On The Face of It Important Questions CBSE Class 12 English
Short Answer Type Questions (3 Marks, 30-40 Words)
Question.1. Why did Mr Lamb help Derry? (Compartment 2014)
Answer. Mr Lamb and Derry were both victims of physical impairment or deformity. However, unlike
Derry, who became enr^ittered because of it, Mr Lamb was always full of life. His physical suffering had failed to damper his spirit. Thus, Mr Lamb helped Derry because he wanted him to change his perspective towards life and enjoy every moment of it.
Question.2. In what sense is the friendship between Mr Lamb and Derry fruitful? (Compartment 2014)
Answer. The friendship that flourished between Mr Lamb and Derry was indeed fruitful. Mr Lamb’s unending enthusiasm and unceasing zeal to live life despite all odds helped Derry change his outlook towards life. Derry, who was just carrying on an unhappy existence, was able to see some meaning to his life after meeting Mr Lamb.
Question.3. If you were to give a different ending to the story, ‘On The Face of It’ how would you
end it? (All India 2013)
Answer. The ending of the story, ‘On the face of It’ is very sad as Mr Lamb is probably dead. In my opinion, such a beautiful story should not have such a tragic ending. In the end, Derry should have saved Mr Lamb from falling by holding the ladder at the last moment. This would have given a message of hope.
Question.4. 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.
Question.5. Why does Mr Lamb leave his gate always open? (All India 2011)
Answer. Mr Lamb always left his gate open because he did riot mind strangers entering his house or garden. Probably also because he was not afraid of anything.
Question.6. What is the bond that unites the two—Mr Lamb, the old and Derry, the small boy?
How does the old man inspire the little boy? (Foreign 2011)
Answer. It is physical disability in different forms, the empathetic feeling that creates a bond, which unites the old man and Derry. Although both face the same problem, there is a vast difference in the attitude to and perception of the problem.
The old man has an upper hand #n life and experience due to his age, which gives him the zest to inspire the little boy.
Question.7. What qualities of Mr Lamb attracted Derry to him? (All India 2009)
Answer. Mr Lamb was aperson 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.
Question.8. 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 did not like 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.
Question.9. 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.
Long Answer Type Questions (6 Marks, 120-150 words)
Question.10.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)
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.
The physical impairment somehow united the feelings of both of them. But their attitudes to their respective situations were totally different. Mr Lamb came as an angel in the sad life of Derry. He told Derry that beauty is not limited to looks but it is in how you feel from inside. He taught him to enjoy life to the fullest.
Mr Lamb’s encouraging words elevated Derry’s confidence. For the first time in his life, he wanted to live for himself. Thus he was inspired by the old man.
Question.11.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. (VBQ)
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.
Question.12.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. 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.
Question.13.Do you think Derry’s chance meeting with Mr Lamb would prove meaningful to him?
Answer giving valid reasons. (Foreign 2009)
Answer. When Derry met Mr Lamb, he was a fourteen year old boy who had lost all zest for life. He had lost all self-regard and suffered from a terrible inferiority complex due to his scared face. He hated meeting people and remained withdrawn.
After meeting Mr Lamb, Derry was filled with enthusiasm for life. Mr Lamb’s words had a profound effect on him and he changed drastically. He was not overtly conscious of his ugly face any longer. We could get a reflection of Derry’s transformation in Scene two, when he reached his house after a brief encounter with Mr Lamb.
He told his mother, “You shouldn’t believe all you hear.” He categorically told her that he wanted to go back to Mr Lamb to listen to bees singing and him talking.
In the end, he rushed to meet his mentor to keep his promise to the old man. Looking at these developments, one is bound to conclude that Derry hopefully would not become secluded once again. Derek would certainly be confident and happy in the future.
Question.14.How did Mr Lamb’s meeting with Derry become a turning point in Derry’s life?
(Delhi 2008)
Answer. 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.