On the Face of It — Study Notes

1. Introduction

"On the Face of It" is the sixth chapter of the Vistas textbook for Class 12 English. Written by the English author Susan Hill, the story is a poignant and hopeful play about two people — a young boy named Derry with a badly burnt face, and an old man named Mr. Lamb, who has lost one leg in an accident. Through their unexpected friendship, the story explores themes of disability, isolation, self-acceptance, and the meaning of true happiness.

The story opens with Derry, a fourteen-year-old boy with a disfigured face, sitting alone in Mr. Lamb's garden. Derry is bitter and withdrawn, haunted by the cruel reactions of people to his appearance. He believes that people only see his scarred face and never look beyond it to the person he is. Mr. Lamb, a cheerful and wise old man, strikes up a conversation with Derry, and through their exchange, he begins to break through Derry's shell of bitterness.

Mr. Lamb is a deeply philosophical character. Despite having only one leg, he does not dwell on his loss; instead, he celebrates life, tending his garden, reading, and appreciating small pleasures. He teaches Derry that the world is full of wonder, and that it is not what one has lost that matters, but how one chooses to live. The story ends tragically yet meaningfully — Mr. Lamb falls from a ladder and dies, but not before he has given Derry a new way of seeing himself and the world.

2. Author

Susan Hill (born 1942) is an English author of fiction and non-fiction, best known for her novels "I'm the King of the Castle" and "The Woman in Black," and for her series of detective novels featuring Detective Chief Inspector Simon Serrailler. Her writing is characterised by psychological depth, atmosphere, and a profound interest in human relationships and moral questions. "On the Face of It," written as a radio play, is one of her most widely studied works, celebrated for its sensitive handling of disability, prejudice, and the redemptive power of friendship.

3. Summary

The play opens in Mr. Lamb's garden on a warm summer afternoon. Derry, a fourteen-year-old boy, has wandered in through the gate, attracted by the beautiful garden. Mr. Lamb, an old man sitting in the sun, sees him and welcomes him warmly. Derry is startled and wary — his face is badly burnt on one side, and he is used to people recoiling from him. He expects Mr. Lamb to be shocked or disgusted, but Mr. Lamb shows no such reaction.

Mr. Lamb is an extraordinary man. He has lost one leg and walks with a tin leg and a stick, but he is full of energy and curiosity. He tells Derry about his garden, his love of the apples and the bees, and his habit of reading the pages of books people have torn out and left lying around. He observes that "people are always running away from something," and he gently challenges Derry's self-pity. Derry confesses that he hates his face and that people say terrible things about him — that he is a freak, that his face looks like something burnt. He says he doesn't like being in the world of people.

Mr. Lamb, however, insists that Derry should not shut himself away. He tells the boy that the world is full of beautiful things, and that the only real limitation is the one a person creates in his own mind. He talks about his own disability: he has only one leg, but he still climbs ladders, gathers apples, and lives fully. He tells Derry that he must not let people's cruelty define him, and that what matters is how he chooses to respond to life.

Derry is deeply affected by their conversation. For the first time, someone has spoken to him not as a freak but as a person. Mr. Lamb invites him to come again, to help in the garden, and to be his friend. Derry leaves, determined to return. But the play ends tragically: as Derry rushes back to the garden later, he finds Mr. Lamb lying dead under a ladder, having fallen and hit his head. The old man, who taught Derry to embrace life, has died in the very act of living. Yet the lesson he gave Derry lives on — Derry has been changed forever.

4. Characters

Derry

A fourteen-year-old boy with a badly burnt face. He is bitter, withdrawn, and filled with self-pity, believing that people can never see beyond his appearance. Through his friendship with Mr. Lamb, he learns to see himself and the world differently. He represents the pain of those who are judged by their physical appearance.

Mr. Lamb

An old man who has lost one leg in an accident. Despite his disability, he is cheerful, wise, and full of life. He refuses to let his loss define him, and he teaches Derry that happiness comes from within. He represents resilience, wisdom, and the power of seeing beyond appearances. His death is tragic but meaningful — he lives fully until the very end.

Derry's Mother (mentioned)

Derry's mother appears at the beginning of the play, warning him about Mr. Lamb and the garden. She represents the well-meaning but fearful caution of those who, out of love, try to protect the vulnerable by limiting them.

