Footprints without Feet Summary Class 10 English
Chapter Overview : The story is an extract from the novel named ‘ The Invisible Man’ written by Herbert George Wells. It moves around a brilliant scientist, Griffin who had discovered how to make himself invisible. The story narrates certain episodes of how Griffin had misused his discovery for his own benefit.
About the main Characters :
1. Griffin : A brilliant scientist
2. Mrs. Hall : Wife of the landlord of a local inn at Iping village.
3. Clergyman : A Christian priest, who has robbed by Griffin.
4. Mr. Jaffers : A constable from Iping Police Station.
Gist of the Lesson :
Introduction : Footprints without Feet is an interesting story written by Herbert George Wells. This story is about a brilliant scientist named Griffin who had developed a drug that could make a man invisible. He was successful in his experiment and developed a formula that had the power of invisibility. By consuming the drug, a man could become transparent that could not be seen with the naked eye.
Griffin carried out the experiment on himself so he gulped the drug and his body became transparent like a sheet of glass. Inadvertently, he stepped in mud and the fresh muddy imprints of his feet were all over the place. It was first seen by two young boys who followed his footprints until they became fainter and disappeared altogether. Although Griffin was an outstanding scientist, he was a lawless man. His landlord disliked him and had asked him to eject the house. In vengeance, Griffin set the house on fire and soon wandered around the streets without food, money and clothes.
Owing to his invisibility, no one could see him and as he was walking down the streets, he started feeling cold and entered a big London shopping centre to warm himself. After the stores were shut down, he picked up some comfortable clothes to warm himself and fed himself with cold meat and some coffee from a nearby kitchen store. Later he slept on a pile of quilts in the store. The following morning some associates started approaching him and he removed all his clothes immediately and became invisible again.
As Griffin wandered without clothes in the chilly weather, he could feel the biting cold and decided to take some clothes from a theatre company. Soon, he found an appropriate shop and wore bandages around his forehead, a false nose, dark glasses, big bushy side-whiskers and a huge hat. Then, he went to a shopkeeper’s store and stole all his money. He realised that staying in a crowded city like London could be difficult for him, so he thought of moving to the Iping village.
He had booked two rooms at the local inn in the village and reached there by boarding a train from London. It was quite an unusual experience for the villagers to expect an outsider with a strange appearance who had come to stay at the hotel during winter. Mrs. Hall, the wife of the landlord of the inn tried to be friendly with him, but Griffin did not want to talk to her. Soon enough, his money was exhausted and he started stealing to sustain himself. Due to his suspicious appearance, the inn owner and his wife attempted to check his room while he was away.
Out of anger, Griffin damaged the furniture of the inn and threw it across the room towards them. The owner and his wife got scared thinking that there were spirits around and their unusual guest was responsible for all the chaos. Meanwhile, Mrs. Hall requested the town constable, Mr. Jaffers to inquire about the identity of this peculiar individual and arrest him for damaging her furnishings. This annoyed Griffin further and he decided to reveal his identity as he started unwrapping his bandages, whiskers, spectacles and nose. Everyone was shocked to see this as there was no normal human being hidden behind the bandages. The constable could not catch hold of Griffin and he was knocked unconscious . Griffin took off all his garments, became invisible and disappeared in thin air.
Main points of the Story :
● Griffin, a scientist discovers the rare drug which can make a person invisible.
● His landlord dislike him because of his behaviour and wants to throw him out of the house.
● Griffin wants to take revenge and sets the house on fire. He swallows the rare drug and takes of his clothes to become invisible he needs clothes to cover himself as it is very cold.
● He slips into a big store; wears warm clothes, has meal, sleeps there at night.
● Two shop - attendants chase him in the morning. He is once again homeless and naked.
● He loots a shopkeeper of the store a theatrical company; catches a train to Iping village.
● The looted money does not last long. He again steals money from a clergy men's desk to pay rent.
● Mrs. Hall finds the scientist’s room wide open. She investigates the room.
● A hat springs up and hits on her face. The chair in the room comes alive and forces Mr. and Mrs. Hall out of the room.
● Griffin appears from nowhere.
● Suspicion falls on the scientist when he produces money to pay his rent.
● Mrs. Hall enquirers about Griffin and of the burglary . Griffin gets angry at.
● He remove his bandage, false nose, whiskers etc. Now he is headless.
● The village constable is called to arrest the headless man but he is wounded by the invisible scientist.
● Griffin finally makes and escape.
