Ch 19 · Vistas · Susan Hill

On the Face of
It

20 MCQs NCERT Class 12 Updated May 2026
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Chapter Overview

A radio play with two characters. Derry, fourteen, has a chemically burnt face and has withdrawn from the world. He climbs into the garden of Mr. Lamb — an old man with a tin leg who lives alone, welcomes everyone, loves weeds and apples equally. Lamb teaches Derry that 'no people are usual' — that one's hurt need not define one. Derry runs home to fetch a ladder, but on returning finds Lamb has fallen from his apple ladder and died. The play ends with Derry's grief — and his transformation.

Key Themes
Key Concepts
Derry
14, chemically burnt face, withdraws
Mr. Lamb
Old, tin leg, alone, welcomes everyone
Garden
Apples, weeds — all loved equally
Lesson
'No people are usual'
Climax
Lamb falls from ladder; Derry returns to find him dead
Sample MCQs
Q1. Why has Derry withdrawn from the world?
A. Because of his poor school grades
B. Because he has a chemically burnt face and is afraid of how people stare
C. Because his parents have divorced
D. Because he has lost a close friend
Derry, fourteen, has a chemically burnt face. He has withdrawn from social life because of how people look at him.
Q2. What is Mr. Lamb's central teaching to Derry?
A. That medicine can cure all physical scars
B. That 'no people are usual' — one's hurt need not define one
C. That gardens are the best places to forget pain
D. That children should fear adults
Lamb's wisdom — 'no people are usual' — frees Derry from the prison of being defined by his face.