5. Themes

The central theme of the story is the pain of disability and the cruelty of prejudice. Derry suffers not so much from his burn as from the reactions of people who judge him by his appearance. A related theme is self-acceptance and the power of perspective: Mr. Lamb teaches Derry that his attitude towards life matters more than his physical condition.

The story also explores the theme of the redemptive power of friendship and human connection: through Mr. Lamb's kindness and wisdom, Derry begins to see himself as a person of worth. Another theme is the contrast between living and merely existing: Mr. Lamb lives fully despite his disability, while Derry merely exists in his bitterness. Finally, the story touches on the theme of the fear of death and the celebration of life: Mr. Lamb's death, though sudden, is a testament to a life embraced rather than dreaded.

6. Literary Devices

1. Dramatic Form (Play): The story is written as a play, with dialogue, stage directions, and settings that create immediacy and emotional intensity.
2. Contrast: The contrast between Derry's bitterness and Mr. Lamb's cheerfulness highlights the theme of attitude and perspective.
3. Symbolism: Mr. Lamb's garden symbolises life, growth, and the beauty of the world; his climbing of the ladder symbolises his refusal to be limited by disability.
4. Irony: It is ironic that Mr. Lamb, who preaches the value of life and warns Derry about the dangers of the world, dies in an accident while living fully.
5. Metaphor: The "burned face" is a metaphor for the wounds people carry; the "tin leg" symbolises the visible signs of loss that need not define a person.
6. Foreshadowing: Mr. Lamb's talk of falling from the ladder and his risky behaviour foreshadow his death.
7. Dialogue-Driven Characterisation: The characters are revealed through their speech — Mr. Lamb's wisdom and Derry's bitterness emerge through their exchange.
8. Pathos: The ending evokes deep sympathy and sorrow, yet it is balanced by the hope of Derry's transformation.

7. Quick Revision Tables

8. Mind Map

9. Important Diagrams (SVG)

Diagram 1: The Transformation of Derry

Diagram 2: The Philosophy of Mr. Lamb

10. Common Mistakes

1. Thinking the story is a novel or short story — it is written as a play with dialogue and stage directions.
2. Believing Mr. Lamb is bitter about his disability — on the contrary, he is cheerful and lives life fully.
3. Thinking Derry's disability is more serious than Mr. Lamb's — the story emphasises that attitude matters more than physical condition.
4. Missing the irony of Mr. Lamb's death — the man who embraced life dies in an accident while living fully.
5. Believing the play ends hopelessly — though Mr. Lamb dies, Derry is transformed and carries his lesson forward.
6. Forgetting that the garden is a symbol of life and growth.
7. Believing Derry remains bitter at the end — through Mr. Lamb's friendship, he begins to see himself and the world differently.

11. Exam Tips

1. Begin by identifying the play as Susan Hill's exploration of disability, prejudice, and friendship.
2. Contrast Derry's bitterness with Mr. Lamb's cheerfulness to establish the central conflict.
3. Explain how Mr. Lamb sees beyond Derry's burnt face and challenges his self-pity.
4. Analyse Mr. Lamb's philosophy — the world is full of beautiful things, and attitude matters more than loss.
5. Discuss the tragic ending and its significance — Mr. Lamb dies living fully, and his lesson transforms Derry.
6. For theme answers, cover disability, self-acceptance, friendship, and the contrast between living and merely existing.
7. Note the use of the play form, symbolism (the garden, the ladder), and pathos as literary strengths.

12. Conclusion

"On the Face of It" is a deeply moving play about two people marked by physical disability, and the extraordinary friendship that transforms them. Susan Hill contrasts the bitter, withdrawn Derry — his face scarred and his spirit crushed by the cruelty of others — with the wise, cheerful Mr. Lamb, who has lost a leg but never lost his joy in life. Through their conversation in the sunlit garden, the play explores how we see ourselves and how others see us, and how the only real prison is the one we build in our own minds.

Mr. Lamb's death is sudden and ironic — the man who taught Derry to embrace life dies while fully engaged in living. But his legacy is secure: Derry, who entered the garden full of self-hatred, leaves it determined to live. The play reminds us that physical scars and losses need not define a person, and that the world's beauty is available to all who choose to see it. It is a powerful testament to the redemptive power of kindness and the indomitable human spirit.