Summary- On the face of it

     ON THE FACE OF IT

                Summary

                   class-12 CBSE 

Characters

1. Derry: a boy of 14 with a burnt face, looks ugly, loner, pessimistic( state of mind of someone who always expects the worst or that the things will always go wrong) suffered from severe negative complexes, anger and frustration, withdrawn and introverted(shy) , low confidence, indulged in self pity, suspicious of the intent of others. 
   
   
   

2. Mr. Lamb: an Old man with a tin leg, lonely, craved for company and acceptance, jovial(cheerful and friendly), optimistic, lover of nature, social, outgoing, tolerant, helpful, sensitive, independent, didn’t mind children calling him Lamely Lamb or picking the Crab apples.

3. Derry’s mother

                                                   SUMMARY

The story begins with a teenage boy, named Derry entering a garden. His face is burnt on one side due to an accident when acid fell on half of his face. He fears being teased by others for having such a burnt face. But when he enters, he finds someone already present there. He tries to leave the place(garden) but he is stopped by the old man, Mr. Lamb, the owner of the garden.

 Derry feels guilty for entering the garden without permission. Mr. Lamb welcomes him and tells him not to leave just because of his presence. Derry wants to leave as he thinks people don’t like his face and moreover ,they get afraid of his looks. But Mr. Lamb insists him to stay there. They enter into a conversation that how Derry is not liked by anyone and how he hates people behaving like this with him. Mr. Lamb tries to console him. He tells him that he has a tin leg and kids make fun of him. Still he is not depressed and enjoys his life. They both talk about various things and this leads to revelation of Derry’s fear, depression and hatred about his being in such condition. But Mr. Lamb keeps on telling him to think of the positive things. Soon they become friends and Mr. Lamb asks him to help him in plucking the crab apples of his garden. Derry tells him that he had come too far from his home and hadn’t told anything about this to his mother. Mr. Lamb tells him to take permission from his mother. Derry finds it difficult and this leads to a small quarrel between both of them. At last Derry tells him that he would come back after taking his mother’s permission. His mother does not want him to go back but he comes back again to fulfill his promise. Meanwhile Mr. Lamb climbs the ladder on his own to pluck the crab apples as he was sure that Derry would not return. He was disabled and it was difficult for him to climb. Mr. Lamb falls from his ladder and dies.

Derry, on the other hand, returns to the garden to help him. When he enters the garden, he sees Mr. Lamb lying on the ground. Derry tries hard to make him move but did not get any response from him. Finally he comes to know that he is dead and starts crying.

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• .....This play deals with the problem of the disabled people and depicts that merely the encouraging words may change our tensed feeling.
• It is not the actual pain or inconvenience caused by a physical impairment that trouble a disabled man but the attitude of the people around him.
• Two physically impaired people, Mr. Lamb with a tin leg and Derry with a burnt face, strike a band of friendship.
• Derry is described as a young boy shy, withdrawn and defiant.
• People tell him inspiring stories to console him, no one will ever kiss him except his mother that too on the other side of his face
• Mentions about a woman telling that only a mother can love such a face.
• Mr. Lamb revives the almost dead feelings of Derry towards life.
• He motivates him to think positively about life, changes his mind set about people and things how a man locked himself as he was scared-a picture fell off the wall and got killed.
• The gate of the garden is always open.
• Derry is inspired and promises to come back.
• Derry’s mother stops him but he is adamant saying if he does not go now it would be never.
• When he comes back he sees lamb lying on the ground
• It is ironical that when he searches a new foothold to live happily, he finds Mr. Lamb dead.
• In this way the play depicts the heart rendering life of physically disabled people with their loneliness, aloofness and alienation.
• But at the same time it is almost a true account of the people who don’t let a person live happily.