CBSE Class 12 English The Invisible Man H G Wells Assignment

About the Author
Herbert George Wells (21 September 1866-13 August 1946)- known as H.G. Wells- was Born in England in 1866, H.G. Wells's parents were shopkeepers in Kent, England. His first novel, The Time Machine was an instant success and Wells produced a series of science fiction novels which pioneered our ideas of the future. His later work focused on satire and social criticism.
Wells laid out his socialist views of human history in his Outline of History. He died in 1946.

Setting
England in the 1890's.lping and the surrounding area 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.

About The Novel
The invisible Man is a science fiction novella by H.G. Wells published in 1897.Originally serialized in Pearsons Weekly in 1897,It was published as a novel the same year. The invisible Man of the title is Griffin, a scientist who has devoted him self to research in to optics and invents a way to change a bodys refractive index to that of air so that it absorbs and reflects no light and thus becomes invisibles. He successfully caries out this procedure on himself, but fails in his attempt to reverse the procedure.
While its predecessors, The Time Machine and The Island of Doctor Moreau, were written using first person narrators,wells adopt a third person plot summary objective point of view in The Invisible man.

Plot Summary
A mysterious stranger, Griffin, arrives at the local inn of the English village of Iping, West Sussex, thick coat and gloves, his face hidden entirely by bandages except for a fake pink nose and a wide- brimmed hat. He is excessively reclusive, irascible and unfriendly. He demands to be left alone and spend most of his time in his rooms working with a set of chemicals and laboratory apparatus, only venturing out at night. While staying at the inn, hundreds of strange glass bottles arrive that Griffin calls his luggage. Many local townspeople believe this to be very strange.
He become the talk of the village (one of the novels most charming aspects is its portrayal of small town life in Southern England, which the author knew from first hand experience).
Meanwhile, a mysterious burglary occurs in the village. Griffin has run out of money and is trying to find a way to pay for his lodging. When his landlady demands he pay his bill and accuses him burglary, he reveals part of his invisibility to her in a fit of pique. An attempt to apprehend the stranger is frustrated when he undresses to take advantage of his invisibility; fights off his would be captors and flees to the downs.

There Griffin coerces a tramp, Thomas Marvel, into becoming his assistant. With Marvel, he returns to the village to recover three notebooks that contain records of his experiments. When Marvel attempts to betray the Invisible Man and run away with his most priced possessions, Griffin chases him to the seaside town of Port Burdock, threatening to kill him. Marvel escapes to a local inn and is saved by the people at the inn, but Griffin escapes. Marvel later goes to the police and tells them of this invisible Man, then requests to be locked up in a high security jail.
Griffins' furious attempt to avenge his betrayal leads to his being shot. He takes shelter in a nearby house that turns out to belong to Dr Kemp a former acquaintance from medical school.
To Kemp, he reveals his true identity; the Invisible Man is Griffin, a former medical student who left medicine to devote himself to optics. Griffin recounts how he invented procedure capable of rendering bodies invisible and on impulse, performed the procedure on himself.
Griffin tells Kemp of the story of how he became invisible. He explains how he tried the invisibility on a cat, then himself. Griffin burns down the boarding house he is staying in along with all his equipment he used to turn invisible to cover his tracks, but soon realizes he is illequipped to survive in the open. He attempts to steal food and clothes to survive in the open.
He attempts to steal food and clothes from a large department store and eventually steals some clothing from a theatrical supply shop and heads to Iping to attempt to reverse the invisibility.
But now he imagines that he can make Kemp his secret confederate, describing his plan to begin a "Reign of Terror" by using his invisibility to terrorise the nation.
Kemp has already denounced Griffin to the local authorities and is watching for help to arrive as he listens to this wild proposal. When the authorities arrive at Kemp's house, Griffin fights his way out and the next day leaves a note announcing that Kemp himself will be the first man to be killed in the "Reign of Terror". Kemp, a cool-headed character, tries to organize a plan to use himself as bait to trap The Invisible Man, but a note he sends is stolen from his servant by Griffin.

Griffin shoots and injures a local policeman who comes to Kemp's aid, then breaks into Kemp's house. Kemp bolts for the town, where the local citizenry comes to his aid. Griffin ins seized, assaulted and killed by a mob. The Invisible Man naked, battered body gradually becomes visible as he dies. A local policeman shouts to cover his face with a sheet, then the book concludes.
In the epilogue, it is revealed that Marvel has secretly kept Griffin notes. He hopes of deciphering their mystery some day and gain godly powers.

