The document discusses the novel "I'm the King of the Castle" by Susan Hill. It introduces the main characters of the story: Derry, a teenage boy with a burnt face who feels isolated, and Mr. Lamb, an old man with an artificial leg who befriends Derry. Derry finds acceptance in Mr. Lamb's garden and their friendship helps Derry gain confidence and a more positive outlook, despite their physical disabilities. However, when Derry returns to help Mr. Lamb as promised, he finds that Mr. Lamb has fallen from a ladder and died, highlighting the difficulties faced by the physically impaired.

1. SUSAN HILL

2. Susan Hill is an English author of
fiction and nonfiction works. Her
novels include the ‘woman in
black’, ‘The mist in the mirror’ and
‘I’m the king of the castle’ for which
she received the Somerset
Maugham award in 1971.

3. The story is about a teenage boy, Derry, who has a burnt
face and Mr. Lamb who is a disabled old man with an
artificial leg made of tin. Derry accidently enters his
garden so that he can hide himself from people who hate
him because of his ugly face. Mr. Lamb not only
welcomes him in his garden but also encourages him to
lead a normal life, leaving behind his past.

4. Derry: a boy of 14 with a burnt face, looks ugly, loner, pessimistic,
suffered from severe negative complexes, anger and frustration,
withdrawn and introverted, low confidence, indulged in self pity,
suspicious of the intent of others
 Mr. Lamb: an Old man with a tin leg, lonely, craved for company
and acceptance, jovial, optimistic, lover of nature, social,
outgoing, tolerant, helpful, sensitive, independent, didn’t mind
children calling him Lamely Lamb or picking the Crab apples.
 Derry’s mother

5. The story starts with a teenage boy (Derry) who enters a
garden. Due to an accident when acid befell on his face
and got burned on one side. He was afraid of facing
people that’s why he has gone there to hide. Because
other people tease him for having such a face. Upon
entering the garden he finds someone already present
there. Hence, he tries to leave but the old man, Mr. Lamb
(owner of the garden) stops him.

6. Not arriving without permission Derry feels guilty.
However, Mr. Lamb welcomes him in his garden and tells
him not to leave just because of his presence. People
don’t like his face that’s what Derry think and that’s why
he wants to leave.Then again Mr. Lamb asks him to stay
there. After that, they start having a conversation that
how no one like Derry and how he hates people behaving
like this with him. Also, Mr. Lamb attempts to console
him.

7. Mr. Lamb state to him that he has a tin leg and how kids
make fun of him.Yet he enjoys his life to the fullest.Their
conversation went on and on and reveal various things
about Derry’s fear, hatred, and depression about being in
such a condition. Also, Mr. Lamb keeps on telling him to
think about the positive things. Before long they became
friends and Mr. Lamb asks Derry to assist him in plucking
the crab apples of his garden.

8. Derry state to him that he had come too far from his
home and hadn’t told anything about this to his mother.
So, Mr. Lamb asks him to take permission from his
mother. Bur Derry finds it difficult and this leads to a
small argument between both of them. Eventually, Derry
agrees and tells Mr. Lamb that he would come back after
asking permission from his mother. However, his mother
does not want him to go but he came back to fulfill his
promise.

9. In the meantime, Mr. Lamb climbs a ladder on his own to
pluck the crab apples as he was sure that Derry would not
return. Moreover, because of his disability, it was difficult
for him to climb. So, he slips from the ladder and dies. On
the other hand, Derry returns to the garden to help him
but on entering the garden he sees him lying on the floor.
Further, he attempts to move him but didn’t get any
response from him. In the end, he came to know that he
is dead and starts crying.

10. The writer wants to say that we should
never feel shame on our appearance.
Also, we should be positive and
optimistic about ourselves.

11.  The play depicts beautifully yet grimly the sad world of
the physically impaired.
 It is not the actual pain or inconvenience caused by a
physical impairment that trouble a disabled man but the
attitude of the people around him.
 Two physically impaired people, Mr. Lamb with a tin leg
and Derry with a burnt face, strike a band of friendship.
 Derry is described as a young boy shy, withdrawn and
defiant.
 People tell him inspiring stories to console him, no one
will ever kiss him except his mother that too on the other
side of his face

12.  Mentions about a woman telling that only a mother can
love such a face.
 Mr. Lamb revives the almost dead feelings of Derry
towards life.
 He motivates him to think positively about life, changes
his mind set about people and things how a man locked
himself as he was scared-a picture fell off the wall and got
killed.
 Everything appears to be the same but is different- Ex. of
bees. And weeds
 The gate of the garden is always open.

13.  Derry is inspired and promises to come back.
 Derry’s mother stops him but he is adamant saying if he does not go
now it would be never.
 When he comes back he sees lamb lying on the ground
 It is ironical that when he searches a new foothold to live happily, he
finds Mr. Lamb dead.
 In this way the play depicts the heart rendering life of physically
disabled people with their loneliness, aloofness and alienation.
 But at the same time it is almost a true account of the people who
don’t let a person live happily.