CBSE Class 12 English On the face of It (Susan Hill) VBQs

Question. Choose the option that best constitutes a message from the play:
a) People’s attitude should not stop one from experiencing life.
b) What people say has no bearing upon how one feels about things.
c) People cannot be changed. One can and should only change oneself.
d) One’s opinions cannot be based on what people say behind one’s back.

Answer : A

Question. If Derry were in a library at the beginning of the play, which of the following sections of books would he NOT explore?
(i) science fiction
(ii) fantasy
(iii) self-help
(iv) non-fiction
a) Options (i) and (ii)
b) Options (ii) and (iii)
c) Options (iii) and (iv)
d) Options (i) and (iv)

Answer : B

Question. “Ah, but do you care if you never kiss them.” What does Mr. Lamb aim to do with such a statement?
a) Empower Derry to take charge.
b) Inspire Derry to have dreams.
c) Comfort Derry by distracting him.
d) Question Derry about his desires.

Answer : A

Question. Based on the slogans and tag lines, for which of the following brands might Mr. Lamb be a suitable brand ambassador?

a) Options (i), (ii), (iii)
b) Options (ii), (iii), (iv)
c) Options (iii), (iv), (v)
d) Options (iv), (v), (i)

Answer : D

Read the given passage and answer the questions that follow:

MR LAMB: Look, boy, look.... what do you see?
DERRY: Just....grass and stuff. Weeds.
MR LAMB: Some call them weeds. If you like, then.... a weed garden, that. There’s fruit and there are flowers, and trees and herbs. All sorts. But over there.... weeds. I grow weeds there. Why is one green, growing plant called a weed and another ‘flower’? Where’s the difference. It’s all life.... growing. Same as you and me.
DERRY: We’re not the same.
MR LAMB: I’m old. You’re young. You’ve got a burned face, I’ve got a tin leg. Not important. You’re standing there.... I’m sitting here. Where’s the difference?

Question. How would you describe Derry’s tone when he says – “We’re not the same”?
a) angry
b) perplexed
c) gloomy
d) practical

Answer : C

Question. Look at the given images of books. In which of the following are you NOT likely to find Mr. Lamb’s words as given in the extract?

a) Options (i) and (iii)
b) Options (i) and (iv)
c) Options (ii) and (iv)
d) Options (ii) and (iii)

Answer : B

Question. Like the play, the given extract is a study in contrasts. What does Mr. Lamb seek to do by bringing up distinctions?
a) To explain that weeds are important and should be valued and cared for as much as flowers.
b) To emphasize that distinctions are made by man to serve specific purposes and uses.
c) To highlight that labels are arbitrary and essentially reflect a common life experience.
d) To remind Derry that the only difference that matters is that of attitude and experience.

Answer : C

Question. Which of the following represents Mr. Lamb’s analysis of flowers and weeds?
a) Comparison is an act of violence against the self.
b) If you have a garden in your library, everything will be complete.
c) One man’s freedom fighter is another man’s terrorist.
d) The cosmos is within us. We are made of star-stuff.

Answer : C

Read the given passage and answer the questions that follow:

DERRY: What do you do all day?
MR LAMB: Sit in the sun. Read books. Ah, you thought it was an empty house, but inside, it’s full. Books and other things. Full.
DERRY: But there aren’t any curtains at the windows.
MR LAMB: I’m not fond of curtains. Shutting things out, shutting things in. I
like the light and the darkness, and the windows open, to hear the wind.
DERRY: Yes. I like that. When it’s raining, I like to hear it on the roof.
MR LAMB: So you’re not lost, are you? Not altogether? You do hear things.
You listen.
DERRY: They talk about me. Downstairs, When I’m not there.

Question. Choose the option that best describes the sequence of Derry’s emotions in the above extract:
a) shyness – friendliness – reluctant acceptance
b) inquisitiveness – nostalgia – mild sadness
c) curiosity – measured delight – disappointment
d) defiance – excitement – grouchy insecurity

Answer : C

Question. According to Mr. Lamb, what does the idea of being ‘lost’ signify?
a) He who does not hear what other people say is lost.
b) He who does not appreciate man and nature is lost.
c) He who does not pause to reflect on wind and rain is lost.
d) He who is closed off to nature and its wonders is lost.