Main Characters

1. Griffin
The Invisible Man. 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.

2. Mr. Marvel

The first character whom Griffin tries to use as an accomplice. Mr. Marvel is short, fat, and a loner. He is the area tramp. Griffin perhaps also thinks that he is a little stupid and will thus not be able to resist and will not be believed if he tries to tell anyone about his predicament.

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. It is to Kemps's house that Griffin goes in his final attempt to find an accomplice and live a more normal life. Kemp, however, has no particular sense of loyalty to a former student and is not prepared to participate in Griffin's grand schemes. He is also more deceitful than Griffin knows and betrays the invisible man even while pretending to accept his confidences.

Minor Characters

1. The Halls
Proprietors of the Coach & Horses. Mrs. Hall is the one who is primarily in charge. She is happy enough to leave Griffin alone so long as her money is coming in on time. Her husband is more suspicious but does not interfere until Griffin's behavior starts to become obvious.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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 companion in town after Griffin terrifies him by pinching his nose with an invisible hand.

5. 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.
Other people in the town who appear briefly in the story but have no particular

characterization:
1. Huxter; Wadgers
The blacksmith
2. Jaffers
The village constable

3. The mariner; Colonel Adye
Chief of Burdock Police

Question. The author has been able to build up suspense about the protagonist in the opening chapter.
Answer: "The Invisible Man" is a science fiction novel and tells the story of a young scientist who experiments with invisibility and succeeds to an extent. However, this causes lot
of problems for him and finally he loses his life in terrible circumstances.
Right from the time when a reader picks up the book, he enters in to the world of mystery and suspense. The book opens by relating how a mysterious strangers is strangely attired - completely covered from head to toe .Even his face is hidden .He is allowed to stay at the inn as a guest .When the landlady tries to help him by taking his outer clothes, she is brusquely shooed away. The stranger does not give his name.
He is rude and does not want to talk to anyone. The only thing he wants is to be left alone in the parlour that he has booked for his exclusive use and not be disturbed .When Mrs.Hall gives him a meal and tries to take his hat, she gets to see by chance that the face of the guest is completely covered in bandages. No one knows who he is and from where he has come, or what his business is in lping.

Question. What impression do you form about "The Invisible Man"? is the able to gain the reader's sympathy?
Answer: The invisible man was given many name names in the novel. At first, he was the stranger who arrived at lping. Then, he was the voice that startled everybody. However, his real name was Griffin .Though he was the protagonist of the story, all his deeds were more like that of an antagonist .He was an eccentric scientist. Though he was a gifted scientist, he used his mind in a sinister way. He devised an experiment to become invisible and then started looting and murdering whoever came in his way. He was
very irritable and impatient. He lost his temper over petty things and started hurting others. He had lost all sense of conscience and didn't feel sorry even after his burglary led to his father's death. Although he was lonely and seemed to have been misunderstood from time to time, he failed to gain sympathy due to his murderous rage and evil ways.

IMPORTANT LONG ANSWER QUESTIONS

In the Jolly Cricketers: Summary: 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.

Notes: Griffin is injured in this chapter. He is thus forced to find shelter and help in the nearest possible place. But now, enough people have been involved in Griffin’s mayhem that it will be relatively easy to round up a posse of believers when the time comes to do so.

Question. Describe the episode when Marvel came to take refuge in the inn the ‘Jolly Cricketers’. Chased by the invisible Man,
Answer: Marvel came down the hill running for his life. He was mortally afraid of the Invisible Man and to escape his fury he blindly ran into the inn the ‘ Jolly Cricketers’ He shrieked, screamed and cried for help. His incoherent talk and his terror-stricken face drew all the people in the inn to help him. The American, the policeman, and the cabman got together to close the doors quickly and stop the Invisible Man from entering the place. The barman accommodated Marvel behind the bar counter. In the meantime, the Invisible Man was heard pounding at the door. They all assured him that since the doors were closed, there was no need for him to be afraid. Desperate to save himself, Marvel repeatedly requested everyone present in the inn not to open the door. He looked around to hide in some safer quarters. Seeing Marvel’s pitiable condition he was sent into the bar- parlour and the door was locked on him. After providing a relatively safe hiding place to Marvel, all other men prepared to encounter the Invisible Man. Thus, everyone in the inn stood by Marvel and gave him full protection.

