The Invisible Man

By H.G. Wells

About the author

Herbert George Wells was born in a working class family in 1866. He came from a poor background, which was unusual for a writer at that time. He won a scholarship to study science at university. With a first-class degree in biology, he briefly became a teacher. His career in the classroom was ended by a sharp kick in the kidneys from an unhappy pupil, which left him too unwell to continue teaching. He then lived on a small income from journalism and short stories, until his literary career took off with his first science fiction novel, The Time Machine, in 1895.

Wells wrote with tremendous energy throughout his life, producing many science fiction stories, short stories, sociological and political books, autobiographical novels and histories. He became very successful as a writer, perhaps because his work was both popular and intellectual, and he lived in some style. He married twice and had a reputation as a womanizer. He moved in socialist circles and used fiction to explore his political ideas. Wells died in 1946.

Introduction

The Invisible Man is the story of a gifted young university student who invented a new formula to become invisible. He became invisible but made two mistakes. He did not inform anyone about the formula and without inventing the reverse process, he applied on himself.

He had to face many problems in London as it became difficult for him to get food, clothing and shelter. He came to Iping as he wanted to do research to find out the reverse formula. But his strange appearance and odd behavior made the people of Icing suspicious. As his money came to an end, he stole from the house of the Vicars.

He was cornered many times but he managed to escape by taking off his clothes. He met his fellow scientist Dr. Kemp at Burdock who betrayed him. He called Dr. Kemp a traitor and tried to kill him. Finally, he was killed by the people on the road.

Setting

1. England in the 1890’s.
2. Iping and the surrounding area
3. Much of the action initially occurs around or in a couple of pubs and an inn, thus taking advantage of the natural opportunity for people to spread rumors, speculate on mysterious issues, and expand on each other’s stories.

Characters

1. Griffin: The Invisible Man
2. Mr. & Mrs. Hall: Owner of the inn ‘Coach & Horses’
3. Teddy Henfrey: a clock jobber
4. The Rev. Mr. Bunting: a vicar in the town of Iping
5. Marvel: a local tramp
6. Mariner: An elderly sailor in Port Burdock.
7. Dr. Kemp: a scientist and a former associate of Griffin
8. Dr. Cuss: a physician
9. Mr. Bobby Jaffers: the village constable
10. Colonel Adye: the chief of Burdock Police
11. Fearenside: A cartman who delivers luggage.
12. Huxter and Sandy Wadgers: Blacksmith and exorcist.

1. Griffin

1. A young scientific genius and researcher.
2. Robs his own father to carry on his research on invisibility.
3. Successfully tries his formula of invisibility on wool fabric and a cat.
4. Tries the same on himself and becomes invisible.
5. Realises the disadvantages of invisibility.
6. Unable to reverse the process.
7. Resorts to establish reign of terror with the help of Dr. Kemp.
8. Seized, assaulted and killed by a mob.

2. Janny Hall

1. Wife of Mr. Hall.
2. Owner of the ‘Coach and Horses’ inn.
3. Gives shelter to the Invisible Man.
4. Shows courtesy and hospitality.
5. Tries to socialise with her guest.
6. Discouraged bluntly.
7. Feels offended

3. George Hall

1. Husband of Mrs. Hall.
2. Assists his wife in running the inn.
3. First person to suspect Griffin.

4. Teddy Henfrey

1. A clock jobber in Iping.
2. Happens to visit the ‘Coach and Horses’ inn.
3. Asked to fix the stranger’s wall clock.
4. Suspects the stranger.
5. Spreads rumours about the man.

5. Huxter and Sandy Wadgers

1. Blacksmith and exorcist.
2. Called by Mrs. Hall to ward off the ghost.

6. Dr. Cuss

1. A Medical practitioner from Iping.
2. Keeps professional jealousy with the Invisible Man.
3. Interviews the Invisible Man.
4. Scared away as the Invisible Man pinches his nose with an invisible hand.
5. Describes his experience to Reverend Bunting.

7. Thomas Marvel

1. A tramp used by the Invisible Man as a tool.
2. Carries the Invisible Man’s notebooks and stolen money
3. Flees to Port Burdock afraid of the Invisible Man.
4. Seeks police protection.
5. Confiscates the notebooks and stolen money.
6. Opens an inn and christened it as The Invisible Man’.

8. J.A. Jaffers

1. A constable in the town of Iping.
2. Summoned by the Halls to arrest Griffin.
3. Knocked unconscious in the fight.

9. Mariner

1. An elderly sailor in Port Burdock.
2. Discusses news about the Invisible Man with Marvel.
3. Gets offended at Marvel’s sudden departure from the place

10. Fearenside

1. A cartman who delivers luggage.
2. Brings the stranger’s luggage from the station.
3. Notices darkness through the stranger’s torn trouser leg
4. Considers the stranger to be a piebald.

11. Mr. and Mrs. Bunting

1. The vicar and his wife.
2. Their house burgled by the Invisible Man.
3. Money disappears right before their eyes.
4. The burglar found nowhere.

12. Dr. Kemp

1. A scientist living in Port Burdock.
2. Fellow student with Griffin.
3. Absconding Griffin takes shelter in his house.
4. Proposed by Griffin to be his accomplice.
5. Rejects proposal.
6. Puts an end to the terror of the Invisible Man.

13. Colonel Adye

1. Law-abiding police officer in Port Burdock.
2. Saves Kemp from the Invisible Man.
3. Follows Kemp’s suggestion while leading a hunt to arrest the Invisible Man.
4. Shot by the Invisible Man.

Character Analysis

1. Griffin

He is an albino college student who had changed his area of study from medicine to physics and had become interested in refractive indexes of tissue. During his studies he stumbled across formulas that would render tissue invisible. Eventually he tries the formula on himself, thinking of all the things he could do if he were invisible. Unfortunately, the conveniences are far outweighed by the disadvantages; Griffin turns to crime as a means of survival.

Griffin is the model of science without humanity. He becomes so obsessed with his experiments that he hides his work lest anyone else should receive credit. When he runs out of money, he kills his own father – a crime that makes the rest of his crimes pale in comparison. He goes from scientist to fanatic when he begins to focus all of his attention merely on the concept of invisibility and neglects to think about the consequences of such a condition.

He may not have had any intention initially of trying the potion on himself, but the interference of his landlord and prying neighbor lady motivate him to cover his work and remove himself from further confrontation. The evil that he could commit does not occur to him until after he has swallowed the potion and seen the reaction of the landlord and others.

The irony is, that his invisibility is good only for approaching unseen and for getting away. Any gains from his crimes are useless to him. He cannot enjoy any of the normal comforts of life-such as food, clothes, and money. He cannot eat without hiding the action, as the food in his system will render him visible. Clothes, when he is able to wear them, must be used to cover him from head to foot in order to conceal his real “concealment”–hardly a comfortable state in the heat of the summer. He can steal money, but cannot spend it on his own accord. Thus the condition that would make him invulnerable also renders him helpless.