Answer : D

Question. Read the following analysis of Mr. Lamb’s character based on the given
extract. Choose the option that fills in the given blanks most appropriately:
Mr. Lamb’s (i) ____________ and daily activities reflected the values he lived by and the kind of person he was. His openness, inquisitiveness, and his (ii) ____________ to nature were embodied in his work and words. Being close to and experiencing (iii) was not only significant to him, but was at the heart of finding meaning and (iv) ________ in life.
a) (i) preferences ; (ii) attunement ; (iii) nature ; (iv) direction
b) (ii) choices ; (ii) loyalty ; (iii) the world ; (iv) hope
c) (iii) words ; (ii) attitude ; (iii) gardening ; (iv) worthiness
d) (iv) sermons ; (ii) proximity ; (iii) life ; (iv) values

Answer : A

Question. “You do hear things. You listen.” Choose the option that captures the difference between hearing and listening.
hear: listen :: _________: _________
a) shut in: shut out
b) smile: laugh
c) act: reflect
d) chance: attend

Answer : D

Important Questions For CBSE Class 12 English VBQs On the face of It (Susan Hill)

Vert Short Answer Type Questions :

Question. How do people react to Derry’s face ? 
Answer : When people looked at Derry’s burnt face, they kept staring at him. They often reacted as if they were afraid of him. Some of them pitied him and consoled him by saying sympathetic words. 

Question. If you were to give a different ending to the story, ‘On the face of It’ how would you end it ?
Answer : A different ending to the story would be on a happy note. Both Derry and Mr. Lamb collected crab–apples and lived merrily together. We should accept life as it comes. 

Question. Why does Derry stay away from people ?
                              OR
How did Derry’s handicap damage his life ?
                              OR
Why does Derry say : “I’m not afraid. People are afraid of me ?”
Answer : Derry suffers from the complex that most of the physically impaired persons suffer from. He has become withdrawn and defiant. He has got a burnt face. He thinks that he is the ugliest person on the earth. People find his face very terrible. So he is not afraid of the people but they are afraid of him. 

Question. How did Mr. Lamb keep himself busy when it was a bit cool ? 
Answer : When it’s a bit cool, Mr. Lamb keeps himself busy by getting a ladder and a stick and pulling down the crab apples. He then makes jelly out of them. He keeps enjoying the humming of bees, reading books and sitting in the sun.

Short Answer Type Questions :

Question. Why does Derry go back M tor. Lamb in the end?
Answer : Mr. Lamb is the only person capable of giving him right attitude to live in spite of physical impairment. He has learnt to ignore all the comments and opinions of others aimed at inflicting negativity in him. He now no longer cares about his burned face or looks. He is more concerned what he thinks, feels and what he wants to hear and see. So he goes back to Mr. Lamb in the end to fulfil his promise.

Question. 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 : Although the loneliness of Derry dominates the play, there are evident traces of Mr. Lamb's loneliness throughout the first scene of the play. The old man says that having heard the bees for a 'long time' he knows that they 'sing', not buzz. It not only depicts how his perception was different from other but also illustrates that he was lonely and that he did not have any one to be with. Another evidence of his loneliness is the fact that whole day he sat in the sun and read books. This proves that books were his only true friends. He says that his 'empty house' is full of books, underlining the way in which the void of his empty life was filled in by books. By the end of this scene, it becomes even clearer that he is lonely and sad when he mutters to himself that no one comes back to him after the first meeting. Likewise, he did not expect Derry to return. He was so sure that Derry would never return that he climbed that ladder to collect all the apples himself, although Derry had offered to help him after informing his mother. ironically, the old man would have died unnoticed if Derry had not returned to fill the emptiness of his own life.

Question. Will Derry get back to his old seclusion or will Mr. Lamb's brief association effect a change in the kind of life will lead in the future ?
Answer : The brief association of Derry with Mr. Lamb boosted his self-confidence and helped him to respect his own self. He undergoes a remarkable change and start to think optimistically. He defends the old man for encouraging him. He tells his mother that his looks are not important and he has learnt to accept himself. He craves to become self sufficient. 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. The entire conversation between the two is would not be undone due to setbacks. The entire conversation between the two is passing of wisdom from one generation to other.

Question. What is it that draws Derry towards Mr. Lamb in spite of himself ?
Answer : Derry was a young boy whose face was mutilated by acid which shattered his self confidence and therefore could not face the world normally. He preferred to stay in solitude resulting in an isolation from the society. He met Mr. Lamb an old man by chance who did not show any dislike or horror at his look which surprised him. Although he wanted to leave the garden but the old man's interesting and 'peculiar' conversation stoped him from leaving he also noticed that Mr. Lamb who was crippled of one leg never gave up and was living a happy life despite being mocked by the people Mr. Lamb spoke words of encouragement and hope and made him aware of his physical strength and explained the importance of emotional well-being which gave him a moral strength.

