Chapter 6 - On the Face of It

On the Face of it by Susan Hill is a story about a boy named Derry with a half-burnt face because of acid and how he enters someone else’s garden; befriends the owner and talks about various things in their life.

You will find a detailed chapter summary, character list and theme for On the Face of it Class 12 English here at UrbanPro.

Summary

The story starts with Derry entering a garden. Derry is a teenager who has a half-burnt face because of acid having fallen on his face by accident. He is teased by everyone because of his face. Therefore he ends up entering the garden to hide from everyone. Upon entering the garden, he found out that he was not the only one present there. Before he could leave the garden, he was stopped by Mr Lamb, who was the owner of that place. Derry, even though being just a teenager, was apologetic for entering the garden and was feeling guilty. Mr Lamb asked him not to feel so and stay for a while.

Though people were usually scared upon seeing his face, Mr Lamb insisted him to stay there for a while. He tells Mr Lamb that he hates the fact that people treat him like an alien. Hearing this, Mr Lamb tries to console him. He tells him about his problems regarding tin leg and how it is a matter for ridicule for a lot of other kids. However, this doesn’t become a reason for his sadness. It doesn’t stop him from enjoying his life.

Soon they strike up a conversation and Derry ends up revealing his problems to Mr Lamb. He tells Mr Lamb about his fear, depression, and how much he hates being in such a situation.

Mr Lamb continuously asks him to stay positive in spite of a lot of things happening against him. This conversation brings them closer, and a friendship starts building up.

After this, Mr Lamb asks Derry to help him pluck apples from his trees. As it was getting late and Derry did not take permission from his mother before coming this far from his home, he tells Mr Lamb that he needs to get permission from her. Upon reaching home, Derry gets into a quarrel with his mother, and even though his mother does not allow him to go back, Derry still comes back to fulfil his promise.

Meanwhile, Mr Lamb was quite sure of the fact that Derry would not be returning, and therefore he decides to pluck the apples alone with the help of a ladder. In this process, he falls and dies. Once Derry reaches the garden, he finds that Mr Lamb is laying down and not moving. Derry realises that Mr Lamb has died and starts crying for he had lost his only friend.

Characters

• Derry
• Mr Lamb
• Derry’s Mother

Theme

The theme of the story is the difference in perspective and view of human beings. The story has two kinds of different disabilities, but the way Derry and Mr Lamb deal with them is different in a lot of ways.

For a better understanding, refer to On the Face of it Class 12 Questions and Answers. You can also download On the Face of it NCERT Solutions here at UrbanPro.