In spite of his predicament, Griffin at no time expresses any remorse for his behavior or for the crimes, which he merely describes as “necessary.” His only regret is frustration over not having thought about the drawbacks of invisibility. For nearly a year, he works on trying to perfect an antidote; when time runs out for that activity, he first tries to leave the country, and then, that plan failing, tries to find an accomplice for himself so he can enjoy his invisibility and have all the comforts of life as well. He goes from obsession to fanaticism to insanity.

2. Thomas Marvel

Mr. Marvel is the local tramp. He is harmless, eccentric, fat, but not nearly as stupid as Griffin thinks he is. He is smart enough to know when a good thing has happened to him; the stories he tells to the press bring him much attention and sympathy. In the end, he gets to keep all the money Griffin stole, and he contrives on his own to keep the books of Griffin’s experiments. He becomes the owner of an inn as well as the village bard, as it is to him that people come when they want to know the stories of the Invisible Man. In spite of his earlier torment, he is the only one who actually benefits from Griffin’s presence.

3. Dr. Kemp

A former associate of Griffin’s in his college days. Griffin had been a student and knew Kemp to be interested in bizarre, and idiosyncratic aspects of science. Kemp is referred to as “the doctor,” but his degree seems to be an academic one rather than a medical one. He continues his own study in hopes of being admitted to “the Royal Fellows.” His own experiments and fascination with science enable him to listen sensibly to Griffin, but in spite of being rather contemptuous of his fellow citizens, his common sense and decency prevent him from being a part of Griffin’s schemes. Kemp is also the only “cool headed” person in the town once the final attack begins. He runs to escape Griffin, but as soon as Griffin catches him, he has the presence of mind to turn the capture around. He is also the first to realize that even though Griffin is invisible, he is injured, and, ultimately, dead.

4. Janny Hall

Janny Hall is the wife of Mr. Hall and the owner of the Coach and Horses Inn. A very friendly, down-to-earth woman who enjoys socializing with her guests, Mrs. Hall is continually frustrated by the mysterious Griffin’s refusal to talk with her, and his repeated temper tantrums.

5. George Hall

George Hall is the husband of Mrs. Hall and helps her run the Coach and Horses Inn. He is the first person in Iping to suspect that the mysterious Griffin is invisible: when a dog bites him and tears his glove, Griffin retreats to his room and Hall follows to see if he is all right, only to see Griffin without his glove and handless (or so it appears to Hall).

6. Teddy Henfrey

A clock repairman who happens to visit the inn for a cup of tea. Mrs. Hall takes advantage of him to try to find out about her strange guest. Because the stranger will not talk, Teddy convinces himself that the man is someone of a “suspicious” nature. Teddy begins the rumors about the man being wanted by the police and merely wrapping himself up to conceal his identity.

7. Fearenside

A cartman who delivers luggage from the station whenever he is needed. He notices darkness through a torn pant leg where there should be pink flesh and starts the stories of Griffin being either a black man or a piebald.

Dr. Cuss

A general practitioner who attempts to get an interview with Griffin. He is the first to realize he actually see emptiness where there should be flesh and bone. He also tells an outrageous story to his companions in town after Griffin terrifies him by pinching his nose with an invisible hand.

Colonel Adye

Col. Adye is the chief of Police in the town of Port Burdock. He is called upon by Dr. Kemp when the Invisible Man turns up in Kemp’s house. Adye saves Kemp from the Invisible Man’s first attempt on his life and leads the hunt for the unseen fugitive. He mostly follows Kemp’s suggestions in planning the campaign against the Invisible Man. He is eventually shot by the Invisible Man. Upon being shot, Adye is described as falling down and not getting back up. However, he is mentioned in the epilogue as being one of those who had questioned Thomas Marvel about the whereabouts of the Invisible Man’s notebooks, and is never made clear whether this occurred prior to his being shot, or if it occurred afterwards and Adye survived.

J.A. Jaffers

J.A. Jaffers is a constable or “bobby” in the town of Iping. He is called upon by Mr. Hall and Mrs. Hall to arrest Griffin after they suspect him of robbing the Reverend Bunting. He overcomes his shock at the discovery that Griffin was invisible quickly, determined to arrest him in spite of this. The Invisible Man knocks him unconscious in his flight from Iping.

Mr. And Mrs. Bunting

Bunting is the vicar. Cuss takes his story to Bunting. The next evening Bunting and his wife hear noise in their house after they have gone to bed. They are able to hear someone sneeze, and their money disappears right before their eyes.

Summary

On a cold wintery day, a stranger came through the snowfall carrying a black portmanteau in his hand and put up at the inn, ‘Coach  & Horses’. The stranger was wrapped from head to foot and no one could see his face. Mrs. Hall, the owner of the inn thought that the stranger had either met with an accident or had an operation on the face. His bags and baggage contained only bottles and three note books. The stranger kept to himself in his room and conducted experiments. He wanted to be alone and undisturbed as he hated being disturbed while at work. His rude and strange behavior made him unpopular with the villagers and they suspected him to be a criminal. There was a theft in the house of Buntings at a time when the stranger was not in his room. Mrs. and Mr. Hall went inside his empty room and were surprised to see the bed sheets dancing. The terrified owners chased him out of the inn with the help of Mr. Jaffers, the village constable.

Griffin then met Mr. Marvel, a local tramp to whom he confessed that he was invisible. He threatened to kill him if he betrayed. He returned to Iping with Mr. Marvel to take his three note books and other belongings. Since he had no clothes on, he could not be seen by anybody.

After travelling a long distance, they came to Burdock where Mr. Marvel tried to give him a slip by hiding in the inn, ‘Jolly Cricketers’. By this time, the story of the Invisible Man was in the newspaper and the whole country knew about it. A scuffle ensued in the inn and the Invisible Man was hurt. Unknowingly, an injured and bleeding Invisible Man took shelter in the house of Dr. Kemp, who happened to be his associate in college.

Griffin told his story to Dr. Kemp. Being a student of medicine, he was suddenly attracted towards Physics and function of light. He invented a chemical by which he made a piece of wool invisible. He then tried it on a cat and then on himself. He did not inform anyone about his invention as he feared that somebody else would take the credit of his invention. At first, he thought only of the advantages of being invisible but gradually he found the disadvantages too. He needed food, clothing and shelter as the weather was changing and snow would settle on his body. He came to Iping to do research and find out the reverse process which he had not invented. His body was like a thin sheet of glass. The food that he ate could be seen going down his throat until it was digested. Only the dogs could sense him. He wanted his three note books from Mr. Marvel. He told Dr. Kemp that together they could unleash the Reign of Terror in that small town.

Dr. Kemp did not keep his promise to maintain secrecy. He had informed Colonel Adye about the presence of the Invisible Man in his house. Seeing the police, Griffin ran out of house calling Kemp a traitor. A siege was laid in the whole town of Burdock to catch the Invisible Man under the guidance of Dr. Kemp. The Invisible Man attacked the house of Dr. Kemp as he had realized that Dr. Kemp had betrayed him.

In the final chase, the Invisible Man was caught by the road workers with the help of Dr. Kemp and beaten to death. After death, Griffin’s body became visible. Mr. Marvel opened an inn with the money that Griffin had kept with him and named it ‘The Invisible Man’. He also preserved the note books from Dr. Kemp and the outside world as he hoped that this would fetch him fortune someday.