Question. How does Lamb try to remove the baseless fears of Derry?
Answer : Mr. Lamb influences Derry by his optimistic philosophy. He advises him not to give attention on other’s comments, try to be internally pure and strong and eliminate the negativity of life by seeing the beautiful side of it.

Question. 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 behavior that the person expects from others ?
Answer : A person with any physical impairment can live life with respect and honor, if he is not ridiculed and ignored by the society. 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. Being under tremendous mental and emotional pressure he expects other to be more understanding rather than reminding him of his disability. In the play, Derry and Mr. Lamb, 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 gets morale and emotional strength from him.

Question. Why does Derry’s mother stop him going to Mr. Lamb?
Answer : Derry’s mother does not hold a good opinion about Mr. Lamb. She has heard many things about the old man, therefore stops Derry to visit Mr. Lamb.

Question. Who is Derry? What self-opinion does he hold?
Answer : Derek, also called Derry is a young boy of fourteen. He is a quiet, shy and defiant boy. One side of his face is totally burnt by acid. He is a victim of inferiority complex induced by insensitive behavior of so-called civilized society.

Question. Comment on the moral value of the play?
Answer : The moral of the play is very loud and clear. The physically disabled should focus on the brighter side of life and not to brood over the shortcomings. The society should accept them as they are. Their social interactions should also be expanded so that that they can fight out the loneliness, depression and disappointment.

Question. Who was Derry ? What problems did he have ?
                                   OR
Who was Derry ? What did he suffer from ? 
Answer : Derry is a young boy who came to Mr. Lamb’s garden. One side of his face had been burnt by acid.

Question. Why did Mr. Lamb help Derry ? 
Answer : Mr. Lamb and Derry both were handicapped. So, out of empathy Mr. Lamb understood Derry’s plight and helped him to come out of his self-pitying habit.

Question. What changes took place in Derry when he met Mr. Lamb ?
Answer : When Derry met Mr. Lamb, his perspective towards life and himself changed. Derry had an acid burnt face due to which people either used to pity him or were scared of him. This had made Derry bitter and he had withdrawn into his own shell. He avoided meeting people, talking to them or being in anyone’s company. He had come to Mr. Lamb’s garden thinking that it was an isolated place.
But Mr. Lamb made him see a different side of life. He told him what is outside is not important, rather we should focus on what is inside. He made Derry see the beauty of life again. The sound of the rain, blossoming trees, chirping birds, everything was beautiful around him. Derry realized that it doesn’t matter how he looked. What matters is how he treats himself and life. He became positive again.

Question. 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 is burnt with acid. Derry says that people are afraid of him. They look at his face and find it terrible and ugly. So, he says that he too is afraid of himself when he sees his face in the mirror. 

Question. Why did Derry insist that he would go back to Mr. Lamb ? 
                                          OR
What qualities of Mr. Lamb attracted Derry to him? 
Answer : Derry is a young boy who suffers from a sense of inferiority complex because of his burnt face. He comes to Mr. Lamb’s garden in search of loneliness, where he met Mr. Lamb. Mr. Lamb is very social. He keeps the gate open for everybody. Mr. Lamb has a tin leg, children tease him by calling “Lamey-Lamb”. But he does not mind it. Derry is surprised to see a man who has a problem and suffers from no complex. Mr. Lamb motivates Derry to move forward in life. 

Question. What consolation did people give Derry when they saw his acid burnt face ?
                                               OR
How do people console Derry when they look at his face ? 
Answer : People often asked him to look at those people who were in pain, are brave, never cry, never complain and don’t feel sorry for themselves. They also asked him to think of those
who were worse off. He was better off than those people who were blind, born deaf, or are confined to a wheel-chair, or are crazy and dribble.

Question. In what sense is the friendship between Mr. Lamb and Derry fruitful ?
Answer : Mr. Lamb is optimistic whereas Derry is pessimistic and has an inferiority complex. Mr. Lamb helps him overcome his inferiority complex and advises him not to pay much attention to what others thought about him. He asked him to enjoy life and the beauty of nature. He brings about a positive change in Derry.

Question. What peculiar things does Derry notice about the old man, Lamb ? 
Answer : Mr. Lamb always leaves his gates open to welcome strangers. He lived in a big house without curtains. Derry also found Mr. Lamb’s conversation peculiar. He did not understand the questions Mr. Lamb asked him. He asked Derry to always keep his ears shut. Then, he told him the story of the man who locked himself in his room to escape from any kind of danger and died when a picture fell off the wall on his head and killed him.

