READ AND FIND
OUT PAGE 56-62
1. Who is Mr Lamb? How does Derry get into
his garden?
Answer:
Mr Lamb is an elderly gentleman with a tin leg. Years ago, during the war, his
real leg was blown off. He is the sole occupant of his home. A garden is
located near the house. It's filled with ripe crab apples that are orange and
golden in colour.
When Derry climbs over the garden wall to get into
Mr Lamb's garden, Mr Lamb is sitting in his garden. The boy does not use the
gate, even though it is open.
2. Do you think all this will change
Derry’s attitude towards Mr Lamb?
Answer:
Mr Lamb discovers from Derry that he dislikes being around people. They look at
his face and are terrified of him because half of it has been burned by acid
and is extremely unsightly. Mr Lamb proposes a new way of thinking to him. He
tells him about a man who was terrified of everything and shut himself away in
a room. He was killed when a picture fell off the wall and landed on his head.
Derry notices that the old man speaks in an unusual manner. He's even more
taken aback when he learns about the old man's habits. He enjoys reading books.
He has a lot of books in his house. At the windows, there are no curtains. He
enjoys both light and darkness. To hear the wind, he keeps the windows open.
Derry agrees that the sound of rain on the roof is
soothing to him. However, he overhears people discussing him and his future.
The old man assures him that he possesses all of God's organs. He'll do things
his way, just like everyone else. If he made a firm decision, he might even be
able to outperform them. He tells Derry that hatred is worse than acid because
it can incapacitate a person from within. He shouldn't be concerned about his
burned face or what others think of it. Derry's attitude toward Mr Lamb changes
as a result of all of this.
He says he'll return after informing his mother. He
inquires about Mr Lamb's life and friends, and he recognises his feelings of
loneliness and disappointment. He follows through on his promise and returns to
find Mr Lamb unconscious on the ground.
READING WITH
INSIGHT PAGE
69
1. What is it that draws Derry towards Mr
Lamb inspite of himself?
Answer:
Both Derry and Mr Lamb have physical disabilities. Derry's face has been
disfigured and burned by acid on one side. Because his real leg was blown off
during the war, the old man now has a tin leg. Apart from Mr Lamb's physical
limitations, Derry notices loneliness and disappointment in his life. The
elderly man tries to overcome his feelings, but the sense of alienation he
feels is more painful than the physical pain he is experiencing.
Derry tries to avoid meeting new people because they
think his face is terrifying and unattractive. They stay away from him because
they are afraid of him. His parents appear concerned about him and speak to him
about his future.
Mr Lamb gives him a fresh perspective on things. He
tells him to pay attention to what he sees, hears, feels, and thinks about. He
must not despise others. Hatred is worse than acid in that it makes you feel
bad on the inside. He possesses all of God's limbs. He needs to make a firm
decision and work hard to achieve it. He'll be successful. People will not be
afraid of him if he is not afraid of them. All of these factors entice Derry to
seek out Mr Lamb.
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:
Mr Lamb shows signs of loneliness and disappointment in the middle section of
the first scene of the play. He says he'll get the ladder and a stick and pull
down those crab apples when it gets a little cooler. He's a jelly maker. Derry
might be able to assist him. Then he declares that he is interested in anyone
or anything created by God. It could be a person, a flower, a piece of fruit,
grass, weeds, or trash. There are a lot of interesting things to look at. His
crab apples, weeds, a spider climbing a silken ladder, and tall sun-flowers are
among them. He also enjoys conversing and being surrounded by people.
He keeps bees in his hive. They're singing, he hears.
He reads books while sitting in the sun. He enjoys both light and darkness. He
can hear the wind through the open windows. The windows have no curtains
because they either shut things out or shut things in. These are the methods Mr
Lamb employs to combat his loneliness.
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:
The play 'On The Face Of It' focuses our attention on the physical pain and
mental anguish of people who are disabled in some way. Susan Hill, the
playwright, depicts the two main characters—an elderly man and a young boy—as
having different types of physical disabilities.
The elderly gentleman has a tin leg. When it came
off, it hurt him. He eventually grew accustomed to it. In wet weather, he
experiences pain. It is inconvenient for him to run, climb a tree, or use a
ladder. He lives in a large house with a garden by himself.
Acid has badly burned one side of the boy's face.
He was in physical pain at the time. He is hurt by
the people's attitude after being released from the hospital. They find his
face repulsive and unattractive, show signs of fear, and avoid him. In short,
he is despised, if not outright despised. He is not considered a normal member
of society. As a result, he dislikes it when people stare at him.
The sense of alienation that these disabled people
experience is undeniable, and it causes them constant pain. Others should treat
them with kindness and consideration. They aren't looking for tears, sympathy,
or pity. They don't like being called names, mocked, or made a joke about. They
only ask for reasonable behavior from others, with a clear understanding of
their difficulties.
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:
Derry will not return to his previous isolation. He has only been in contact
with Mr Lamb for a short time, but even this brief encounter will have an
impact on the way he lives in the future. He will use his head and heart to
achieve whatever he decides to do in life, rather than being conscious of what
people say about the ugliness of his face. It's also possible that, because of
his unwavering determination and zeal to achieve his goal, he'll outperform the
rest, including those who are physically unaffected.
Mr Lamb persuades Derry that a life of seclusion and
withdrawal from the world is both boring and dangerous, thanks to his
persuasive demeanour and deft use of anecdotes. There are many beautiful
objects to see and admire, sounds to hear, and thoughts to consider in the
world. An open mind and a positive attitude are required. Hatred is more
poisonous than acid.
Derry's mother does everything she can to keep her son with her. Derry, on the other hand, resolves to return to Mr Lamb to examine the situation and listen to him. He has lost interest in his appearance. What matters more to him is what he thinks and feels, as well as what he wants to see, learn, and hear. He does not wish to remain in his current residence. He has a clear understanding of things. He will never go anywhere in that world again if he does not return there. In short, Derry's return to Mr Lamb foreshadows a shift in the type of fife he will lead in the future.
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