hatred can burn in and out of a person while acid can burn part of the body alone.
Mr. Lamb was a man who tried to look at problems with reduced importance while Derry thought his deformity was the last word of his life and existence. He said that he hated some people for their hatred and sympathy for him. Seeing the burning hatred in Derry, Mr. Lamb warned him that hatred can burn in and out of a person while acid can burn part of the body alone.
15.
How was the society and family
responsible for forming Derry an introvert?
Derry cannot be solely blamed for his pessimistic and aggressive attitude towards the world around him. Once he heard two women commenting about his ugliness. They said only a mother could love a face like his. On another day Derry heard his parents conversing that he would not survive after their death because he was deformed. The shock he received from these words was big. On another occasion Derry heard his relatives talking about his being put in the hospital where he had been treated after the accident. In their opinion a deformed boy like Derry could accommodate himself with other deformed boys and girls. Derry had his ears always open for such comments and used to respond to them in his silent way. He concluded that the world altogether didn’t need a boy like him.
Derry cannot be solely blamed for his pessimistic and aggressive attitude towards the world around him. Once he heard two women commenting about his ugliness. They said only a mother could love a face like his. On another day Derry heard his parents conversing that he would not survive after their death because he was deformed. The shock he received from these words was big. On another occasion Derry heard his relatives talking about his being put in the hospital where he had been treated after the accident. In their opinion a deformed boy like Derry could accommodate himself with other deformed boys and girls. Derry had his ears always open for such comments and used to respond to them in his silent way. He concluded that the world altogether didn’t need a boy like him.
16.
“And the world is there to look at.”
Explain.
In Mr. Lamb’s opinion the world is a perfect example for people with deformity. The earth is full of good and bad things, beautiful and ugly places, inhabitable and uninhabitable places yet we love the earth as a whole, not as a part. Mr. Lamb wants to make Derry think of himself as a whole person with good and bad in him.
In Mr. Lamb’s opinion the world is a perfect example for people with deformity. The earth is full of good and bad things, beautiful and ugly places, inhabitable and uninhabitable places yet we love the earth as a whole, not as a part. Mr. Lamb wants to make Derry think of himself as a whole person with good and bad in him.
17.
Why does Derry go back to Mr. Lamb in
the end?
Mr. Lamb was a wizard who could transform Derry into a positive character. Derry realized the importance of a man like Lamb and hoped that he would change completely in his company. Moreover, he knew, he could revert to his old attitude if he lived with his pessimistic mother and father.
Mr. Lamb was a wizard who could transform Derry into a positive character. Derry realized the importance of a man like Lamb and hoped that he would change completely in his company. Moreover, he knew, he could revert to his old attitude if he lived with his pessimistic mother and father.
18.
How does Derry claim that his
deformity is graver than Mr. Lamb’s lameness?
Derry had a burnt face and Mr. Lamb had lost one of his legs. In Derry’s opinion he bore more damage and pain than Mr. Lamb because his burnt face cannot be hidden from others while Mr. lamb could sit somewhere as a normal man. For Derry, the deformed face was his identity. People got away from him because of the face and he believed that no one runs away from a lame man.
Derry had a burnt face and Mr. Lamb had lost one of his legs. In Derry’s opinion he bore more damage and pain than Mr. Lamb because his burnt face cannot be hidden from others while Mr. lamb could sit somewhere as a normal man. For Derry, the deformed face was his identity. People got away from him because of the face and he believed that no one runs away from a lame man.
19.
"Because, if I don't go back
there, I will never go in this world again." How does this statement blame
the society on one side and confirm Derry's transformation on the other?
Reference to Context
1.
"You can't help the things you say.
I forgive you. It is bound to make you feel bad things... and say them. I don't
blame you."
1.
What things does Derry say?
2.
What is bound to make Derry feel bad
things?
3.
Why doesn't Derry's mother blame him?
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