Question. Why does Derry’s mother not want him to go back to visit Mr. Lamb ?
Answer : Being new to the area, Derry’s mother knew little about Mr. Lamb. Moreover, he lived all alone and had no contact with the outside world. She had seen children tease him and had heard people talk adversely about him. So, she does not want Derry to be in his company.
- Was new to the place and had not much personal information about him/ had heard adverse remarks made by people about Mr. Lamb/ Lamb leading a lonely life, no contact with outside world/ earlier, children used to tease and chase him, so would not be a healthy company for her son. 

Long Answer Type Questions :

Question. Derry said ‘‘It ate me up.’’ How did that fact affect his attitude towards life ?
Answer : This incident affected Derry not only physically but also emotionally. Everyone’s sympathy and adverse comments made him withdraw into his own shell. He isolated himself from the rest of the world and started hating people and life. People’s sympathetic remarks and advice made him bitter. He had no friends with whom he could share his feelings. Thus, the acid not only ate up his face, but also it ate up his psyche completely. 

Question. Both Derry and Lamb are victims of physical impairment but much more painful for them is the feeling of loneliness. Comment.
Answer : Derry’s main problem is his burnt face. One side of his face had been burnt by acid. He suffers from a tremendous sense of inferiority complex. He is always conscious of the fact that his face is “bad”, “terrible” and “the ugliest thing”. People are “afraid” of him. He tries to escape from 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 him “Lamey-Lamb” but he doesn’t mind it. One of his legs was blown off in the war. ut he is full of life and enjoys it to 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 hyper-sensitive. Mr. Lamb is open-minded and open-hearted. All are welcome. He loves everybody and everything. He teaches Derry how to handle people and things.

Question. As Mr. Lamb told why did a man lock himself up in his room and what happened to him?
Answer : The man locked himself up because he was scared of everything. Everything in this world, like a bus might run over him or a man might breathe deadly germs onto him, or a donkey might kick him to death, or lightening might strike him down, or he might love a girl and the girl would leave him, and he might slip on a banana skin and fall and people
who saw him would laugh their heads off. So he went into his room, locked the door, got into his bed, and stayed there. But unfortunately, a picture fell on his head and, at last, killed him. 

Question. What was Derry’s infirmity ? How had it made him withdrawn and defiant ?
Answer : Derry’s face had been burnt by acid. He suffered from a tremendous sense of inferiority complex. He was always conscious of the fact that his face was burnt and ugly. As a result, people were afraid of him and nobody would ever kiss him.
It made him withdrawn and defiant in the sense that he stopped trusting people. He always thought that if people were looking at him, then they were passing derogatory remarks about him.

Question. Both Derry and Lamb are physically impaired and lonely. It is the responsibility of the society to understand and support people with infirmities so that they do not suffer from a sense of alienation. As a responsible citizen, write in about 100 words, what you would do to bring about a change in the lives of such people.
Answer : Like Derry and Lamb, there are so many persons in this world who are impaired and lonely. They suffer from an inferiority complex and a sense of alienation. They remain aloof and turn themselves into a recluse. It is our duty to accept them and make them realise that this world belongs to them as well. We should treat them in a kind and sympathetic way. We should not look down upon them with pity in our eyes as they will feel bad and disheartened with such treatment. We should accept them with open arms and make them realise that their disability is not their fault. We should fill their hearts with hope and optimism and allow them to feel equal with the rest of the world.

Question. Derry sneaked into Mr. Lamb’s garden and it became a turning point in his life. Comment.
                                                                      OR
Who was Mr. Lamb ? How did he make Derry gain confidence and come out of his shell ?
Answer : Derry is a fourteen-year-old boy with a face burnt by acid. Mr. Lamb serves as an ideal for Derry. Mr. Lamb has a tin leg. But he never allows his disability to sour the joys of life. Derry, on the other hand, makes himself quite pitiable and miserable. His hyper-sensitivity is like an open wound. He can’t stand people staring at him. Even cruel and uncharitable remarks upset him. He can’t keep his ears shut. Nor does he possess a large and generous heart like that of Mr. Lamb, whom children called ‘Lamey-Lamb’ but Mr. Lamb does not mind it. He plays with them and gives them jelly and toffees. Derry, on the other hand, has developed a perverted mindset. The worst is that Derry distrusts the world and its people. We find a change in Derry towards the end. Mr. Lamb’s ideas leave their imprint on him. He is free from that complex now. He doesn’t care about his burnt face and it no more seems important to him.

