ON THE FACE OF IT - NOTES

 

1. How does Mr. Lamb keep himself busy when it is a bit cool? (Delhi 2012)
Answer. Mr. Lamb was a person who could survive and enjoy in all circumstances and seasons. When it got cooler, Mr. Lamb kept himself busy by breaking the crab apples from the trees in his garden and making jelly from them.

2. What qualities of Mr. Lamb attracted Derry to him? (All India 2009)
Answer. Mr. Lamb was a person full of life. Sadness or negativity found no place in his world. His physical impairment and people’s humiliating remarks had failed to dampen his spirit. His undying optimism and ever friendly attitude drew Derry towards him. For Derry, Mr. Lamb was his source of inspiration.

3. What did Derry’s mother think of Mr. Lamb? (All India 2009)
Answer. When Derry informed his mother of Mr. Lamb and that he wanted to sit with him, she resented it. She thought that he was not a good man and she did not want her son to remain in touch with him for any purpose.

4.  How does Mr. Lamb try to remove the baseless fears of Derry? (All India 2008)
Answer. Mr. Lamb tries to remove the baseless fears of Derry by telling him that nothing in this world is so worthless that it deserves to be considered as trash. Even weeds have their own value. He advises Derry to ignore people’s comments and think of beautiful objects. He tells him to hear only those things that are worth hearing. It is attitude that matters.

5.What is the bond that unites the two—the old Mr. Lamb and Derry, the small boy?
How does the old man inspire the small boy? (Delhi 2013)

How did Mr. Lamb’s meeting with Derry become a turning point in Derry’s life? (Delhi 2008, Foreign 2009)
Answer. Derry, a small boy, had a side of his face burnt as acid had fallen over it. Thus he grew up to be withdrawn arid defiant. The old Mr. Lamb got one of his legs blown off in a war and had a tin leg in place of it. He lived alone, but unlike Derry, he did not let his handicap rule his life. Derry’s brief association with Mr. Lamb changed him from a bitter, pessimistic and complex-ridden boy to a mature and confident person. His attitude towards life underwent a transformation. He got encouraged by Mr. Lamb’s unending enthusiasm and unceasing zeal to live life. Thus Mr. Lamb’s unfailing optimism helped transform Derek completely. Mr. Lamb’s conversation with him about everything and everybody being essentially the same, his notion of beauty being relative, his talk about pretty girls and love, his concept of the world and friendship and the incident of the timid man, all fascinated and inspired Derek. Gradually, Derek was able to shed his old self and rediscover life. He was able to experience the joy of little things of life like rain drops falling pitter-patter on the roof. He even told his mother, “You shouldn’t believe all you hear.” Thus, Derek’s brief association with Mr. Lamb became a turning point in his life.

6. The lesson, ‘On the Face of It’ is an apt depiction of the loneliness and sense of alienation experienced by people on account of a disability. Explain.
Answer. Mr. Lamb and Derek both were victims of physical impairment. Mr. Lamb had an artificial leg made of tin and Derek had a scared face. Undoubtedly, both had suffered humiliations in life on account of their handicaps. Derek, however, suffered not only from his handicap but also from low self-esteem, lack of confidence, desolation and withdrawal. He felt that nobody wanted him or loved him. They feared looking at his ugly face. Looking at Derek’s example, we feel that people with physical impairment need genuine concern. They can perform better than average individuals who do not suffer from any disability, provided they get the right opportunities to prove themselves.

7. Derry and Mr. Lamb both are victims of physical impairment but their attitudes towards life are completely different. Explain. (Delhi 2009)
Answer. Derry, a fourteen year old boy, did not expect anything out of life. Being a pessimist, he had lost all self-regard and led an isolated existence. He felt unwanted because he had a scared face. Mr. Lamb, on the other hand, was full of life. Although he lived alone and had a tin leg, he kept himself busy by tending to his garden, his bees and making toffee and jelly. He welcomed everybody to his house and garden. He enjoyed sitting in the sun, reading books and gardening. Although kids mocked him by calling him ‘Lamey Lamb’, he did not bother about it. He was an apostle of optimism, enthusiasm and hope. Thus we see that there is a striking contrast between Mr. Lamb and Derry.