Summary in Points

Chapter 1: The Strange Man’s Arrival

1. Stranger’s arrival at the ‘Coach and Horses’ inn.
2. Mrs. Hall, the innkeeper shows hospitality.
3. Tries to get him to talk.
4. Discouraged bluntly.
5. The stranger asked to have his luggage sent from the Breamblehurst railway station.

Chapter 2: Mr. Teddy Henfrey’s First Impressions

1. Teddy Henfrey, a clock jobber comes to the inn.
2. Asked by Mrs. Hall to fix the clock of the stranger’s room.
3. Henfrey deliberately delays the repair work to know more about the stranger.
4. On his way through the village Henfrey runs into Mr. Hall.
5. Tells Mr. Hall about the mysterious stranger.

Chapter 3: The Thousand and One Bottles

1. Stranger’s luggage brought from station by Fearenside.
2. Fearenside’s dog attacks the stranger.
3. Rips his trouser leg.
4. Fearenside notices darkness through it.
5. Gossips about the stranger’s appearance.

Chapter 4: Mr. Cuss Interviews the Stranger

1. Mrs. Hall complains about the stranger’s messes.
2. Stranger tells her to bill him extra.
3. Town doctor Cuss gets curious about the stranger.
4. Goes to the stranger.
5. Scared away by him.

Chapter 5: The Burglary and the Vicarage

1. Vicar’s house robbed.
2. The couple can’t see the robber.
3. Incredibly confused.

Chapter 6: The Furniture that Went Mad

1. Mr. and Mrs. Hall examine the stranger’s room.
2. Stranger’s clothes and hat start flying.
3. Mrs. Hall considers them to be ghosts.
4. Sandy Wadgers called to ward off the ghosts.

Chapter 7: The Unveiling of the Stranger

1. Halls hear rumours about the burglary at the vicarage.
2. Mrs. Hall takes the stranger to task for non-payment of bill.
3. Stranger reveals himself making people shout and scream.
4. Constable Jaffers comes to arrest him.
5. The Invisible Man takes off his clothes and becomes invisible.
6. Fights with the people and runs away.

Chapter 8: In Transit

1. Gibbons—a naturalist, napping out on a field.
2. Hears a voice and a sneeze.
3. Can’t see anyone.

Chapter 9: Mr. Thomas Marvel

1. Marvel—a tramp hears a voice.
2. Can’t see the speaker.
3. The Invisible Man throws stones on him to prove that he was real.
4. Coerces him to be his accomplice.
5. Promises great reward in return.

Chapter 10: Mr. Marvel’s Visit to Iping

1. Marvel sent by the Invisible Man to collect his belongings from the ‘Coach and Horses’inn.
2. Huxter notices him waiting outside a window.
3. Suspects him to be a thief.
4. Gives a chase but knocked down by the Invisible Man.

Chapter 11: In the Coach & Horses

1. Cuss and Bunting shuffling the Invisible Man’s papers.
2. The Invisible Man enters the room.
3. Beats them and scares them away.

Chapter 12: The Invisible Man Loses His Temper

1. Huxter still chases Marvel.
2. Cuss reveals that the Invisible man stole his and Bunting’s clothes.
3. Iping people join the chase.
4. Beaten by the Invisible Man.
5. Marvel escapes with the Invisible Man’s belongings.
6. Village folk perplexed.
7. He is upset that the news of his mess up will be in the newspaper.

Chapter 14: At Port Stowe

1. Marvel runs away with the Invisible Man’s books.
2. Sits on a bench nervously at Port Stowe.
3. An elderly mariner discusses the news about the Invisible Man.
4. Marvel about to tell him the secret.
5. Grabbed by the Invisible Man and pushed forward.
6. Mariner gets confused.

Chapter 15: The Man Who Was Running

1. Dr. Kemp looking out from his window.
2. Sees Marvel running with terror on his face.
3. Condemns the unscientific attitude of the people.
4. Too scientific to believe in the Invisible Man.

Chapter 16: In the Jolly Cricketers

1. Marvel bursts into a pub—‘Jolly Cricketers’.
2. People at the pub assure him of his safety.
3. The Invisible Man reaches there and attacks Marvel.
4. A shot is fired.
5. Marvel rescued in time.

Chapter 17: Doctor Kemp’s Visitor

1. Kemp hears the shot.
2. Looks out to find a crowd at the Jolly Cricketers.
3. Griffin breaks into Kemp’s house.
4. Needs Kemp’s help.
5. Asks him to let him sleep.
6. Promises to narrate his story.

Chapter 18: The Invisible man Sleeps

1. Griffin examines the windows of the room.
2. Makes a promise from Kemp that he will not be betrayed in his sleep and finally locks the door.
3. Griffin goes to sleep.

Chapter 19: Certain First Principles

1. Griffin tells how he became invisible.
2. He tells about his experiments, theft and panic around.

Chapter 20: At the House in Great Portland Street

1. Griffin continues his story.
2. Talks about his father’s funeral, about his experiment on the cat and upon himself.
3. Tells about his tussle with his landlady and his ply after setting his room on fire.

Chapter 21: In Oxford Street

1. Griffin talks about disadvantages of invisibility.
2. Muddy footprints observed by people.
3. Naked body catching cold.

Chapter 22: In the emporium

1. Griffin enters Omniums — a departmental store.
2. Waits for the store to be closed.
3. Comes to action — finds food, clothing and sleeps.
4. Can’t get up before the crew’s arrival the next morning.
5. Takes off his clothes to escape.

Chapter 23: In Drury Lane

1. Griffin makes for a costume shop.
2. Gags and binds the shopkeeper.
3. Steals a suitable costume to hide his invisibility.
4. Goes to the ‘Coach and Horses’ as a muffled figure.
5. This way the story is connected to the strange man’s arrival at Iping.

Chapter 24: The Plan that Failed

1. Griffin proposes to establish a reign of terror with Kemp’s help.
2. Kemp anticipates him to be a threat to society.
3. Takes the support of police to capture him.
4. Griffin escapes throwing his clothes apart.

Chapter 25: The Hunting of the Invisible man

1. Kemp devises a strategy to arrest Griffin with Adye’s help.
2. Suggests to use dogs to sniff him out.
3. Suggests to spread powdered glass on the roads.

Chapter 26: The Wicksteed Murder

1. Burdock police hunts for Griffin.
2. Town people join the hunt.
3. Griffin kills Wickstead.

Chapter 27: The Siege of Kemp’s House

1. Kemp’s house sieged.
2. Griffin breaks through the house to take revenge.
3. Kemp runs out of his window to save his life.

Chapter 28: The Hunter Hunted

1. Kemp runs to his neighbour Heelas for help.
2. The neighbour shuts the doors.
3. Kemp runs to the town.
4. The road workers knock Griffin down.
5. The Invisible Man starts to become visible.

Epilogue

1. Marvel opens an inn with Griffin’s stolen money.
2. Hides Griffin’s books from the people.

Chapter-Wise Summary

CHAPTER 1. The Strange Man’s Arrival

A stranger arrives in Bramble Hurst railway station. He is bundled from head to foot with only the tip of his nose showing. He enters the Coach & Horses Inn and demands a room and a fire. Mrs. Hall, the owner prepares a supper for him and offers to take his coat and hat, but he refuses to take them off. When he finally removes the hat, his entire head is swathed in a bandage. Mrs. Hall thinks he has endured some accident. She tries to get him to talk about himself, but he is taciturn with her, although not particularly rude.

