NCERT Solutions Class 12, English, Vistas (Supplementary Reader), Chapter- 5, On The Face Of It
Before you read
This is a play featuring an old man and a small boy meeting in the former’s garden. The old man strikes up a friendship with the boy who is very withdrawn and defiant. What is the bond that unites the two?
Solution:
Derry jumped over the wall and sneaked into the garden of Mr. Lamb. He did not want to be noticed by anyone. His burnt and distorted face made him want to run away from the society. On the other hand, Mr. Lamb who had a tin leg was a topic of mockery for everyone. People came to sit in the beauty of his garden, ate apples, pears and toffees, yet he was a non-entity for them. Thus, although different, both Derry and Mr. Lamb were bound by a single cord. The old man was able to understand the lonely boy’s feelings because he himself was lonely, living in a huge but ‘empty’ house. Also, he could make out the reason behind this loneliness very easily, which was their deformed body part.
Derry was told by many to look at the positive side but he was not able to overcome his grief and self contempt. However, when Mr. Lamb said the same, Derry noticed the different perspective and the underlying empathy which brought him closer to Lamey-Lamb.
Read and Find Out
1. Who is Mr Lamb? How does Derry get into his garden?
Solution:
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.
2. Do you think all this will change Derry’s attitude towards Mr Lamb?
Solution:
Derry’s burnt face made him the center of ridicule. Although people sympathized with him, it was never a heartfelt one. This resulted in his pessimistic approach towards life. He thought that everyone detested and despised 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. He helped the boy to love and live life happily without any contempt 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.
Reading with Insight
1. What is it that draws Derry towards Mr Lamb inspite of himself?
Solution:
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. At this, Mr. Lamb says that it can do him more harm than any bottle of acid. Acid burns only the face, but hatred burns one away inside. 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?
Solution:
Mr. Lamb is an old man, who lives all alone in his house, which has a big garden. He grows crab apples there and has beehives. When Derry enters the garden by climbing the wall, he thought that it was an empty house. Mr. Lamb tells Derry that it is empty as he is out there in the garden.
He says that it is empty until he goes back inside. It displays signs of his loneliness Mr. Lamb tells Derry that when he goes down the street, the kids shottt “Lamey-Lamb”. Derry asks Mr. Lamb how he will climb on a ladder and get the crab apples down.
He asks Mr. Lamb if he fell and broke his neck, he could lie on the grass and die. Mr. Lamb replies that he could. Mr. Lamb also seems to be disappointed when he says to himself that people say they will come back, but they don’t. They never come back. He was thinking so when Derry said that he would come back.
However, Mr. Lamb has found ways to overcome his feelings of loneliness and disappointment. His doors are open for everybody. He welcomes all those who come to him. He welcomes kids who come to him for toffees he makes of honey. Mr. Lamb says that his house is not empty but it is full of books. To overcome his loneliness Mr. Lamb reads books, sits in the garden and listens to music of bees. Moreover, he has lots of friends who are free to visit him.
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?
Solution:
A person with any physical impairment can live life with respect and honour, if he is not ridiculed and punished with heartless pity. He expects empathy rather than sympathy. If everyone looks down at him with a pessimistic approach, he may never be able to come out of his sorrow, and consequently, recline to his own secluded 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 a person, with such problem, would want to hear.
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?
Solution:
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.
It is not likely that the death of Mr. Lamb would take him back to his secluded life. This big change is definitely here to stay and would not be undone due to setbacks.
How about...
using your imagination to suggest another ending to the above story.
Solution:
This story could have had another ending where, after falling, Mr. Lamb gets seriously injured and Derry calls an ambulance and takes him to a hospital. When his mother comes to know of the accident, she allows Derry to take care of him in the hospital as well as after being discharged. While his stay with the old man, he reads his books, takes care of the garden and makes “friends” for life which changes his perspective to life completely. Later, he befriends a boy whose father is a plastic surgeon, who operates on him and makes his life return to normal.
