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On The Face Of It, SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS, Q1. What is the attitude of Mr Lamb to the small boy who comes to his garden ?, Ans. Mr Lamb’s attitude to the small boy is quite gentle, protective and accommodating., Like an elder in the family offering advice and instructions to the younger members, Mr, Lamb advises the young boy to mind the apples lest he should trip. He also advises the boy, not to feel afraid., Q 2. What explanation does the small boy offer for coming into the garden? How does, Mr Lamb react to it?, Ans. The boy thought that this was an empty place. He did not know there was anybody, there. Mr Lamb assures him that it is all right. He asks the boy what he is afraid of. He tells, the boy that the house is empty as he is in the garden and is likely to stay there. Such a, beautiful day should not be wasted indoors., Q3.. “I ‘m not afraid. People are afraid of me,” says Derry. What do people think on, seeing his face? How do they react then?, Ans. On looking at Derry’s face they find it bad and frightful. They think that it is the ugliest, thing they have ever seen. They call him a poor boy as one side of his face has been burnt by, acid. Some of them are afraid of his ugly and horrible face., Q4. How does Mr Lamb change the subject from ugly face to ripe apples?, Ans. There is a momentary pause in the conversation. Then Mr Lamb changes the subject. He, says that when it is a bit cooler, he will get the ladder and a stick. Then he will pull down, those ripe crab apples. He makes jelly. He calls these orange coloured and golden apples, magic fruit. September is a good time to make jelly. He tells the boy that he could help him., Q5. Why, according to Derry, has the old man changed the subject?, Ans. Derry says that people always change the subject. They don’t ask him about his physical, impairment. They simply pretend that it is not true and isn’t there. They don’t want the boy to, mind and get upset. He thinks that the old man has changed the subject because he is afraid to, ask him about his burnt face., Q6. “We’re not the same”, says Derry. How does Mr Lamb try to convince him that, there is no essential difference between them?, Ans. Derry and Mr Lamb are both of the same species. They represent various stages of, growth. Derry is young, Mr Lamb is old. Both suffer from the same physical impairment., Derry has a burnt face. The old man has got a tin leg. But this physical disability is not, important. What is important is that both are alive. Derry is standing there whereas Mr Lamb, is sitting., Q7.“There’s plenty of other things to stare at.” Which ‘things’ are worth staring at and, why?, Ans. According to the old man there are plenty of things to stare at. These include crab, apples or the weeds or a spider climbing up a silken ladder, or his tall sun-flowers. All of

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them are beautiful and ‘growing’. Derry is surprised at the mention of ‘things’. Mr Lamb tries, to convince him that it is all relative. Then he mentions ‘Beauty and the Beast’., Q8. How does Mr Lamb try to remove the baseless fears of Derry’?, Ans. Derry has developed withdrawal symptoms. He doesn’t like being near people. Mr, Lamb tells him the story of a person who was afraid of everything in the world. So he went, into his room and locked the door. He got into his bed and stayed there for a while. Then a, picture fell off the wall on to his head and killed him., Q9. What peculiar things does Derry notice about the old man?, Ans. Derry thinks that the old man is peculiar. He says peculiar things. He asks questions, which Derry does not understand. There are no curtains at the windows in his house. He likes, the light and darkness and hears the wind with the windows open., Q10. In what ways does Mr Lamb inspire Derry to overcome his physical disability?, Ans. Mr Lamb tells Derry that he ‘has got two arms, two legs and eyes and ears. He has got a, tongue and a brain. He will get on the way he wants, like all the rest. And if he chooses and, sets his mind to it, he could get on even better than all the rest., Q11. “People are never just nothing. Never.” Why does Mr Lamb say so? Why does he, advise Derry not to hate anyone?, Ans. Mr Lamb says that he has friends every where. Derry says that the people passing us in, the street are not our friends. Mr Lamb tells him that they are not enemies either. When Derry, says they are “Just nothing”, Mr Lamb makes this remark. He tells Derrry that hatred does, more harm than any bottle of acid. Acid only bums the face, but hatred may bum a person, away inside., Q12. How, according to Mr Lamb, can one overcome of sense of hurt or humiliation, caused by remarks at one’s physical disability?, Ans. Mr Lamb does not provide a straight forward solution. He says that in the street kids, shout “Lamey-Lamb” at him. Still they come to his garden. They are not afraid of him, because he is not afraid of them. He simply ignores their comments. He concentrates on other, things which are encouraging and positive., Q13. What does Derry want to know? How, according to the old man, can he know, that?, Ans. Derry wants to know what he could do. The old man tells him that he does not know, everything. He can’t tell the boy what to do. He has to find it out himself by waiting,, watching, listening sitting here or going there. Derry says that he wants something no one, else has got or ever will be. Something just his own., Q14. Why does Derry’s mother oppose his going back to the old man’s garden?, Ans. Derry’s mother tells him that she has heard things about the old man. In fact, she has, been warned. Though they have lived there for three months, she knows what is worth, knowing and Derry is not to go back there.

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Q15.What makes Derry resolve to go to the old man?, Ans.He no longer cares about his face and looks. He is more concerned with what he thinks, and feels, what he wants to see and find out and hear. He knows that if he does not go back, there, he will never go anywhere in that world again. He wants the world. He no longer shuns, it or avoids the people., Q16. Comment on the ending of the play ‘On The Face Of If., Ans.The play has a pathetic but dramatic ending. Mr Lamb who works actively in spite of his, physical disability loses balance and falls down along with the ladder. Derry enters and tries, to converse with Mr Lamb, who does not respond. Mr Lamb’s “exit” is exactly the same as, envisaged by Derry earlier in the play., LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS, Q1. What efforts does Mr Lamb make to strike up a friendship with Derry, the small, boy, who enters his garden ?, Ans. Mr Lamb is quite gentle, accommodating and protective. He asks Derry to mind the, apples as he might trip. Instead of feeling angry over the way of his entry, he points out that, the gate is always open and he is welcome. His cordial manner and conciliatory tone touch, the inner most chords of a defiant boy like Derry who does not want to mix up with others., On learning about his burnt face, he does not react like others. Instead of exhibit¬ing fear and, revulsion, he shows understanding and affection. He admits that he is the same as the boy. If, the boy has a burnt face, he has got a tin leg. Gradually, he tries to win over the confidence of, Derry by reminding him of ‘Beauty and the Beast’. He then tells him the story of a man who, feared everything and shut himself in a room. His positive attitude towards life inspires the, boy to talk to him like a friend.