Extract-Based Questions
Q. 1. As she and her husband turned away in terror, the extraordinary chair pushed them both out of the room and then appeared to slam and lock the door after them.
Mrs. Hall almost fell down the stairs in hysterics. She was convinced that the room was haunted by spirits, and that the stranger had somehow caused these to enter into her furniture.
“My poor mother used to sit in that chair,” she moaned! To think it should rise up against me now!
The feeling among the neighbours was that the trouble was caused by witchcraft.”
Question. Mrs. Hall felt that the room was haunted by spirits because
(a) she could see evil spirits.
(b) she heard strange noise.
(c) uncanny things happened there.
(c) the door slammed shut.
Answer : C
Question. Pick the option that displays a cause → effect relationship.
(a) pushed and locked out → hysterical
(b) rising of the chair → moaning
(c) troubled neighbours → witchcraft
(d) stranger → haunted spirits
Answer : A
Question. Pick the option that best describes how Mrs. Hall must be feeling at the moment described in the extract.
(a) stunned and furious
(b) shocked and outraged
(c) outraged and nervous
(d) stunned and agitated
Answer : D
Question. The neighbours thought it was ‘witchcraft’. This tells us that neighbours were
(a) suspicious.
(b) superstitious.
(c) nervous wrecks.
(d) gossip-mongers.
Answer : B
Question. Pick the sentence that brings out the meaning of ‘hysterics’ as used in the extract.
(a) My friend and I were in splits when we saw the clown’s antics.
(b) I don’t know why I suddenly felt worried about flying home.
(c) The sight of blood put the old man in frenzy.
(d) The people who had witnessed the accident were spellbound.
Answer : C
Q. 2. The two boys started in surprise at the fresh muddy imprints of a pair of bare feet. What was a barefooted man doing on the steps of a house in the middle of London? And where was the man?
As they gazed, a remarkable sight met their eyes. A fresh foot mark appeared from nowhere!
Further footprints followed, one after another, descending the steps and progressing down the street. The boys followed, fascinated, until the muddy impressions became fainter and fainter, and at last disappeared altogether.
Question. Why were the boys surprised to see a barefooted man in London?
The boys were surprised as
(a) it was an unusual sight to see someone this way.
(b) everybody in London moved around in shoes.
(c) it was pretty cold to move around bare feet.
(d) only a person who is homeless and wandering does so.
Answer : C
Question. The boys felt that the footprints were
(a) seen due to some magic trick.
(b) a figment of imagination.
(c) of a man who was invisible.
(d) those of a mysterious man.
Answer : D
Question. Pick out the option that is NOT related to ‘started’ as used in the extract
(a) option (i)
(b) option (ii)
(c) option (iii)
(d) option (iv)
Answer : D
Question. Pick the option that best matches synonyms of the word ‘gazed’.
(a) (i) gaped (ii) gawked
(b) (i) admired (ii) disbelieved
(c) (i) overlooked (ii) stared
(d) (i) surveyed (ii) overlooked
Answer : A
Question. Pick the option that best describes how the boys are feeling based on the extract.
(a) enchanted, curious, puzzled
(b) captivated, curious, puzzled
(c) repulsed, curious, captivated
(d) enchanted, repulsed, curious
Answer : B
Very Short Answer Type Questions
Question. What do you think would have happened if Griffin was caught by Jaffers and the latter hadn’t become unconscious?
Answer : If Griffin was caught by Jaffers and the latter hadn’t because unconscious, the situation would have been totally different. The cruelty and lawlessness of Griffin, the scientist, would have come to an end and the people of Iping would have heaved a sigh of relief.
Question. Why does the writer say that Griffin had chosen a bad time to be in London without clothes?
Answer : The writer H.G Wells, says that Griffin had chosen a bad time to be in London without clothes because it was mid-winter. The air was bitterly cold and he could not be without clothes in that weather.
Question. If you were a friend of Griffin, what suggestion would you have given to him about how he could use his talent and scientific acumen? Write one suggestion and the reason for giving it.
Answer : If I was a friend of Griffin, I would have suggested Griffin to use his talent and scientific acumen in a positive and constructive manner by helping the poor and the needy. I would have told him to indulge in such archives which would be beneficial for the society.
Question. The neighbours suspected Griffin of burglary. State why this was OR was not justified.
Answer : The neighbors suspected Griffin of burglary. This was justified because Griffin had always told Mrs. Halls that he had no more ready cash and he was expecting a cheque to arrive at any moment but after the burglary, he suddenly produced some ready cash which made the suspicion of the neighbours strange.