Question. How did the Invisible Man manage to get into the inn, the ‘Jolly Cricketers’? What did he do after coming in?
Answer: The people inside the inn were determined to protect Marvel from the Invisible Man. They fastened bolts of the doors and closed the windows to keep him out.
After a while, all set to face the Invisible Man, these men drew the bolts of the door and challenged the Invisible Man to walk in. To their great disappointment neither did the door open nor did anybody walk in. Actually, the Invisible Man had already entered the inn through the back door that opened in the yard. Without giving anyone a chance to react, he dragged the helpless Marvel into the kitchen. The policeman gripped the Invisible Man’s wrist. The cabman and the barman too caught hold of him. Under pressure from all quarters, the Invisible Man had to release Marvel. However, he couldn’t be held for long and he wriggled out of their clutches. Before running out he threw a tile at the policeman. Provoked by this outrageous insolence, the bearded man fired five shots at the Invisible man. He was certain of having wounded him but little did he know that the Invisible Man had escaped with only a minor injury in the wrist.

CHAPTER 17: Doctor Kemp’s Visitor: Summary: 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.
Notes: Kemp’s reaction is in stark contrast to Marvel’s original reaction to Griffin. Although he finds the story hard to believe, he is too well educated and too intelligent to deny the evidence of his own eyes. Nor is he prey to hysterics or to working class superstitions. The idea of a spirit or witchcraft doesn’t even occur to him. His cool demeanor as he helps Griffin to the things he needs could be an indication of hope for the Invisible Man.

Question. What attracted Kemp’s attention when he went downstairs to quench his thirst before going to bed? How do his observations establish him as a man of science?
Answer: When Kemp went downstairs to quench his thirst, the first thing that caught the attention of this observant man was a dark spot on the floor near the staircase. Initially, he ignored it but then his scientific mind once again took him to the spot. Kemp bent down and he rubbed his finger over the stain. He made out immediately that it was sticky blood that was about to dry up. Next, he saw blood stains on the door handle. As he entered his room and his eyes were directed to his bed, he was quite intrigued to see that his bed spread was soaked in blood. His bed sheet was torn and there was a depression in the bed clothes. Being a man of science he applied his rationality to deduce that someone had been sitting there. He then felt a voice call out his name. While he was still wondering, he felt someone moving in the room. This gave him an eerie feeling. But what gave him a real start was a wee-tied, blood-stained coiled bandage hanging in mid air. However, before he could grasp it, someone touched him and called out his name. Although startled, Kemp applied his reasoning power to the unexplainable things around him.

Question. Describe Kemp’s encounter with the Invisible Man?
Answer: Kemp was a cool headed man who did not panic at the sight of blood stains on the floor, door handle or the bed spread. He tried to analyse the situation with a cool mind. He concluded that someone was present in his house.
Then a voice calling out his name and a blood stained bandage in mid air confirmed his doubts.
Soon he found himself grappling with someone who identified himself as an Invisible Man.
Despite his best efforts, he got overpowered by him. However, Kemp did not give up and made full use of his free hands and legs, giving punches and kicks to his opponent. After a brief struggle, Kemp gave up. The Invisible Man threatened that he would smash his face if he made any noise. Kemp realised that the Invisible Man was getting the better of him. So very sensibly, he surrendered without showing any obstinacy. The Invisible Man then introduced himself to Kemp as Griffin, his junior at the University College. He also reminded him that he was the very tall ‘albino’ who had won a gold medal in Chemistry. Kemp found it difficult to believe him but was generous to feed him and also give him a dingy scarlet robe, socks and slippers to protect him from the chill. He offered him his room to sleep for the night. Kemp had a very matter-of fact approach towards the whole issue.

Question. What made Kemp’s scientific mind reconcile to the existence of an Invisible Man?
Answer: Why were his queries evaded by Griffin? Kemp had a scientific mind and he had given a demonstration in the morning to prove that the invisibility of a man was not possible. He established that invisibility was nothing more than a trick. However, the same evening, to his great surprise, he heard a voice in his bedroom calling out his name. The blood stains around him were inexplicable. When the Invisible Man had a scuffle with Kemp, he had no choice but believe in the reality of invisibility. On seeing him eat and drink he could not argue that invisibility was possible. Kemp’s scientific mind could not reconcile to such a phenomenon.
Hence, his curiosity prompted him to ask the Invisible Man how he had become invisible. Not willing to share his knowledge with Dr Kemp, Griffin evaded this query. Kemp then enquired about his monetary source, Griffin evaded this query too, since all the money he had accumulated was earned by indulging in theft. He refused to disclose how marvel was made an accomplice to Griffin. Hence, Griffin very cleverly evaded the queries of Kemp to plug complications.

