On the face of It
By - Susan Hill
By - Susan Hill
The chapter “On the Face of It” by Susan Hill is a story about friendship, acceptance, and the human need for compassion. It revolves around the meeting of two people who are different in appearance and experiences, yet find understanding in each other.
The story begins with a young boy named "Derry", who has a "burn mark on his face". Because of this, he feels rejected by society and struggles with loneliness. He avoids interacting with others and hides from people, believing that no one can accept him as he is. Derry is very self-conscious about his scar and thinks that it makes him unworthy of friendship or love.
One day, Derry meets an old man in a garden, a place he often visits. The old man is friendly, kind, and cheerful. He notices Derry and initiates a conversation without showing any fear or judgment about the boy’s scar. The old man speaks in a calm and gentle way, making Derry feel comfortable. Unlike others, he does not see the scar as something negative. He tells Derry that everyone has something different or unusual about them, and that does not make anyone bad or unworthy.
The conversation between the boy and the old man is heartwarming. The old man encourages Derry to look beyond appearances and understand that inner strength, kindness, and self-acceptance are more important than looks. He says that the scars or differences should not prevent anyone from living fully or from forming relationships.
Derry begins to open up emotionally and feels a connection with the old man. He experiences for the first time the comfort of being accepted for who he is. The old man’s words help Derry gain confidence and a sense of belonging. Through this interaction, the story conveys that friendship and understanding are powerful tools to overcome loneliness and social stigma.
In the end, the chapter highlights the importance of empathy, acceptance, and inner beauty. It teaches readers that society often judges people by their physical appearance, but true friendship and human connection depend on the heart, not the face. The story inspires self-acceptance and compassion for others, making it relevant for readers of all ages.
सुसान हिल की कहानी “On the Face of It” दोस्ती, स्वीकृति और मानवीय संवेदना की अहमियत पर आधारित है। यह कहानी दो ऐसे व्यक्तियों के मिलने की है, जो दिखने और अनुभवों में अलग हैं, लेकिन एक-दूसरे में समझ और सहानुभूति पाते हैं।
कहानी शुरू होती है "डेरी" नाम के एक लड़के से, जिसके "चेहरे पर जख्म का निशान" है। इसके कारण वह समाज से खुद को अलग-थलग महसूस करता है और अकेलापन महसूस करता है। वह लोगों से मिलना-जुलना टालता है और सोचता है कि कोई भी उसे उसके दाग के कारण स्वीकार नहीं करेगा। डेरी अपने निशान के कारण खुद को नापाक या अस्वीकार्य मानता है।
एक दिन डेरी एक बगीचे में एक बुजुर्ग से मिलता है, जहाँ वह अक्सर जाता है। यह बुजुर्ग मित्रवत, दयालु और हंसमुख है। वह डेरी से बिना किसी डर या निर्णय के बातचीत शुरू करता है। बुजुर्ग उसे सहज महसूस कराता है और अपने शब्दों से बताता है कि हर किसी में कोई न कोई विशेषता या असमानता होती है, और यह किसी को कमतर नहीं बनाती।
बुजुर्ग डेरी को यह समझाते हैं कि दिखावट से ज्यादा अहमियत हमारे दिल और आत्मा की होती है। निशान या भिन्नता किसी को जीवन जीने या दोस्ती करने से रोक नहीं सकती। उनकी बातों से डेरी अपने मन की भावनाओं को व्यक्त करता है और पहली बार उसे यह अनुभव होता है कि कोई उसे उसके वास्तविक रूप में स्वीकार कर रहा है।
कहानी से यह सिखने को मिलता है कि सच्ची दोस्ती और समझ केवल दिल से होती है, चेहरे या बाहरी रूप से नहीं। यह हमें आत्म-सम्मान और दूसरों के प्रति सहानुभूति का महत्व बताती है। समाज अक्सर लोगों को उनके दिखावे से आंकता है, लेकिन सच्चे रिश्ते और मानवीय संबंध भीतर के सौंदर्य और संवेदना पर आधारित होते हैं।
कुल मिलाकर यह कहानी "स्वीकार्यता, सहानुभूति और आंतरिक सुंदरता" का संदेश देती है और हमें सिखाती है कि भिन्नताओं और कमियों को देखकर किसी को कमतर न आंकें।