CHAPTER 2. Mr. Teddy Henfrey’s First Impressions

Teddy Henfrey, a clock repairman, comes to the inn for tea. Mrs. Hall asks him to “repair the clock” in the stranger’s room. Teddy deliberately takes as long as he can with the clock, taking it apart and reassembling it for no reason. The stranger finally gets him to hurry up and leave. Offended, Teddy talks himself into believing that the stranger is someone of a suspicious nature, perhaps even wanted by the police and is wrapped up to conceal his identity. Teddy runs into Mr. Hall and warns him about the stranger, informing him that a “lot of luggage” will be coming. It would seem that the stranger intends to stay awhile. Mr. Hall goes home intending to investigate the stranger, but is put off by the short-tempered demeanor of his wife.

CHAPTER 3.The Thousand and One Bottles

The stranger’s luggage arrives at the inn. Numerous crates fill the deliveryman’s cart, some of them containing bottles packaged in straw. Fearenside, the cartman, owns a dog that starts to growl when the stranger comes down the steps to help with the boxes. The dog jumps for the stranger’s hand, but misses and sinks his teeth in a pant leg. The dog tears open the trouser leg, whereupon the stranger goes quickly back into the inn and to his room.

Concerned about the possibility of injury, Mr. Hall goes to the stranger’s room. He gets a glimpse of what seems like a white mottled face before he is shoved by an unseen force back through the door. The stranger soon reappears at the door, his trousers changed, and gives orders for the rest of his luggage. The stranger unpacks 6 crates of bottles, which he arranges across the windowsill and all the available table and shelf space in the inn’s parlor-a space he seems to have commandeered for himself.

Mrs. Hall enters later to tend to his needs and catches a quick glimpse of him without his glasses. His eyes seem hollow; he quickly puts his glasses on. She starts to complain about the straw on the floor, but he tells her to put it on the bill and to knock before entering his rooms. She points out that he could lock his door if he doesn’t want to be bothered, advice that he takes. He then works behind the locked door all afternoon. At one point, Mrs. Hall hears him raving about not being able to “go on.” She hears a sound like a bottle being broken. Later she takes him tea and notes the broken glass and a stain on the floor. He again tells her to “put it on the bill.”

Meanwhile Fearenside talks in the beer shop of Iping Hangar. Fearenside says that the stranger is a “black man,” an assumption derived from the absence of “pink flesh” when the trouser leg was ripped open. When reminded of the pink nose, Fearenside claims that the man must therefore be a “piebald,” or a part white, part black creature.

CHAPTER 4. Mr. Cuss Interviews the Stranger

The stranger works diligently in his room until the end of April with only occasional skirmishes with Mrs. Hall. Whenever she disapproves of anything he does, he quiets her with additional payment. He rarely goes out during the day, but goes out nearly every night, muffled up regardless of the weather.

His identity becomes a topic of speculation in the town. Mrs. Hall defends him, repeating his own words that he is an “experimental investigator.” The view of the town is that he is a criminal trying to escape justice. Mr. Gould, the probationary assistant imagines that the man must be an “anarchist” who is preparing explosives.

Another group of people believe he is a piebald and could make a lot of money if he chose to show himself at the fairs. All agree, however, that due to his habits of secrecy, they dislike him. The young men begin to mock his bearing; a song called “Bogey Man” becomes popular and children follow at a distance calling out “Bogey Man.”

The curiosity of a general practitioner named Cuss is aroused, and he contrives for an interview. During the interview the stranger accidentally removes his hand from his pocket. Cuss is able to see down the empty sleeve to the elbow. Cuss questions him about “moving an empty sleeve.” The stranger laughs, then extends the empty sleeve toward Cuss’s face and pinches his nose. Cuss leaves in terror and tells his story to Bunting, the vicar.

CHAPTER 5. The Burglary and the Vicarage

Mrs. Bunting, the vicar’s wife, wakes up at the sound of bare feet walking through her house. She wakes her husband and the two watch and listen as a candle is lit and papers are rustled in the study. When they hear the telltale clink of money, Rev. Bunting rushes into the study with a raised poker, but the room appears to be empty. Their money disappears and at one point they hear a sneeze in the hallway but are unable to locate or see the intruder.

CHAPTER 6. The Furniture that Went Mad

The Halls arise very early in the morning on Whit-Monday in order to take care of some private business having something to do with their wine cellar. In passing by the guest’s room, Mr. Hall notices that the door is ajar. A few minutes later, he sees that the bolts on the front door of the house are unlocked although he remembers shutting them on the previous night. The guest is not in his room, but his clothes, shoes, and even his hat are scattered about. As the Halls are investigating, the bed-clothes suddenly gather themselves into a bundle and toss themselves over the bottom rail. Then a chair flies toward Mrs. Hall. The legs of the chair are brought to rest against her back, propelling her out of the room. The door slams and is locked behind them. The Halls decide that the stranger is a spirit.

They send for Sandy Wadgers, the blacksmith who is also supposed to be an exorcist. Wadgers is joined by Huxter, and together they ponder the likelihood of witchcraft and contemplate the propriety of breaking through the door in order to examine the situation more closely. However, before they can carry out any such action, the door opens and the stranger emerges, wrapped and bundled as usual. He distracts them long enough to enter the parlor and slam the door against them. When Mr. Hall raps on the door and demands an explanation, the stranger tells him to “go to the devil” and “shut the door after you.”

CHAPTER 7. The Unveiling of the Stranger

The stranger remains locked in the parlor all morning. He rings his bell for Mrs. Hall several times, but she does not answer it. About noon, he emerges and demands to know why his meals have not been brought to him. Mrs. Hall tells him that his bill has not been paid in five days. She refuses to accept the excuse that he is waiting for a remittance. When he produces some money, she refuses it, saying she first wants to know why he doesn’t enter by doorways and move about like normal people.

For his answer, the stranger removes all his head wrappings, including his nose and moustache. He thus looks like a person with a missing head. At the sound of screams a crowd of people run toward the inn. “Eye-witnesses” suddenly babble hysterical stories of the man attacking the servant girl, and brandishing a knife. Bobby Jaffers, the village constable, appears with a warrant.

The stranger slaps Jaffers with his glove, but then says he will surrender. He will not accept handcuffs, however. As the constable, Halls and others watch, the man removes the rest of his clothes, becoming invisible before them. He tells them that he is invisible. Jaffers wants to take him in for questioning on suspicion of robbing the Bunting home. A scuffle ensues, and the stranger, now known as the “Invisible Man,” escapes.

CHAPTER 8. In Transit

An amateur naturalist named Gibbins is relaxing out on the downs and hears someone coughing, sneezing and swearing. Frightened, Gibbins gets up and runs home.