CHAPTER 18: The Invisible man Sleeps: Summary: 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.

Notes: Kemp experiences his first apprehension because of what his own intelligence reveals to him rather than from the hysterical reports in the papers. He is motivated, however, from personal interest. When he recalls the behavior of Marvel, he realizes that Marvel-a mere trampwas being pursued by Griffin. He suddenly realizes that Griffin is insane to the point of being homicidal.

Question. Why did Dr Kemp give his bedroom to Griffin for the night?
Answer: Dr Kemp was a man of generous disposition. When he found Griffin totally exhausted, drained out and sleepy, he did not take a minute to decide to give up his bedroom in favour of his guest. He promised not to turn him in as he felt that Griffin was in a miserable condition and needed help. Dr Kemp earnestly meant to keep his word. That is why when he arranged breakfast for two people in the morning, he made sure that none of the servants got to see Griffin. Despite his uncooperative attitude, Kemp went out of his way to make Griffin comfortable. All accounts in the papers painted Griffin as black, villainous, violent, and nasty, but none of this infused Kemp with a sense of fear. He talked to him as normally and so naturally as though he were any of his friends or acquaintances. He tried to understand his invisibility in a purely scientific manner and did not let any superstitions or apprehensions bias him.

Question. What was Dr Kemp’s state of mind after he left Griffin all by himself in the bedroom?
Answer: An excited and intrigued Kemp left Griffin all by himself in his bedroom and came to the dining room. He was immersed in deep thought and smoked cigars trying to understand Griffin’s invisibility. He scanned all the newspapers trying to gather details about the invisible Man. The newspapers gave an account on the Invisible Man’s activities at Iping and Port Stowe. When the morning paper arrived it had an account of what had happened at ‘Jolly Cricketers’, but it did not have anything new to offer. One thing that appeared in the paper for the first time was the name of the tramp whom the Invisible Man called his ‘confederate’. His name was mentioned as Marvel and he had claimed that the Invisible Man had captured him for 24 hours. However, he did not mention about the three books and the money that Griffin had informed Kemp about.
Seeing some disparity in the two versions, Kemp sent his housemaid to get copies of all the newspapers. But that did not throw much light on the matter. His curiosity remained unsatiated.
But it led him to worry about Griffin and his abnormal behaviour. He believed that it might become more unstable and dangerous. After a bit of hesitation, Kemp decided to write a note to Colonel Adye.

CHAPTER 19: Certain First Principles: Summary: 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.
Notes: From this chapter through XXIII, the point of view changes as Griffin tells his own story.
He explains how he became invisible and tells the story up to the time when he had first entered the Coach & Horses. He explains his use of and contempt for Marvel, justifying his own behavior as necessary to his survival.

Question. How did Kemp receive Griffin in the morning before breakfast? How did Griffin reciprocate during the discussion about his first principles of research?
Answer: Kemp appeared to have a very sympathetic attitude towards Griffin when he came to his room in the morning. He acted with great restraint when he was told that the smashing sound heard by him was the result of Griffin’s fit of temper. He appeared to have great respect for Griffin’s privacy and freedom because he took him upstairs for breakfast with firm instructions to the servants to restrict themselves to the basement or at the best to the ground floor. When he coaxed Griffin to tell him all about his research, he gave the impression that he was doing all this to understand him better and help him to the maximum. The keen interest and the warmth with which he treated Griffin made the latter blurt out even the darkest facts of his life. Convinced by the sincerity of Kemp, Griffin admitted that he was himself responsible for his father’s death. Thus, Kemp’s ostensible
sympathy won Griffin’s absolute confidence in him and he did not at all suspect the doctor.

Question. Give an account of the difficulties faced by Griffin in Chesilstowe?
Answer: Griffin left London and migrated to Chesilstowe because he wanted to switch over from Medicine to Physics which fascinated him immensely. He had come over to this place with a great sense of enthusiasm and he had high hopes for a bright future. He expected to pursue his deep interest in the field of ‘light’ over here without any distractions. However, soon he realized that the place had no comfort, respite or peace of mind to offer him. He had to work on his project under ‘frightful disadvantages’. In the first place, he had to tackle Oliver, his professor, who was a great ‘thief of ideas’ and was always prying Griffin’s work. In fact, Oliver was looking for an opportunity to take credit for Griffin’s research. Hence, he had to cautiously maintain secrecy. Dissatisfied, professionally, for he had to teach ‘fools’ in the provincial college, Griffin was beginning to get sick and tired of his life in Chesilstowe. In addition, he had to deal with paucity of money required to carry out his research. All this caused a great exasperation which drove him to rob his own father. Hence, life yielded nothing except misery, tension and worry for Griffin while he was at Chiselstowe.