Question. Optimism in one’s attitude helps deal with all the challenges in life. Prove the statement by referring to the character Mr. Lamb from the chapter “On the Face of It”.
Answer : Derry was a fourteen year old young boy who suffered from a sense of inferiority complex due to his acid-burnt face. He never accepted himself like that and therefore, he was never able to reconcile himself with his physical disability. He had a poor self-esteem and felt victimized. But, there was a positive change in him when he came in association with Mr. Lamb. He was surprised to notice that Mr. Lamb, despite his physical impairment, was an optimistic and cheerful man. He had a positive bent of mind. He never felt miserable or pitiable. He played with children and always kept the doors and windows of his house open so as to welcome everybody. He was very warm and friendly towards Derry. He told him that he had a weed garden because he felt weeds are also green living plants like others. Why should, then, they be called weeds. He also said that children called him `Lamey lamb’ whenever he went out into the streets but he didn’t feel bad about it. He, on the other hand, made toffees to give them to the children whenever they met him. Derry was quite impressed with his attitude of ‘waiting, watching, listening’. This provided confidence to Derry and he was a changed personality after meeting Mr. Lamb. Thus, we can say that optimism in one’s attitude helps deal with all the changes in life.

Question. 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 ?
                                           OR
How did Mr. Lamb’s meeting with Derry become a turning point in Derry’s life ?
                                          OR
How did Lamb try to give courage to Derry ?
Answer : Derry is a fourteen-year-old boy with a face burnt by acid. Mr. Lamb serves as an ideal person for Derry. Mr. Lamb has a tin leg. But he never allows his disability to sour the joys of life. Derry on the other hand makes himself quite pitiable and miserable. His hyper-sensitivity is like an open wound. He can’t stand people staring at him. Even cruel and uncharitable remarks upset him.He can’t keep his ears shut. Nor does he possess a large and generous heart like that of Mr. Lamb. Children call him ‘Lamey-Lamb’ but he does not
mind it. He plays with them and gives them jellies and toffees. Derry has developed a perverted thinking. The worst is that Derry distrusts this world and its people. We find a change in Derry in the end. Mr. Lamb’s ideas leave their imprint on him. He is free from that complex now. He doesn’t care about his burnt face and it is no more important to him. 

Question. How is Derry’s and Mr. Lamb’s behavior and attitude different towards people because of their physical impairment ? 
Answer : Mr. Lamb and Derry both are physically impaired, Derry has a burnt face whereas Mr. Lamb has an artificial leg, but they both are very different in their behavior and attitude towards life. Derry avoids seeing people because he believes that people are afraid of him, he hates talking to people because he thinks that they are unsympathetic and cruel towards him. Mr. Lamb loves talking to people. He has a garden which is open to all people. Though children tease him, he gladly shares toffees with them. Mr. Lamb has a very optimistic outlook towards life. He is neither afraid nor shy of his physical impairment.

Question. What benefits did Derry reap from his association with Mr. Lamb ? 
Answer : Derry was a fourteen-year-old young boy who suffered from a sense of inferiority complex due to his acid-burnt face. He never accepted himself like that and therefore, he was never able to reconcile himself with his physical disability. But, there was a positive change in him when he came into association with Mr. Lamb. He was surprised to notice that Mr. Lamb, despite his physical impairment, was an optimistic and cheerful man. He never felt miserable or pitiable. He played with children and always kept the doors and windows of his house open so as to welcome everybody at all times. This left a deep impression on Derry’s mind. He liked the way Mr. Lamb took his disability and learnt how to deal with people and things that come in the path as hurdles. His attitude towards life took a turning point and he became a different man who wanted to meet the world with open arms like Mr. Lamb. 

Extract Based Question :

Question. Why did Derry go to Mr. Lamb's garden?
(A) to steal apples
(B) to speak to Mr. Lamb
(C) to help the old man
(D) to feel that place

Answer : A

Question. What were Derry and Mr. Lamb victims of?
(A) vision impairment
(B) physical impairment
(C) war
(D) none

Answer : B

Question. Who has written On The Face Of It?
(A) Susan Hill
(B) William Sydne
(C) Salman Rushdie
(D) Chetan Bhagat

Answer : A

Question. How did Derry enter the garden?
(A) from the front gate
(B) from the side gate
(C) from back gate
(D) by climbing the garden wall

Answer : D