CHAPTER 9. Mr. Thomas Marvel

Marvel is an eccentric bachelor and local tramp who likes to be comfortable and take his time about things. He has come across a pair of boots in a ditch. He has tried them on and found them too big, and is occupied in contemplating the boots when he hears a voice nearby. Marvel talks about boots with the voice for several minutes before turning to see his visitor and finding no one there.

First Marvel tells himself that he has had too much to drink, then that his imagination has played some sort of trick on him. The Invisible Man begins throwing things at Marvel to convince him that he is not just imagining the presence. Eventually the Man convinces Marvel that he is real and is in need of an accomplice who will first give him food, water and shelter. He delivers an unfinished threat of what he will do if Marvel betrays him.

CHAPTER 10. Mr. Marvel’s Visit to Iping

Iping has nearly recovered its earlier holiday atmosphere. As only a few people had actually made contact with the Invisible Man, the general population is soon able to reason him away as some trick of an overactive, holiday imagination.

Around 4:00, Mr. Marvel enters town and is observed by Huxter to behave rather strangely. He makes his way down the street almost reluctantly. He stops at the foot of the steps to the Coach & Horses and seems to undergo a great struggle before finally entering. A few minutes later, he re-emerges, apparently having had a drink, and walks as if he is trying to act nonchalant. Soon he disappears into the yard and re-emerges with a bundle wrapped in a tablecloth. Huxter thinks some robbery has taken place and tries to follow Marvel when he is tripped in a mysterious fashion and sent sprawling.

CHAPTER 11. In the Coach & Horses

The narrator backtracks to explain what happened inside the Coach & Horses. Mr. Cuss and Mr. Bunting were in the parlor going through the belongings of the Invisible Man. Three large books labeled “Diary” are written in a cipher or code they do not understand.

Suddenly the inn door opens and Mr. Marvel enters. They disregard him and begin studying the books again when an unseen force grabs each of them by the neck and begins pounding their heads on the table between questions about what they are doing with his things. The man demands his belongings, saying he wants his books and some clothes.

CHAPTER 12. The Invisible Man Loses His Temper

Mr. Hall and Teddy Henfrey are involved in a discussion behind the hotel bar when they hear a thump on the parlor door. They hear strange sounds as of things being thrown against the door and some bizarre conversation. Doors open and shut and they see Marvel taking off with Huxter trying to follow him. Suddenly Huxter executes a complicated leap in the air. Seconds later, Hall lands on the ground as if he had been attacked by a football player.

Several other individuals are shoved aside or sent sprawling in the streets. Mr. Cuss calls for help, telling people that the “Man” has all of the vicar’s clothes. After breaking all the windows in the Coach & Horses and thrusting a chair through the parlor window of another citizen’s house, the Invisible Man disappears from Iping.

CHAPTER 13. Mr. Marvel discusses His Resignation

Mr. Marvel, propelled by the unrelenting shoulder grip and vocal threats of the Invisible Man, arrives in Bramblehurst. Marvel tries to reason his way out of the situation to no avail. The Invisible man needs a normal person to carry his books and is determined to make use of the fat, red-faced little man.

CHAPTER 14. At Port Stowe

Marvel arrives in Port Stowe and is seen resting on a bench outside of town. He has the books with him, but the bundle of clothing has been abandoned in the woods. As he sits there, an elderly mariner, carrying a newspaper, sits down beside him. Citing the paper, the mariner brings up the topic of an Invisible man.

According to the newspaper, the man afflicted injuries on the constable at Iping. Certain evidence indicates that he took the road to Port Stowe. The mariner ponders the strange things such a man might be able to do-trespass, rob or even slip through a cordon of policeman.

Marvel begins to confide in the mariner, saying he knows some things about this Invisible Man. Suddenly Marvel is interrupted by an attack of some kind of pain. He says it is a toothache, then goes on to say that the Invisible Man is a hoax. Marvel begins to move off, walking sideways with violent forward jerks.

Later the mariner hears another fantastic story-that of money floating along a wall in butterfly fashion. The story is true, however. All about the neighborhood, money has been making off by the handful and depositing itself in the pockets of Mr. Marvel.

CHAPTER 15. The Man Who Was Running

Dr. Kemp happens to be day-dreaming out his window when he spots a short, fat man running down the hill as fast as he can go. The doctor notices that the man is running “heavy” as if his pockets are “full of lead.” Kemp’s reaction is one of contempt, but the people on the street who see him approaching react a bit differently. The running man is Marvel; his expression is one of terror. A short distance behind him, people hear the sound of panting and a pad like hurrying bare feet. Soon cries of “The Invisible Man is coming” are heard in the streets along with the slamming of doors as people bolt into their houses.

CHAPTER 16. In the Jolly Cricketers

The Jolly Cricketers is a tavern. The barkeep, a cabman, an American and an off duty policeman are engaged in idle chat when marvel bursts through the door. Marvel begs for help, claiming the Invisible Man is after him.

A pounding begins at the door and then a window is broken in. The Invisible Man doesn’t come in immediately, however. The barman checks the other doors, but by the time he realizes the yard door is open, the Invisible Man is already inside. Marvel, who is hiding behind the bar, is caught and dragged into the kitchen. The policeman rushes in and grips the invisible wrist of the hand that holds onto Marvel, but is abruptly hit in the face.

People stumble over and into each other as all try to catch the Invisible Man. He yelps when the policeman steps on his foot, then flails wildly about with his Invisible fists and finally gives them the slip. The American fires five cartridges from his gun, sweeping his gun in a circular pattern as he fires. The chapter ends with the men feeling around for an invisible body.

CHAPTER 17. Doctor Kemp’s Visitor

Doctor Kemp is still working in his study when he hears the shots fired in the Cricketers. He opens his window and watches the crowd at the bottom of the hill for a few minutes, then returns to his writing desk. A few minutes later, he hears his doorbell ring, but his housekeeper says it was only a “runaway” ring.

The doctor is at his work until 2 AM when he decides to go downstairs for a drink. On the way he notices a spot of drying blood on his linoleum floor. Then he finds more blood on the doorknob of his own bedroom. In his room, his bedspread is smeared with blood, his sheet is torn, and bedclothes are depressed as if someone has been sitting there.

The Invisible Man introduces himself to Kemp. He is Griffin, of University College. He explains that he made himself Invisible, but is wounded and desperately in need of shelter, clothes and food.

Kemp loans him a dressing gown along with some drawers, socks and slippers. Griffin eats everything Kemp can rustle up and finally asks for a cigar. He promises to tell Kemp the story of his bizarre situation but insists that he must sleep first as he has had no sleep in nearly three days.

CHAPTER 18. The Invisible man Sleeps

Griffin examines the windows of the room, then exacts a promise from Kemp that he will not be betrayed in his sleep and finally locks the door, barring Kemp from his own room.

Kemp retires to his dining room to speculate upon the strange events. There he sees the day’s newspaper, which he had ignored earlier. He reads it eagerly, but assigns the more terrifying elements of the stores to “fabrication.” In the morning he sends his housekeeper for all available papers and reads those as well. The papers contain

Stories of the previous evening’s events at the Cricketers along with a rather badly written account of Marvel’s experience. Marvel doesn’t tell how he came upon the money in his pockets, nor does he mention the location of the three books. Kemp becomes alarmed at the possibilities of what Griffin could do and writes a note to Colonel Adye at Port Burdock.

