NCERT Solutions for Class 12 English Vistas Chapter 6 On the face of It

NCERT Solutions for Class 12 English

On the face of It NCERT Solutions for Class 12 English Vistas Chapter 6

On the face of It NCERT Text Book Questions and Answers

On the face of It Read and Find out

Question 1.
Who is Mr Lamb? How does Derry get into his garden?
Answer:
Mr Lamb is an old man. Probably, he had served in the army where one of his legs was blown off in the war. Now, he has a tin leg. He stays in a big house and has a garden. He even keeps the gate of his garden open. Everyone is welcome in his garden. Most of his time is spent in reading books or sitting in the garden.

Mr Lamb has adjusted himself with his physical impairment, and had rather got over it with the passage of time. He has learnt how to keep himself steady on the ladder while plucking apples from the branches. Children call him ‘Lamey-Lamb’ when he goes down the street but he is undisturbed, taking it as fun. Thus, they are not afraid of him. They come into his garden for apples and pears. So, Mr Lamb has a jolly good time. Derry gets into his garden by climbing the wall even though the gate is open. Perhaps, he does not want to be noticed by the people while entering through the gate.

Question 2.
Do you think all this will change Derry’s attitude towards Mr Lamb?
Answer:
Before coming into contact with Mr Lamb, Derry showed signs of loneliness and disillusionment. He felt alienated due to the behaviour of the people. Initially, he thought Mr Lamb was like other people, so he drew back from him. But he found Mr Lamb to be different from others. Mr Lamb said peculiar things which Derry was unable to comprehend, yet he felt that these things did matter.

Mr Lamb was able to inspire in him self-confidence and the determination to overcome his physical impairment. Derry, who regarded Mr Lamb as a crazy old man, initially was filled with love and admiration for him towards the end of the play. This is quite obvious as he wept over the death of Mr Lamb.

On the face of It Reading with Insight

Question 1.
What is it that draws Derry towards Mr Lamb inspite of himself?
Answer:
Mr Lamb boosted Derry’s morale through his talk. He made him realise that there was more to life than being stuck on with a handicap or a burnt face. The ridicule of the . people did not matter. Life is a challenge and one should face it. It is important to move on in life and have a positive attitude in life. We should not be affected by the petty prejudices and reaction of other individuals.

Question 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?
Answer:
At the end of the play, Mr Lamb shows signs of loneliness and disillusionment. Derry desires to go back home otherwise his mother would be worried. However, he promises to come back. Left isolated, Mr Lamb says to himself, “We all know. I’ll come back. They never do, though. Not them. Never do come back.” We discover Mr Lamb showing signs of loneliness and disappointment.

However, these feelings do not overpower him. He has evolved certain ways to overcome his feelings. He has reconciled himself to live , with his physical impairment. He has accepted the reality of having a tin leg. Thus, he doesn’t get disturbed when children call him ‘Lamey-Lamb’. Instead, he feels amused and regards it as a game. Likewise, he spends time by sitting in his garden or reading books. The gate of his garden is always open. Children could come there for apples, pears and toffees. Everyone who wanted to come to his garden was welcome.

Question 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?
Answer:
A disabled person is regarded as an outcaste. People do sympathise with him. However, they are not accepted in the mainstream life. The disabled person feels alienated from the society. The feeling of alienation is truly more depressing than the actual pain or inconvenience as a result of physical impairment. A physically impaired person wants others to regard him as a human being and not as an object of pity.

He does not like others to be overprotective towards him. He does not even want any special treatment. He puts in extra labour to make up for his physical impairment. He even expects people to provide him an opportunity to explore and prove his worth rather than just discarding him as a useless person.

Question 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?
Answer:
Mr Lamb’s brief link with Derry was a turning point in the life of Derry. Before meeting Mr Lamb, he led a secluded life due to the behaviour of the people. People would get horrified and withdraw as they looked at his burnt face. So he began to avoid people and lived in seclusion. He came to Mr Lamb’s garden stealthily by climbing the walls even though the gate was open as he did not like to be seen by people. Over there, he came in contact with Mr Lamb, who like him, was physically impaired.