Question. Who was Professor Oliver? What idea do you form about his character from Griffin’s account?
Answer: Oliver was a professor in the Provincial College at Chiselstowe where Griffin started with his teaching career as well as research to find a formula for invisibility. Oliver was a man without principles. When he learnt that Griffin was working on an unusual project, this unscrupulous man tried to grab credit for the research. His prying nature caused problems for Griffin and made his life miserable by repeatedly asking him about the time when he would publish his work. Oliver, being a scientific bounder and a journalist by instinct, wanted to rob Griffin of his ideas. He harassed and victimized this young scientist by posing innumerable difficulties. He was a mean, calculating and unscrupulous person who instead of helping out his junior attempted utmost to exploit him and drive him crazy by obstructing his work.

Question. What led Griffin to share the first principles of his research with Kemp?
Answer: What were these first principles of research? Kemp was Griffin’s fellow at the University College. He too was a scientist like him. Besides, he had provided shelter, clothing and food to Griffin while he was trying to deal with his miserable life as an invisible man like him. The warm hospitality and sincerity of Kemp led Griffin to share the first principles of his research with him. He disclosed that instead of completing his medical studies he switched over to physics as he was greatly interested by ‘Light’. He shifted to Chiselstowe and began his research. The subject of Optical Density was intriguing. He came up with a broad theory of how to make objects invisible on the basis of refraction, reflection and absorption of light. According to his theory, since the entire fabric of man except the red of his blood was made up of colourless- transparent tissue, invisibility could be obtained through the application of physiology to make the red colouring matter of the blood colourless.

Question. Describe the circumstances that made Griffin rob his own father. What made his crime grave?
Answer: Griffin had shifted to Chiselstowe from London with a sense of great enthusiasm. He looked forward to a great time teaching students as well as carrying out his research in this quiet place. However, soon it was revealed that neither his teaching would be gratifying nor his research would be smooth-sailing. The prying nature and meanness of his professor compelled him to work secretly. Paucity of funds further threatened to be a major obstacle for the completion of his research. All these factors resulted in great exasperation for Griffin. Obsessed by his ambition to find a formula for invisibility, he committed the deplorable act of a son robbing his own father. Robbing an old man was in itself an abominable crime but this particular act became all the more heinous as the money that was robbed did not belong to his father. This robbery, therefore, drove his honest father to commit suicide making Griffin’s crime unpardonable. His father would not have died if Griffin had not put him in an embarrassing situation by stealing the money. Thus, his father’s death was caused solely because of Griffin’s rashness and audacity to breach the bond of faith between father and son.

CHAPTER 20: At the House in Great Portland Street: Summary: 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.
Notes: Griffin’s explanations are completely absent of any sense of humanity or conscience. His intentions suggest anarchy or lawlessness resulting from an absence of social restriction. Killing his own father seems to have killed his conscience, and the novelty of invisibility highlights his immaturity and seems to divorce him from a normal sense of responsibility.

Question. How did the death of Griffin’s father reveal the ugly aspect of Griffin’s personality?
Answer: Griffin was a selfish, self-centered and an indifferent man. He was not bound to his near and dear ones by either any ethics or duty. He focussed his entire attention only on his ambition to find a formula for invisibility. Hence, when he ran short of money required to pursue his research, this unscrupulous man stooped so low that he robbed his father’s borrowed money. The honest father had to commit suicide to escape humiliation. Rather than feeling sorry for having driven his father to death, Griffin brushed aside the whole incident as the old man’s sentimentality. Lack of humane concern, selfishness and obsession with research made Griffin so insensitive that he did not bother for the consequences of robbing his vulnerable father. His ruthless aspiration hindered him from thinking about his moral duties as a son. His conscience did not prick him even once when his father died only because of him. Thus the death of Griffin’s father unveils the cruel aspect of his personality. His attitude makes the reader conclude that this man could go to any extent for the fulfilment of his vested interests.