CHAPTER 19. Certain First Principles

Griffin explains how he became invisible. He had been a medical student, but had dropped medicine and taken up physics. He discovered a formula of pigments that lowers the refractive index of a substance, allowing light to pass through it rather than being reflected or refracted. After experimenting with pigments for three years, he came upon the secret whereby animal tissue could be rendered transparent. He was continuously trying to hide his work from another professor. He was finally brought to a halt in his experimenting by a lack of funds, a problem he solved by robbing his own father. Because the money did not belong to him, his father shot himself.

CHAPTER 20. At the House in Great Portland Street

Griffin explains how he had found lodging in a boarding house on Great Portland Street. After his father’s funeral, he went to his apartment to continue with his experiments. He successfully made a piece of cloth disappear, then he tried his process on a stray cat. The cat was not entirely successful, as the animal’s eyes and claws never completely disappeared.

Later the next day he had a minor altercation with the landlord who brought reports of Griffin tormenting a cat in the night. The landlord wanted to know what Griffin was doing in the room and what all the paraphernalia was for. The two argued and Griffin shoved the landlord out of the room. Griffin knew he would have to act quickly, so he made arrangements to have his belongings stored, then he drank some of his own potion. In the evening the landlord returned with an ejection notice, but was too terrified at the stone white face of Griffin to serve it. In spite of extreme illness and pain, Griffin finished his treatment and watched himself gradually disappear.

In the morning, the landlord, his stepsons and the elderly neighbor lady who had complained about the cat enter Griffin’s apartment and are astonished to see no one. A day later, afraid, lest his equipment reveal too much information, Griffin smashes the items and sets fire to the house. Believing that he has covered his tracks with impunity, he begins to imagine all sorts of “wild and wonderful” things he will be able to do under the cover of invisibility.

CHAPTER 21. In Oxford Street

Griffin continues to explain his experiences with invisibility. He soon discovered that being invisible had as many drawbacks as advantages. People ran into him and stepped on him. He had to be continually on guard as to the movements and positions of others in order to avoid accidental contact. To make matters worse, although people could not see him, dogs could detect him with their keen sense of smell. As he had to remain naked, he was soon uncomfortable. Also, he could not eat, as food was visible until it was fully assimilated into his system.

At one point, he had run up the steps of a house in order to avoid a unit of a marching Salvation Army band. While he waited, two youngsters spotted the prints of his bare feet in the mud. Soon a crowd of people had gathered to look at the “ghost prints.” He leapt over the railing and ran through a bunch of back roads to avoid the press. Fortunately for him, his escape at that time was aided with the distraction created by conflagration engulfing his former dwelling.

CHAPTER 22. In the Emporium

Griffin explains his first attempts to get clothing and render his situation more tolerable. He had gone into the Omniums, a large apartment type store where one could buy everything from groceries to clothing. He made his way to an area of bedsteads and mattresses, hoping that once the store closed for the night, he would be able to sleep on the mattresses and steal some clothes with which to mask his condition.

In the night he procured a complete set of clothes for himself, helped himself to food in a refreshment department, and then slept in a pile of down quilts. He failed to awaken before the morning crew had entered, however, and was unable to escape as long as they could see him. Thus he was forced to shed the clothing and run, naked, back out into the cold.

CHAPTER 23. In Drury Lane

Griffin’s peril increased daily. He had no clothes or shelter and dared not eat. Also, he soon realized that walking through the streets of London was going to result in an accumulation of dirt on his skin- which would make him visible in a grotesque way.

He made his way into a costume shop, hoping to make way with some clothes and dark glasses after the proprietor had gone to bed. In the shopkeeper’s room, he had to stand and watch the man eat his breakfast. Furthermore, the man had exceptionally acute hearing and nearly discovered Griffin several times. When evening came, he was finally able to explore the house and found a pile of old clothes. In his excitement, he forgot about the noise he was making and was nearly caught when the shopkeeper investigated the noise. Unable to see the source, but positive someone was in the house, the proprietor went about locking all the doors in the house and pocketing the keys. In desperation, Griffin struck the old man on the head, then gagged and tied him with a sheet. Then he put together a costume of old clothes, stole all the money he could find and went out into the street.

Believing his troubles were over, Griffin went into a restaurant and ordered a meal, but soon realized he couldn’t eat it without exposing his invisible face. He ordered the lunch and left, telling the proprietor that he would be back in ten minutes.

Griffin went to “another place” (which happens to be the Coach & Horses Inn) and demanded a private room, explaining that he was “badly disfigured.” Thus he had set himself up at Iping, hoping to find a way to reverse the process of invisibility. Here he was finally discovered.

CHAPTER 24. The Plan that Failed

Griffin tells how his original plan, after being discovered by the people of Iping, had been to get his books and get out of the country, but that plan had changed upon meeting Kemp. He thinks that Kemp can work with him. Together they can set up a “reign of terror” to take full advantage of the Invisibility. Griffin does not realize that Kemp has already betrayed him and is only trying to keep him talking until the police arrive. Kemp stands in front of the window to keep Griffin from seeing the police, but Griffin soon hears them on the stairs and realizes he has been deceived.

Griffin quickly begins to disrobe even as Kemp springs to the door and attempts to lock him in. A dropped key spoils the effort as the now invisible Griffin shoves him aside, then hurls his weight at Colonel Adye, the chief of the Burdock Police who is approaching on the stairs. Griffin escapes past two more policemen in the hall; they hear the front door of the house slam violently.

CHAPTER 25. The Hunting of the Invisible man

Kemp explains the situation to the police, informing them of Griffin’s intentions to cause general mayhem. They talk of using dogs to sniff him out and of putting powdered glass in the streets.

CHAPTER 26. The Wicksteed Murder

By 2:00 in the afternoon, the entire countryside around Burdock has been mobilized. Men set out with guns, clubs and dogs, and the police warn the village people to lock their doors and stay inside. Griffin manages to evade his pursuers for a 24-hour period except for one encounter with a middle-aged man who had apparently cornered him. Griffin kills the man by beating him with an iron rod.

CHAPTER 27. The Siege of Kemp’s House

Kemp receives a letter telling him that the Reign of Terror is beginning and that Kemp himself will be the first execution for the sake of an example. Kemp decides that he himself will be the bait and that Griffin will be caught because he will have gone too far. A knock at the door turns out to be Adye with news that Kemp’s housekeeper-who was carrying notes for the police-had been attacked and the notes taken from her.

Griffin makes his presence known by smashing windows in Kemp’s house. During the battle that follows, Adye is shot. Griffin gets inside the house and tries to tell the police to “stand away” as he is after only Kemp. He swings an ax at them, but one of them manages to strike him with an iron poker. By this time Kemp has followed his housekeeper through a window and is nowhere to be found.

CHAPTER 28. The Hunter Hunted

Griffin chases Kemp through the town. People begin to join in the chase. When Kemp realizes that the people are chasing Griffin, he stops running, which allows the Invisible Man to catch him. Even though people cannot see him, they are able to grab hold of him and keep him down. The effort is not needed for long as Griffin has been fatally injured and seems to have lost a lot of blood. As the town people watch, the effect of invisibility is gradually reversed, and soon, Griffin, now dead, is visible.