Mr Lamb had a tin leg as the real one was blown off in the war. Mr Lamb who was like him had inspired Derry to face the world inspite of his physical impairment. Instead of brooding over his burnt face, he should regard himself lucky that he had got two arms, two legs, and eyes and ears, a tongue and a brain. If he set a goal to do something, his burnt face would not stand in the way and he could do even better than all others. So Mr Lamb infused a new spirit and zest of life in Derry who now got a new meaning to his life. This was evident from the fact that he went back to Mr Lamb’s garden despite stiff resistance from his mother.

On the face of It Extra Questions and Answers

On the face of It Short Answer Questions

Question 1.
How does Mr Lamb keep himself busy when it is a bit cool?
Answer:
Mr Lamb collects crab apples and makes jelly out of them, when it is cooler. He leaves his gates open to welcome whoever wishes to come into the garden.

Question 2.
Why does Derry tell Mr Lamb that he is afraid of seeing himself in the mirror in the story, ‘On the Face of It’?
Answer:
Derry’s face had become scarred due to acid burns. This terrified him and brought in bad memories of the incident. In order to avoid them, he avoided seeing himself in the mirror.

Question 3.
Mr Lamb’s advice to Derry was the product of his goodness of heart or to befriend him to overcome his loneliness. Give reason.
Answer:
Mr Lamb genuinely liked Derry and wanted him to overcome his inhibitions towards life. He did not want the boy to suffer and have a poor self-esteem because he had a burnt face. He gave his example only for him to understand what can be done to overcome loneliness and to make him understand that a disability should not stop one from enjoying life.

Question 4.
People are insensitive to those who have disabilities. Give instances from the story, ‘On the Face of It’.
Answer:
People generally pity the handicapped or react with disgust when they see them. For instance, people would stare at the burnt face of Derry and comment on it. He even heard two women commenting, looking at his face that only a mother could love a person with such a face. Even his own family was worried about his future. Similarly, Mr Lamb was also stared at by people, and children even called him Lamey-Lamb.

Question 5.
How does Mr Lamb try to remove the baseless fears of Derry?
Answer:
Mr Lamb gave confidence and courage to Derry. He suggested that Derry should get over his physical impairment instead of brooding over his burnt face. He told Derry that he still has two hands, legs, eyes, a tongue and a brain, and if he puts them to right use by setting his mind to it, he can get on better than all the rest.

Question 6.
What did Derry’s mother think of Mr Lamb?
Answer:
Derry’s mother did not have a good impression of Mr Lamb. She thought he was not a good man. She did not want Derry to associate with him in any way.

Question 7.
What consolation did people give when they saw his acid burnt face?
Answer:
Derry’s face was burnt by acid on one side. When people looked at his face, they drew back in horror. They pretended to show sympathy as if he was an object.

Question 8.
Mr Lamb told Derry the story of a man who hid himself in his room. Why did the man do so and with what result?
Answer:
The man was afraid of everything. He felt that he would die if he went out and so he hid himself in a room. In the end, a picture fell off the wall on his head and killed him.

Question 9.
Why does Mr Lamb leave his gate always open?
Answer:
Mr Lamb leaves his gate always open to welcome children. He did not have his own children. He has an apple orchard. He offered them apples and its jelly.

Question 10.
What peculiar things does Derry notice about the old man, Lamb?
Answer:
Unlike the other people, who were horrified on looking at Derry, Mr Lamb did not show any dislike or horror at the way Derry looked. This surprised him. He also found it strange that even though the man himself was handicapped, he lived happily. He had a zest for life and encouraged him in ways no one had. He made him aware of his strengths and the importance of not pitying oneself.

Question 11.
If you were to give a different ending to the story ‘On the Face of It’, how would you end it?
Answer:
The story could end on a happy note. In another ending, Derry sees Mr Lamb on the ground, rushes to him and sees that he is hurt. He rushes for help and is finally able to get some help in order to revive the old man. Mr Lamb is happy to see that Derry had overcome his inhibitions and rushed to bring help for him. In the next spring season, not only Derry and Mr Lamb, but other children are also seen in Mr Lamb’s garden, happy and collecting crab apples together.

