Class 12 English Vistas Chapter 5 – On the Face of It. (Susan Hill) Short question answers

 

NCERT Solutions For Class 12 English

Vistas

Chapter 5 – On the Face of It. (Susan Hill)

Short question answers

Q1.“Mind the apples!”, says Mr Lamb. Why do you think, does he issue this instruction, to whom and how many times?

Ans. Mr Lamb gives this advice to Derry, a fourteen-year-old kid who climbs over the garden wall to enter the garden. He asks Derry twice to notice the apples that have been blown down from the trees and thrown on the grass. He (Derry) might place his foot on an apple, fall, and hint himself.

Q2. What is the attitude of Mr Lamb to the small boy who comes to his garden ?
AnsMr Lamb's attitude toward the tiny boy is compassionate, protective, and accommodating. Mr Lamb, like an elder in the family, encourages the small kid to mind the apples so that he does not trip. He also tells the youngster to not be terrified.

Q3. What explanation does the small boy offer for coming into the garden? How does Mr Lamb react to it?

Ans. The boy believed that this was an empty space. He had no idea anybody was there. Mr Lamb reassures him that everything is fine. He asks the youngster what he's terrified of. He informs the youngster that the house is empty since he is in the garden and is likely to remain there. Such a lovely day should not be wasted indoors.

Q4. “T ‘m not afraid. People are afraid of me,” says Derry. What do people think on seeing his face? How do they react then?

Ans. They are horrified by Derry's face. They believe it is the ugliest thing they have ever seen. They call him a poor youngster because one side of his face was burned by acid. Some of them are terrified of his hideous and terrifying face.

Q5. How does Mr Lamb change the subject from ugly face to ripe apples?
OR
How does Mr Lamb keep himself busy when it is a bit cooler ?

Ans. There is a brief lull in the talk. Then Mr Lamb changes the subject. He says he'll fetch the ladder and a stick once it's cooler. Then he'll pull down the delicious crab apples. He produces jellies. He refers to these orange and golden apples as "magic fruit." September is an excellent season to produce jelly. He offers to help the boy.

Q6. Why, according to Derry, has the old man changed the subject?

Ans. Derry claims that people always change the subject. They do not inquire about his physical disability. They simply pretend that it is false and does not exist. They don't want the boy to become upset. He believes the old man has changed the subject because he is afraid to ask about his burned face.

Q7. “You got burned in a fire,” says Mr Lamb. What do you think, had happened to Derry’s face?

Ans. Derry's face was not charred in a fire. He got acid all over that side of his face, and it burned everything away. Derry claims that the acid ate not only his face, but also him. One side of his face is hideous and will never change..

Q8. How does Mr Lamb react to Derry’s query: ‘Aren’t you interested’?

Ans. Mr Lamb informs Derry that he is interested in everyone and everything. God is fascinated by what he has created. Fruit and flowers, trees and herbs, grass and weeds all pique his curiosity. Even garbage or trash is interesting. He sees no fundamental distinction between a "weed" and another 'flower' because both reflect life—developing or growing.

Q9. How, according to Derry, does the tin leg not trouble Mr Lamb? What explanation does the old man offer?

Ans. Derry believes the old man can put on trousers and cover his tin leg. Then nobody sees it. As a result, people are less likely to notice and stare at his face. Mr Lamb explains that some people notice and gaze at his impairment. Some do not. Eventually, they tire of it. Furthermore, there are many things to look at.

Q10.“There’s plenty of other things to stare at.” Which ‘things’ are worth staring at and why?

Ans. According to the old man, there are numerous things to look at. These include crab apples, weeds, a spider ascending a silken ladder, and towering sunflowers. They're all beautiful and 'growing'. Derry is astonished at the mention of 'objects'. Mr Lamb tries to convince him that everything is relative. He then says 'Beauty and the Beast'.

Q11. How does Mr Lamb try to remove the baseless fears of Derry’?

Ans. Derry has had withdrawal symptoms. He doesn't like being around people. Mr Lamb tells him the story of someone who was terrified of everything in the world. So he entered his room and locked the door. He climbed into his bed and remained there for a time. Then a picture fell off the wall onto his skull, killing him.

Q12. In what ways does Mr Lamb inspire Derry to overcome his physical disability?

Ans. Mr Lamb informs Derry that he has two arms, two legs, eyes, and ears. He possesses both a tongue and a brain. He will proceed as he sees fit, just like everyone else. And if he chooses and sets his mind to it, he has the potential to outperform everyone else.

Q13. Why does Derry’s mother oppose his going back to the old man’s garden?

Ans. Derry's mother informs him that she has heard stories about the elderly man. In fact, she's been warned. Despite having lived there for three months, she knows what is important, and Derry will not return.

Q14. What argument does Derry give to convince his mother why he wants to go to the old man’s garden?

Ans. Derry claims that the old man has a tin leg. He lives in a large mansion with no curtains. He owns a garden. Derry wants to be there and hear what is important. Things no one else has ever spoken. Things he wants to think about. They are not concerned with his appearance.

Q15. Comment on the ending of the play ‘On The Face Of If.

Ans. The play's ending is sad but dramatic. Mr Lamb, who works actively despite his physical impairment, loses his balance and goes down the ladder. Derry enters and attempts to chat with Mr Lamb, but he does not respond. Mr Lamb's "exit" is exactly what Derry envisioned earlier in the play.