Questions based on plot, theme and character

Q1. Give an account of the strange man’s arrival at the ‘Coach and Horses.

Ans. The strange man arrived at ‘Coach and Horses’ during a snowstorm. He was carrying a little black portmanteau in his thickly gloved hand. He staggered into the inn more dead than alive. He was wrapped up from head to foot. He demanded a room and a fire immediately. He was ready to pay any amount for hiring a room. He did not even haggle about the charges.

Q2. Give a brief description of the strange man’s appearance.

Ans. The strange man was wrapped up from head to foot with clothes and bandages. He wore a broad-brimmed hat that hid his face completely except for his pink, peaked nose. He wore a long-sleeved overcoat and thick gloves. He was also wearing spectacles with sidelights, which basically looked like goggles. He had covered the lower part of his face with a napkin, so that his mouth and jaws were completely hidden causing his muffled voice. He tied a silk white muffler round his neck to put the mouthpiece to his lips. He looked more like a diving helmet than a human man.

Q3. What did Mrs. Hall assume about the stranger regarding his strange appearance?

Ans. Mrs. Hall assumed that the stranger must have had some accident or undergone an operation or something like that. She thought so about the stranger because all his forehead, above his blue glasses was fully covered by a white bandage. Another covered his ears, not leaving even a scrap of his face exposed except for his pink, peaked nose. He was holding a handkerchief over his mouth all the time. She thought that his mouth must have been cut or disfigured in the accident. That was why he was hiding his mouth even while smoking his pipe.

Q4. How did the Invisible Man make Marvel feel that he was real?

Ans. In order to assure Marvel that he was not an imagination but a solid, concrete and real human being, the Invisible Man took him by the collar and shook violently. He dug his finger in his chest and threw flints towards him to make him feel his presence. Mr. Marvel saw a flint jerk up into the air, hung for a moment and then it flung at his feet with invisible speed. Marvel howled aloud and began running and tripped over an unseen object. The Invisible Man went on convincing him that he was just like any human being – solid, requiring food, drink and clothes too.

Q5. How did the Invisible Man threaten Mr. Marvel?

Ans. The Invisible Man convinced Mr. Marvel that he was a real human being. He asked him to be his helper with an assurance that he would not betray him. He threatened to kill him if he ever tried to betray him. At this Marvel got afraid and assured all help as directed.

Q6. “I wish I was dead”. Who spoke these words and why?

Ans. Marvel was chosen by the Invisible Man as his tool to carry out his plans. He wanted to resign from this devilish task imposed on him but was not allowed to do so. He was threatened of death by the Invisible Man if he ever tried to give’ him a slip. He felt helpless and miserable. He wanted to get rid of him at any cost. He even went to the extent of accepting his death than serving the Invisible Man.

Q7. What according to Griffin was his greatest mistake?

Ans. Griffin wanted to avail the advantages of invisibility by working alone. But now he realised that his invisibility was useless without the support of a visible companion. He felt that he had wasted his strength, time and opportunities working alone. But now, after meeting Kemp, he could find a new ray of hope. He decided to correct his mistake with the support of a confederate like Kemp who would provide him with a hide out where he could sleep, eat and rest in peace and then be able to do a thousand wonderful things.

Q8. How did the Invisible Man meet his end?

Ans. The Invisible Man was frantically chasing Kemp to take revenge. Kemp kept on running towards Port Burdock when denied shelter by his neighbour Mr. Heelas. The road was long and desolate. No one was there to help Kemp. When Kemp arrived in the town he found a couple of labourers on the road. He yelled about the Invisible Man and the people, nearby, tried to find and hit the Invisible Man with shovels. The Invisible Man clutched Kemp’s neck, but the labourers knocked him down. There was a fatal fight between the crowd and the Invisible Man. Kemp clung to Griffin and a dozen hands gripped and tore his body. Then appeared a wild scream of ‘Mercy! Mercy!’ that died down swiftly to a sound like choking. Kemp felt the Invisible Man’s pulse and found that he was not breathing. He lay dead battered and pitiful. This way the most gifted physicist the world had ever seen, ended his strange and terrible career in infinite disaster.

Q9. Describe dying Invisible Man’s appearance.

Ans. Kemp felt that the Invisible Man was not breathing. He tried to get people off Griffin. Slowly the Invisible Man started to become visible. This bizarre change began at his hands and feet and then crept to the vital centres of his body. An old lady pointed to faint and transparent glass like body in which the veins and arteries, bones and nerves were slowly becoming visible. Then everyone saw his crushed chest and shoulders and other battered features as he slowly solidified. Griffin lay naked and pitiful on the ground. His hair and brows were white because of albinism. His eyes were like garnets. His hands were clenched and eyes wide open. There were the feelings of anger and dismay on his face. It was difficult to see him.

Q10. How does “the epilogue” bring out the real character of Marvel?

Ans. The Epilogue projects Marvel to be an altogether transformed personality – from a wandering tramp to a proud and reputed owner of the inn The Invisible Man’ which was christened so by him to, perhaps, pay homage to the Invisible Man who earned him fabulous wealth. The person who did not have much expectations from life earlier, doesn’t want to leave any opportunity of grabbing money. He earns money by narrating people his stories with the Invisible Man. Marvel was a loner, unassuming and eccentric person. But now he prefers to live in the company of people as a social and cultured citizen. He has a strong desire to add to his wealth by making use of Griffin’s experiments on invisibility which had been registered by Griffin in his three manuscripts. Marvel has deliberately hidden books from people and whenever he finds solitude he takes them out and tries to decode them. He is quite optimistic about earning a good fortune from them.

Q11. Discuss the plot structure of the novel ‘The Invisible Man’ by H.G. Wells.

Ans. The plot begins in third person narration as the narrator introduces the protagonist, the Invisible Man, midway through his experiences. Griffin-the Invisible Man’s arrival in Iping, the fabrication of various theories by the Sussex folk about the Invisible Man and the revelation of his identity are all presented objectively.

Once the identity of the stranger is revealed as Griffin, Griffin himself takes over the narrative and tells Kemp his woeful saga of becoming invisible. Then the narrative presents a blend of third person and first person while Griffin tells his own story. He tells Kemp as to why he switched over from medicine to Physics, why he robbed his father, how he experimented upon a wool fabric, then a cat and finally upon himself. He further told Kemp about his disillusionment after confronting the disadvantages of invisibility. He proposed Kemp to be his accomplice in establishing the reign of terror but fails to get his support. On being betrayed by Kemp he sets upon taking revenge. Towards the climax of the story the novelist again returns to third person narration. The climax occurs when Griffin returns to Kemp’s house, violent and revengeful. Kemp escapes out of the window but is soon followed by Griffin. The entire town is soon involved in the chase. The plot is resolved with the death of Griffin.

Q12. Describe Mrs. Hall as a wise and well-organised woman.