Question 12.
How does Derry interpret the fairy tale ‘Beauty and the Beast’? What does he feel about himself?
Answer:
Derry knows that the theme of the fairy tale is to love inner beauty of a person, irrespective of the outside appearances. However, Derry thinks it to be all a farce. He finds the whole idea of transformation into a prince, unrealistic. He is very pessimistic and fears that he would have to live alone for the rest of his life. In his fight with the world, he has forgotten to appreciate and love himself. He has forgotten that appearances are secondary.

Question 13.
How does Mr Lamb react when Derry enters his garden?
Answer:
Lamb is an open-minded man. His broadmindedness makes him welcome Derry to his garden. As he stays alone, Lamb is happy to get someone to talk to in his loneliness. He treats Derry as his friend and speaks freely with him.

Question 14.
What kind of garden does Mr Lamb have? Why does he like it?
Answer:
The garden of Mr Lamb was unkempt. There were both plants and weeds present. There were crab apple trees with golden and orange ripe apples ready for plucking. There were beehives too. The gate remained open as everyone was welcomed to give solace to him in his loneliness. He enjoyed the warm sunshine and nature there.

Question 15.
How do people react to Derry’s face?
Answer:
When people see Derry’s face, they pity on him. They say that it is the ugliest thing they have seen and run away from him. They don’t wish to speak to him or be friends with him.

Question 16.
How do people console Derry when they look at his face?
Answer:
People used to console Derry by saying that it is not how you look, but it is how you are inside that matters. Handsome is as handsome does. They used to tell him about the fairy tale, ‘Beauty and the Beast’ that how when beauty kissed the beast, he turned into a handsome prince.

Question 17.
Why does Mr Lamb say, “So you are not lost, are you? Not altogether?”
Answer:
Mr Lamb says so in order to make Derry feel that his thinking is not negative when he says that he likes the raindrops on the roof. He says so because Derry always hates people and has lost faith in people. Mr Lamb further comments that some humanness is still left.

Question 18.
Why does Derry’s mother not want him to go back to visit Mr Lamb?
Answer:
Derry’s mother did not want her son to interact with Mr Lamb, or go back to his house because he was new to the place and nobody had any information about his personal and private life. On the contrary, people were heard to be making adverse remarks about Mr Lamb. Lamb was leading a lonely life with no contact with the outside world. Children used to tease him and call him Lamey-Lamb because he was handicapped. The worried mother, therefore, thought that it would not be in the interest of her child to befriend the stranger.

On the face of It Long Answer Questions

Question 1.
Do you think Mr Lamb leaves Derry with a positive frame of mind in the end? Mr Lamb dies but leaves his spirit behind.
OR
Describe how Mr Lamb and Derry’s conversation bring about a change in the views of Derry, towards life.
OR
What benefits did Derry reap from his associations with Mr Lamb?
Answer:
The interaction between Derry and Mr Lamb had been short but the impact on Derry was very powerful. Mr Lamb tried to show Derry that life is much more than his obsession with his disability. It is good to know one’s limitations but limiting oneself because of the limitations is wrong. To prove his point, Mr Lamb gave example of other people’s lives and also his own. He wanted to show that disability is not in the body but in the mind and the moment it engulfs the mind, one loses out on oneself.

Mr Lamb does not ask Derry the reason behind his disfigured face, something which everyone else had done. Mr Lamb’s apparent disregard for his own disability also amazes him. For someone who was fixated with his own disability and who had in fact started pitying himself, it was a shock. Mr Lamb, without overtly advising him, through his actions and behaviour, his benevolent nature and through his optimistic attitude towards life, made Derry realise that there is more to life than being forever concerned with oneself. The old man instilled a new hope in Derry to live life on his own terms.

Question 2.
How did Mr Lamb’s meeting with Derry become a turning point in Derry’s life?
OR
Derry sneaked into Mr Lamb’s garden and it became a turning point in his life. Comment.
Answer:
Mr Lamb turned Derry into a confident boy from a self-pitying one. Both were physically handicapped but had a different outlook towards life. Derry had a pessimistic attitude and felt that life cannot be lived happily with a handicap. Derry was a defiant and withdrawn boy who hated socialising. He felt frustrated with people, their staring and their jibes at him. Meeting Mr Lamb had a positive effect on Derry. Mr Lamb, though handicapped, had a very optimistic outlook towards life. He felt that life can be lived happily irrespective of whatever one’s handicap was.

