Previous
Derry
Derry’s mother is given little characterization in the play, but she seems simultaneously overprotective and not understanding of her son. She contributes to his isolation by keeping him home because of his facial injury, and treats him with a sense of pity that robs him of dignity and agency—essentially treating him like a perpetually helpless victim. In the play, Derry’s mother forbids him from returning to Mr. Lamb’s house, but Derry leaves anyway, finally asserting himself in a positive way.
Derry’s Mother Quotes in On the Face of It
The On the Face of It quotes below are all either spoken by Derry’s Mother or refer to Derry’s Mother. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Scene Two
Quotes
DERRY: I hate it here.
MOTHER: You can’t help the things you say. I forgive you. It’s bound to make you feel bad things….and say them. I don’t blame you.
DERRY: It’s got nothing to do with my face and what I look like. I don’t care about that and it isn’t important. It’s what I think and feel and what I want to see and find out and hear. And I’m going back there. Only to help him with the crab apples. Only to look at things and listen. But I’m going.
MOTHER: You’ll stop here.
DERRY: Oh no, oh no. Because if I don’t go back there, I’ll never go anywhere in this world again.
[The door slams. Derry runs, panting.]
And I want the world….I want it….I want it….
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Get the entire On the Face of It LitChart as a printable PDF.
Derry’s Mother Quotes in On the Face of It
The On the Face of It quotes below are all either spoken by Derry’s Mother or refer to Derry’s Mother. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Scene Two
Quotes
DERRY: I hate it here.
MOTHER: You can’t help the things you say. I forgive you. It’s bound to make you feel bad things….and say them. I don’t blame you.
DERRY: It’s got nothing to do with my face and what I look like. I don’t care about that and it isn’t important. It’s what I think and feel and what I want to see and find out and hear. And I’m going back there. Only to help him with the crab apples. Only to look at things and listen. But I’m going.
MOTHER: You’ll stop here.
DERRY: Oh no, oh no. Because if I don’t go back there, I’ll never go anywhere in this world again.
[The door slams. Derry runs, panting.]
And I want the world….I want it….I want it….
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