Ans. Mrs. Hall is the owner of the ‘Coach and Horses’ inn. When the stranger arrives in the inn, she welcomes him as an unheard of piece of luck as there were few lodgers due to extreme cold. Grabbing the opportunity, she exhibits an affectionate courtesy to her guest and provides him with all the comforts. She prepares supper for him with her own hands. She is a down-to-earth woman who love socialising with her guests. She tries to get her guest t talk although he discouraged her rudely. She tolerate the indifference of the stranger as long as she could. As good manager, she runs her inn efficiently with the help of Millie, her maid. She cares for the cleanliness of the inn and that’s why she takes her guest to task when h litters the room with straw. She is practical and pragmatic woman. She sympathizes with her guest thinking that the latter had endured some accident. On being asked she left the stranger alone and does not allow anyone to disturb him. She is a domineering wife as she rated he husband for intruding into the privacy of the visitor. She i friendly with the villagers and obtains their help whenever required. All these characteristic traits of Mrs. Hall portrays her to be a wise, composed and well-organised person.

Q13. Why did the people of Iping turn hostile towards the stranger?

Ans. Griffin aroused the curiosity of the people of Iping from the very first day. He did not talk to anyone. He confined himself in the room and talked to none. His bags contained only bottles. His rude and unusual behaviour aroused the curiosity of the people. Tedd Henfrey who had come to mend the clock was rudely asked to leave. He warned Mr. Hall that the stranger could be a criminal in disguise as he had a suspicious nature. When his bags arrived the dog came and tore off his bandage. He rushed to his room to change followed by Mr. Hall who offered to help but he was pushed out of the room. Suspicion arose when Dr. Cuss saw his empty sleeve in the place of an arm and the people started disliking him. The Vicar and his wife saw the candlelight in the middle of the night in their room and their money and gold vanished away. When Mr. and Mrs. Hall found his room empty they were attacked by an invisible person and saw the furniture dancing. This infuriated Mrs. Hall as it was her mother’s furniture. She thought that the stranger was a spirit. Mr. Hall brought the police to catch the stranger but the invisible man pushed everybody and escaped.

Q14. Describe the meeting between Marvel and the Invisible Man.

Ans. Mr. Marvel was a local tramp. He was sitting alone and trying his boots. Suddenly, a voice talked to him. He answered the voice but when he looked around, he found no one. He thought probably he was drunk, so could not see anyone. The Invisible Man then started throwing flints at him to show that he was an ordinary man but invisible who needed food, clothing and shelter like any other man. Marvel felt his hand, face, and chest and was convinced. The Invisible Man told Marvel that he had chosen him as he wanted his help and would be rewarded. He also warned him against betrayal. A terrorized Marvel promised to help. Marvel had to do things according to the wishes of the Invisible Man. He promised to reward him for helping him but side-by-side threatened him of dire consequences if he tried to betray him. Highly terrified, Marvel agreed to be the Invisible Man’s accomplice.

Q15. Describe Mr. Cuss’s Meeting with the Stranger. 

Ans: The stranger did not have any social life. The Iping people devised different theories about why he was so wierd. People thought him to be a criminal, or an anarchist, or a lunatic and so on. Mr. Cuss, the town doctor decided to talk to him partly because he was curious and partly because he developed professional jealousy. While interviewing the stranger, Mr. Cuss caught sight of the stranger’s empty sleeve. Then he was pinched on his nose by an invisible hand. Mr. Cuss left in terror and told his story to Mr. Bunting.

Q16. Where did Griffin take shelter after giving a slip to the people of Jolly Cricketers?

Ans: The Invisible Man’s furious attempts to avenge on Marvel for betrayal led to his being shot. Giving a slip to the people at Jolly Cricketers, he made for a safer place. He took shelter in a nearby house that belonged to Dr. Kemp, a senior student from medical school. Dr. Kemp was at his work at 2 a.m. He decided to go downstairs for a drink. He noticed a spot on the floor. When he came back in his bedroom he found blood-stains on the door handle and on the bedsheet. He was wondering at this, he was startled by the Invisible Man’s voice. The voice introduced himself as Griffin, a junior to Dr. Kemp in university. He explained that he had made himself invisible. He promised to tell him his whole stoiy but before that he wanted to sleep because he was wounded and sleep deprived for many days. Kemp read the newspapers and learnt about the happenings at the Jolly Cricketers. Kemp anticipated the possible evil deeds Griffin could do being invisible. Assuming Griffin to be a threat to society, he informed Colonel Adye about the matter.

Q17. What did Griffin tell Dr. Kemp about himself?

Ans: Griffin told Kemp that he had been a medical student. But he left medicine in favour of physics. He developed a theory of how to make objects invisible. But he needed to figure out a piethod of doing that in reality. His professor Mr. Oliver was a scientific bounder and a thief of ideas. He was always prying into Griffin’s research. Griffin did not want to publish his research because Mr. Oliver would get the credit for it. One night he was able to find the method but he needed money to buy apparatus to carry out his experiments. He robbed his father. Unfortunately, the money he stole was not actually his father’s and so his father shot himself dead. After his father’s funeral, Griffin continued his experiments. He tried his formula on a fabric and was successful in making that invisible. Then he tried it on his landlady’s pet cat. The experiment was a failure on two counts. The cat’s claws and a pigment of the eyes were visible. Later on, he had an altercation with his landlord who suspected him of consecutive. In a fit of impulse, Griffin drank his own potion and became invisible. In the morning the landlord and his stepsons came with an eviction notice but were astonished to see no one there.

Q18. Describe Griffin’s struggle as an invisible man. 

Ans: Griffin was very excited about his new life. His mind was brimming with wild and wonderful thoughts. But when he confronted the reality, he got completely disillusioned. As an invisible man, he had to be on guard in his movements especially in a crowd as people could not see him. He had to bear the brunt of biting cold weather because he had to remain naked to be invisible. Dogs could detect him with their sense of smell. His food showed through his invisible body until it was assimilated making him a grotesque appearance. Once he entered Omniums to get food, shelter and clothing. He failed to get up before morning. The crew of the store entered and to escape them he had to shed his clothes and run naked, back into the cold. Homeless, naked and without food, Griffin made for a costume shop in Druiy Lance. He gagged the proprietor of the shop and tied him up in a sheet to steal clothes and money. Then dressed up as a grotesque but credible figure he came out in the street to find a new destination. By now, Griffin could realise the disadvantages of invisibility. He wanted to revert the process. For that he decided to stay at the “Coach and Horses” to carry on his experiments to find an antidote but the nosey people of Iping did not let him do so.

Q19. What were Griffin’s plans before and after he met Dr. Kemp?

Ans: Griffin had planned to go to some hot place like South where his invisibility would be possible. There, he would not have to wear clothes. From there, he had planned to go to Spain or to Algiers. He thought of using Marvel as a money box and luggage carrier.

But now, after meeting with Dr. Kemp, Griffin changed his plan. In Kemp he got a confederate, a goal keeper and a helper. He realized that a single person cannot do everything on his own. He expected Kemp to provide him an arrangement whereby he could sleep and eat and rest in peace. He planned to establish a reign of terror with the help of KEMP. Invisibility would help him kill people. They could join hands to mutual benefits. They would spread terror and gather wealth. They would threaten people to pay them amounts and if they did not do so, they would be killed.