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Derry : But I'm not…. I'm not… (Class 12 English 2026, Q8B)

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EnglishCBSE Class 12 · Board exam 2026, set 301/1/1 · 4 marks · Case-based

CBSE Class 12 English 2026: question 8(B)

Set in the CBSE Class 12 board exam of 2026, paper 301/1/1, section C, question 8(B), for 4 marks. Try it first; the hints and our step-by-step solution are below.

Q8(B) · 4 marks · Case-basedCompetency-basedOn the Face of It

Derry : But I'm not…. I'm not afraid [pause] people are afraid of me.
Mr. Lamb : Why should that be ?
Derry : Everyone is. It doesn't matter who they are, or what they say, or how they look. How they pretend. I know. I can see.
Mr. Lamb : See what ?
Derry : What they think ?
Mr. Lamb : What do they think, then ?
Derry : You think…. 'Here's a boy'. You look at me… and then you see my face and you think. That's bad. That's a terrible thing. 'That's the ugliest thing I ever saw.' You think, 'poor boy'. But I'm not. Not poor. Underneath, you are afraid. Anybody would be – I am. When I look in the mirror, and see it, I'm afraid of me.
Mr. Lamb : No, not the whole of you. Not of you.
Derry : Yes !
(On the Face of It)

  1. (i)

    Which emotion dominates Derry's dialogue in this extract ?

    1. (A)superiority
    2. (B)shrewdness
    3. (C)vulnerability
    4. (D)indifference
    1 mark
  2. (ii)

    Complete the following suitably:
    According to Derry, the people put up a pretence when they see him because _________.

    1 mark
  3. (iii)

    Complete the following suitably:
    When Mr. Lamb says, 'No, not the whole of you. Not of you.' He means _________.

    1. (A)Your face will get healed and your ideas about your appearance will change.
    2. (B)You are not just your face or your injury. That is not the sum total of who you are.
    3. (C)I am afraid of your face and your appearance.
    4. (D)You shouldn't look into the mirror so that you don't get the feeling of dejection.
    1 mark
  4. (iv)

    State in one sentence:
    What advice will you give to the people who pretend to look away when they see Derry's face ?

    1 mark

Source: official question paper from cbse.gov.in (PDF). See it in the full 2026 board paper, set 301/1/1.

Hints

Open one hint at a time and try again before the next.

Hint 1

Derry admits that he himself is afraid.

Hint 2

Ask what people hide when they pretend.

Hint 3

Mr Lamb wants Derry to see himself as more than his face.

Step-by-step solution

Each step shows the marks it earns, as an examiner would award them. Checked by an independent re-solve from the question paper.

Verified: two independent solves agreeChecked 2026-11-01

  1. (i) Option C: vulnerability.

    1 mark

  2. (ii) People pretend because they are secretly afraid of, or pity, his disfigured face and do not want to show it.

    1 mark

  3. (iii) Option B: he is not just his face or his injury, which is not the sum total of who he is.

    1 mark

  4. (iv) I would advise them to look at Derry as a person, not his face, and to treat him naturally and with respect instead of pretending.

    1 mark

Answer: (i) C; (ii) they are afraid of or pity his disfigured face; (iii) B; (iv) treat him naturally as a person, not his face

Where the marks are

  • (i) C (1 mark)
  • (ii) Fear or pity of his face (1 mark)
  • (iii) B (1 mark)
  • (iv) Advice to treat him naturally (1 mark)

Revise the chapter

  • Chapter: On the Face of It (notes, formulas, where marks are lost and every past question)

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