Short Answer Type Questions
Question. Do you find the story based on being invisible a mere figment of one’s imagination or a phenomenon that is plausible? Elaborate with your opinion.
Answer : The story based on being invisible is a mere figment of one’s imagination. It is very difficult to imagine the life of an invisible man. However, with the advancement in science and technology, becoming invisible may be easier.
Question. Your teacher conducted a debate in class on the topic ‘Schools must develop scientific temperament in students’.
Write any two arguments that you used to supplement your stand, either as a proposition speaker or as an opposition one.
Answer : School Must Develop Scientific Temperament in Students.
Today’s age is the age of science with so many inventions and advancements in science and technology, man has taken a leap. I am in favour of developing scientific temperament in students in their school itself. The sole of the school is very important. It is the school only where so many activities can be organized to improve the critical thinking skills of students Lectures can be organized by eminent scientists, science exhibitions can be organized to inculcate scientific temperament. These kind of activities are not possible at home. It is the prime duty of the schools to develop the scientific temperament through various activities.
Question. Scientists contribute to make the world a better place. Griffin is an antithesis to this statement. Justify.
Answer : There is no denying the fact that scientists contribute to make the world a better place for it was not so in the case of Griffin. His unbridled ambition made him a cruel and landless person. Whatever they did, it made everything worse. He didn’t show kindness or humanity towards anyone whether it was his land less or the shopkeeper or the people living at Iping. He set the house of his landlord on fire, he pushed a shopkeeper done the stairs by taking advantage of his invisibility. None of his actions were for the betterment of the humans. Thus, can say that griffin is an antithesis to this statement.
Long Answer Type Questions
Question. Readers believe that Griffin was a man without conscience.
You have a class discussion on why our conscience plays a vital role in shaping our character.
Present a summary of your views on this.
Answer : We are what we think Griffin, the invisible scientist had a negative bent of mind. He acted cruelly so many times but never once did his conscience prick him. Everyone is well a more that conscience plays a vital role in shaping one's character. It is a common saying to err is human. If a person does something wrong and he regrets later when his conscience pricks him, he always make amends and rectify his mistake but if he accepts everything and continues walking down the lane of errors he can never become a good human being.
Question. Imagine that Griffin has been caught by the police and is produced in court. He needs to defend himself and prove that he is not guilty of the charges.
As Griffin prepare a statement that you would use in court to prove your innocence.
You may begin like this:
I plead
not guilty.
I have been accused of …, however…
Answer : Griffin- I plead not guilty – I have been accused of violence and cruelty by the people of Iping. However I deny all the charges. I didn’t hurt anyone intentionally I had no ill will against anyone. The circumstances, somehow, were such that I had to be violent or cruel in order to save myself. I have been accused of robbery at the clergyman’s house. My problem was that Mrs. Hall was nudging me all the time to pay the rent. I told her so many times that I was waiting for my cheque and would pay when the cheque arrived. But she became impatient and I had to rob the clergyman in order to get money. Once I attacked the shopkeeper from behind and robbed him of all the money. But it because I wanted to escape from that place. Thus I plead that I am innocent and all these points must be taken into consideration before announcing any judgement.
Thank
you
Question. Griffin set the house on fire when he was thrown out. Anger and revenge are in no way a solution to any problem.
You are a columnist for a class X e-zine(magazine). Create a column on importance of anger management for teens and its detrimental effects on health.
You may begin like this:
ANGER DOESN’T RESOLVE , IT DESTROYS
by ..............................., X .....
Griffin, in F
ootprints Without Feet sets the house on fire ...
................
........................................................................ ( CONTINUE)
Answer : Anger Doesn’t Resolve, It Destroys
By Aradhna X-C
Griffin in footprints without feet,
sets the house on fire when he was thrown out. He was so angry that he set fire to this house without giving a single thought to it. His landlord had threatened him to evacuate the house. So he wanted to take revenge on him. But one must realise that anger and revenge are in no way a solution to any problem. It is an old saying that kindness pays, rudeness never. Anger can never resolve any problem. It rather aggravates it. It is always better to keep cool when someone is angry. Despite anger being a healthy normal emotion it must be under one’s control. It should not be allowed to escalate uncontrollably anger leads to high blood pressure and anxiety. Parents are the role models of their children so they should not yell or scream at them. First they should keep their cool so that the child follows them.
