On the face of It (Susan Hill) — NCERT Solutions

Given / Context: Derry is a fourteen-year-old boy who has had one side of his face burnt by acid. He is deeply withdrawn, bitter, and avoids people because of the stares and pity he receives. He stumbles into Mr Lamb's garden almost by accident.

Answer:

Despite his initial reluctance and defiance, several things draw Derry towards Mr Lamb:

1. Acceptance without pity: Mr Lamb is the first person who does not stare at Derry's burnt face with horror or pity. He treats Derry as a completely normal human being, which is something Derry has never experienced before.

2. Mr Lamb's own disability: Mr Lamb has a tin leg (his real leg was blown off in a war). He too is physically impaired, yet he lives life fully and joyfully. This gives Derry a sense of kinship — he feels he is with someone who truly understands what it means to be 'different.'

3. Mr Lamb's philosophy of life: Mr Lamb's positive outlook — his love for his garden, his books, the bees, the sunlight, and all living things — is something Derry has never encountered. Mr Lamb tells him that everything and everyone in the world has a place and a purpose, and that one must not shut oneself away from life.

4. Honest conversation: Mr Lamb speaks to Derry honestly and directly, without false sympathy. He challenges Derry's self-pity and bitterness with logic and gentle humour (e.g., the story of the man who locked himself in a room and was killed by a falling picture). This stimulates Derry intellectually and emotionally.

5. The feeling of being wanted: Mr Lamb tells Derry he can come back whenever he likes, that the gate is always open. For a boy who feels rejected by the world, this open invitation is deeply meaningful.

Conclusion: In short, it is Mr Lamb's unconditional acceptance, his shared experience of disability, and his life-affirming philosophy that draw Derry towards him despite Derry's own instinct to remain isolated. Mr Lamb gives Derry a glimpse of a life beyond bitterness and seclusion.

Given / Context: Mr Lamb is an old man who lives alone in a large house with a garden. He has a tin leg and no curtains on his windows. Children call him 'Lamey-Lamb' to mock him.

Section where loneliness and disappointment are displayed:

Mr Lamb displays signs of loneliness and disappointment primarily in Scene Two of the play. When Derry says he must go home and that his mother will be waiting, Mr Lamb's tone becomes wistful and slightly resigned. He admits that people come into his garden — children come to scrump apples — but nobody stays. He says, "I've got a lot of friends." Yet it is clear from the context that these are not real, close friends; he is largely alone. He also reveals that he sits in the sun, reads books, and tends his garden — all solitary activities. The fact that he has no curtains and keeps his windows open 'to hear the wind' suggests a deep longing for connection with the outside world.

Furthermore, when Derry decides to leave, Mr Lamb says he doubts Derry will come back — a statement that reveals his disappointment at being left alone once again, as people always seem to leave him.

Ways in which Mr Lamb tries to overcome these feelings:

1. Keeping himself busy: He tends his large garden, picks apples, makes toffee from crab apples, and keeps bees. Physical activity keeps him engaged with life.

2. Reading: His house is full of books. Reading gives him companionship and intellectual stimulation.

3. Embracing nature: He loves the sunlight, the wind, the sound of bees, and the rustling of leaves. He finds joy and meaning in the natural world around him.

4. Keeping an open house: He never locks his gate. He welcomes anyone — children, strangers — into his garden. This is his way of inviting human contact.

5. Positive philosophy: He consciously chooses to see beauty and purpose in everything, even in weeds ("Some call them weeds. If you look at them... they're as good as any other plant."). This attitude helps him fight despair.

Conclusion: Mr Lamb's loneliness is real, but he combats it through an active engagement with nature, books, and an open-hearted welcome to all who come his way.

Given / Context: Both Derry and Mr Lamb are physically impaired. Derry's face is burnt by acid; Mr Lamb has a tin leg. The play explores how society's reaction to disability causes far more suffering than the disability itself.

Answer:

The play powerfully illustrates that the psychological wound of alienation is far deeper than any physical wound. A person with a disability does not want the following:

• Stares of horror, disgust, or morbid curiosity.
• Expressions of exaggerated pity or false sympathy.
• Whispered comments (as Derry recalls overhearing a woman say, "That's a terrible thing. That's a face only a mother could love.").
• Being treated as if the disability defines the whole person.
• Being avoided or feared.

Instead, a person with a disability expects and deserves the following behaviour from others:

1. Normal, natural interaction: They want to be spoken to and treated just like any other person, without any reference to their physical condition unless they themselves bring it up.

2. Acceptance: They want to be accepted as a complete human being — with thoughts, feelings, dreams, and abilities — not reduced to their impairment.

3. Respect and dignity: They do not want pity; they want respect. Pity is humiliating because it places the disabled person in a position of inferiority.

4. Encouragement: They need others to encourage them to participate fully in life, to pursue their interests and ambitions, rather than being told (directly or indirectly) that they are limited.

5. Empathy, not sympathy: True empathy means trying to understand their experience without making them feel like objects of charity.

6. Inclusion: They want to be included in social life — conversations, activities, friendships — rather than being isolated or marginalised.

Conclusion: As the play shows through Mr Lamb's treatment of Derry, what a disabled person needs most is to be seen as a full human being. A single act of genuine acceptance, as Mr Lamb demonstrates, can transform a life.