1. Who is the main character in the story “On the Face of It”?
a) The old man
b) Derry ✅
c) Susan Hill
d) The gardener
2. What physical feature makes Derry self-conscious?
a) His height
b) His burnt face ✅
c) His eyes
d) His hands
3. Why does Derry avoid meeting people?
a) He is shy by nature
b) He is afraid of strangers
c) He feels rejected because of his scar ✅
d) He likes solitude
4. Where does Derry meet the old man?
a) In a school
b) In a park
c) In a garden ✅
d) At home
5. How does the old man respond to Derry’s scar?
a) He ignores him
b) He shows fear
c) He accepts him and speaks kindly ✅
d) He laughs at him
6. What message does the old man give to Derry?
a) Physical appearance defines a person
b) Scars make people weak
c) Inner qualities are more important than looks ✅
d) Avoid social interactions
7. How does Derry feel after talking to the old man?
a) Angry
b) Confident and accepted ✅
c) More isolated
d) Confused
8. The story teaches that friendship is based on:
a) Appearance
b) Wealth
c) Kindness and understanding ✅
d) Fame
9. Which theme is highlighted in the story?
a) Loneliness and acceptance ✅
b) Adventure and risk
c) Competition and success
d) Betrayal and revenge
10. What is the main lesson of the story?
a) Only beauty matters in life
b) Courage comes from wealth
c) Acceptance, empathy, and inner beauty are important ✅
d) Avoid people who are different
Q.1 What peculiar things does Derry notice about the old man Mr. Lamb ?
Ans : Derry notices the following peculiar things about the old man Mr. Lamb -
The gate of his garden is always open.
He always welcomes everybody in his garden.
He lives in a big house and there are no curtains on the windows.
Q.2 Who is Mr. Lamb ? How does Derry get into his garden ?
Ans : Mr. Lamb is an old man and he lives in a big house. He is a lonely person. The gate of his garden is always open. Derry is a young boy and he has a burnt face. He climbs over the garden wall to get into his garden.
Q.3 According to Derry what do people think and say about him ?
Ans : Derry is a young boy who is fourteen years old. He has burnt face. He thinks that people are afraid from him or his burnt face. When people notice his bunt face they say that it is a terrible thing, it is the ugliest thing, poor boy.
Q.4 Why does Derry afraid of seeing himself in the mirror ?
Ans : In the story on the face of it Derry tells Mr. Lamb that he is afraid of seeing himself in the mirror because he has burnt face due to acid had fallen on one side of his face and burnt it.
Q.5 Describe Mr. Lamb's garden. Why does he like his garden ?
Ans : Mr. Lamb has a very beautiful garden. It has apple trees, flowers and herbs. The gate of his garden is always open. He likes his garden very much because he sits there and reads books, climbs the tree and plucks ripe apples. He likes the sound of bees.
Q.1 Give the character sketch of Mr. Lamb.
Ans : Introduction : The present question has been taken from the chapter 'On the face of it" written by Susan Hill. Derry and Mr. Lamb are the main characters in this story. In this story the writer tells about a young boy Derry.
The character sketch of Mr. Lamb : In this story the writer told that Mr. Lamb was an old man. He lived in a big house and there were no curtains on the windows. He was a lonely person. He had a beautiful garden too. The gate of his garden was always open. He was a very nice person. He always welcomed everybody in his garden. He wanted people to come in his garden and talk to him. His garden has apple trees, flowers and herbs. He likes his garden very much because he sit there and read books, climbed the tree and plucked ripe apples. He liked the sound of bees. Derry climbs over the garden wall to get into his garden. When he said about his burnt face to Mr. Lamb. Mr. Lamb spoke the words of hope which no had ever spoken him. He made him aware towards his physical strength and explained him the importance of emotional well being. He told him that he was able to see, hear and think in his own way. This was the turning point in Derry's life.
Q.2 Derry sneaked into Mr. Lamb's garden and it become a turning point in his life, comment.
Or
Give the character sketch of Derry.
Ans : Introduction : The present question has been taken from the chapter 'On the face of it" written by Susan Hill. Derry and Mr. Lamb are the main characters in this story. In this story the writer tells about a young boy Derry.
About the story : In this story the writer told that Derry was a young boy who had burnt face. Derry was about 14 years old boy. He thought that the people said about him that it was the ugliest thing, it was a terrible thing, poor boy. He felt very shame for this. Derry got into Lamb's garden when he thought that there was none. He climbed over the garden wall. Mr. Lamb was an old man who lived in a big house. He had a very beautiful garden. The gate of his garden was always open because he wanted people to come in his garden and talk to him. Derry told Mr. lamb that he was afraid of seeing himself in the mirrer because he had burnt face due to acid had fallen on the one side of his face and butnt it. Mr. Lamb spoke the words of hope which no had ever spoken him. He made him aware towards his physical strength and explained him the importance of emotional well being. He told him that he was able to see, hear and think in his own way. This was the turning point in Derry's life.