Derry could be himself in front of Mr Lamb and Mr Lamb never pitied him. Mr Lamb did not have a leg and even then he was happy with his life. He taught Derry to take life the way God had given and live to the full rather than just being forlorn and complain throughout.

Derry made his mother understand that his handicap was something immaterial and would not affect his happiness or hamper his progress in life. Meeting Mr Lamb had in fact led him to turn a new leaf in his life.

Question 3.
Both Derry and Lamb are physically impaired and lonely. It is the responsibility of society to understand and support people with infirmities so that they do not suffer from a sense of alienation. As a responsible citizen, what would you do to bring about a change in the lives of such people?
OR
How is Derry and Mr Lamb’s behaviour and attitude different towards people because of their physical impairment?
Answer:
Derry’s main problem was his burnt face. One side of his face was eaten up by acid. He suffered from a tremendous sense of inferiority complex. He was always conscious that his face was “bad”, “terrible” and “the ugliest thing”. People were “afraid” of him. He tries to escape people. He allows himself to be alienated from the world. On the other hand, Mr Lamb doesn’t allow his physical disability to come in his way. He accepts life as it comes. He has a positive attitude towards life, things and people.

He doesn’t find solace in escapism. Children tease him by calling “Lamey-Lamb” but he doesn’t mind it. One of his legs was blown off in the war. But he is full of life and enjoys it at his best. He enjoys sitting in the sun, reading books and growing weeds and flowers. Derry is withdrawn and defiant. He doesn’t trust people.

He thinks that no one will ever love and kiss him except his own mother. He can’t stand people staring at him or passing uncharitable remarks. He is touchy and hypersensitive. Mr Lamb is open- minded and open-hearted. All were welcome in his house. He loves everybody and everything. He teaches Derry how to handle people and things.

Question 4.
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.
OR
Both Derry and Lamb are victims of physical impairment, but much more painful for them is the feeling of loneliness. Comment.
Answer:
Man is vain, selfish and prejudiced. He does not cherish anything that is incomplete or impaired. This nature of man, creates a vaccum in the life of human beings who are handicapped, for no fault of theirs. A war veteran, an accident victim, a polio affected, or a person born handicapped is looked upon by the so called ‘Normal’ people with a false sense of sympathy, disgust or repulsion. As a result, the injury that is physical becomes secondary to the injury that is caused to the mind, and psyche of the person. They become pessimistic, feel lonely and alienated.

Question 5.
Mr Lamb and Derry are two different sides of the same coin. Do you agree? Justify your answer with evidence from the text.
Answer:
Both, Mr Lamb and Derry suffered from physical impairment and both were lonely. Lamb was optimistic but Derry was pessimistic. Lamb ignored his challenge while Derry magnified his ugly look. Lamb was not concerned about what people say while Derry was very much taken up by the signs of fear and desire to avoid him, from people. He did not like being pitied when people called him ‘poor boy’ or gave him uncalled for advice. Even when Derry’s mother kissed him only on the right side, he felt that she did that out of sheer duty.

Lamb had positive attitude towards life. He did not mind people calling him ‘Lamey-Lamb’. He did not want to shut out the world or have the bitterness and hatred that Derry had. Lamb taught Derry the art of discovering beauty and leading a happy life. All these qualities of each made them different from the other.

Question 6.
Optimism in one’s attitude helps deal with all the challenges of life. Prove the statement by referring to the character Mr Lamb from the chapter, ‘On the Face of It’.
Answer:
Mr Lamb is an apostle of optimist, enthusiasm and hope. He is different from Derry. Though both are suffering from physical impairment, yet the latter is full of optimism and zest. People call him ‘Lamey-Lamb’ but he never reacts to it. He is a warehouse of knowledge. Although he lives alone, he keeps himself busy reading books. He enjoys sitting in the sun. He makes toffees and jellies. He is a nature lover. He has an open approach towards life. “The gates are open” shows his welcoming nature.

He is an inspiring and practical man. Mr Lamb is a person with high self-esteem and positive approach. Though he too feels alienated and lonely, he never lets it know to anyone. He is an extrovert. He guides Derry to face the challenges of life by accepting it. He helps gloomy and defiant Derry to come out of his cocoon by his witty remarks. This optimistic protagonist really catches the attention of the readers towards them.