Question. What was Griffin’s state of mind after his father’s death?
Answer: Griffin told Kemp that he did not feel a bit sorry for his father’s death and attended the funeral out of compulsion. However, somewhere at the back of his mind Griffin was upset after the death of his father. Moving along the high Street, it seemed to him that his old life came back to him for a while. Visits to old places seemed to be a dream. He returned to his room and realized that he had ostracized himself from the real world. Still he continued to pursue his project up to culmination. He attempted to make a whit cat invisible. Having failed to obtain total success, he spent sleepless nights haunted by nightmares. The scene of his father’s funeral flashed before his eyes. Feeling very restless, he wandered into streets at odd hours. His brain felt so tired that he lost all the will and enthusiasm to do anything. Absolutely drained out and defeated he had to resort to Strychnine to revive himself. The drug did invigorate him but the tiredness and irritability of his mind still persisted.
Although Griffin claimed that he was not sorry for his father’s death, still his emotional condition indicated that he was upset and hurt.

Question. What was written in the three books of Griffin that were hidden by Marvel?
Answer: Give two instances to prove that they were very important to him?
The three books contained all the details of Griffin’s experiment of the process of turning anything visible to invisible. He had entered the formula of his experiments in these books in a coded language. The data he had jotted down in these books was the result of his long and tireless efforts over a period of time.
Hence, these notebooks were very precious and griffin could not afford to lose them at any cost.
The immense value that these books had for Griffin is revealed when he makes tireless efforts to recover the books from the ‘Coaches and Horses’ and later from Marvel. Also, before setting the lodge house on fire, he made sure to mail these books to safer place. Both these instances reveal that the three note books were priceless to Griffin.

Question. How did Griffin’s experiment on the white cat fail? What was the effect of this failure on Griffin?
Answer: Griffin felt very encouraged after successfully turning invisible some white wool fabric. He then caught hold of a white coloured stray cat outside the window. Now he got down to turn this cat invisible. He fed her and made her comfortable on the pillow of his truckle- bed before preparing to proceed with the experiment. He administered some drugs to the poor creature. It was not an easy job and he had to struggle against the cat’s resistance. After this, he realised he had turned the cat partially invisible. Her claws and the pigment behind her eyes called ‘tapetum’ refused to disappear. Griffin gave her drugs to bleach her blood and carried out certain other experiments. By and by the cat became invisible but her eyes kept staring back at him. This failure robbed him of the joy of making the cat invisible altogether. He was disappointed and left the cat outside the window, never to see it again. It left him upset and dissatisfied about his failure.

Question. Describe the encounter between Griffin and the landlord at Great Portland Street.
Answer: When Griffin was sleeping after a heavy dose of the drug to overcome his depression, his landlord woke him up with constant knocking at the door. He was accompanied by the old woman who resided downstairs and used to look after the white cat that had been made invisible by Griffin. Both these people stormed Griffin with a volley of threats and queries about the cat.
The painful meowing of the cat had led them to believe that Griffin was involved in vivisection.
Though Griffin denied having anything to do with the cat, the old man was not convinced and looked all around to find some evidence against this young scientist. He demanded an explanation from him for always being alone and secretive. Irritated with his constant jabbering, Griffin asked him to get out of his room. An infuriated Griffin caught the old man by the collar and pushed him out of the room. The old man screamed outside for a while and then left. This made Griffin apprehensive about the possibility of his work being exposed.

Question. How did Griffin feel as he gradually turned invisible?
Answer: The first step towards invisibility required the consumption of a drug that decolourised his blood. Griffin felt sick after taking this drug. The condition made him very irritable. As this drug started working on him, physical changes also started setting in. His hands and face started turning white like white stone. He experienced a horrible time. He underwent a lot of anguish all through the night. He kept on feeling sick and fainted intermittently. His skin seemed to be on fire. His body emitted a lot of heat and it felt like grim death. As he was going through this agonising experience, he realised the misery and pain that he had subjected the poor cat to. He moaned and groaned, sobbed and talked. He then became insensible and woke up in the darkness of the night. Then the painful phase was over, but Griffin felt he was killing himself. By the morning his hands became invisible. By and by, all his body disappeared. He then felt very weak and hungry. By an effort of will, however, he completed the entire process. He found his strength back by midday. Now he was ready to face the world and enjoy the advantages of invisibility.

Question. Describe how the landlord and his stepsons at Portland Street tried to force their way into Griffin’s room. How did the latter react?
Answer: After turning completely invisible Griffin’s strength resumed by midday. Meanwhile his landlord returned knocking at his door along with is two stepsons. Griffin immediately sprang into action. To gain time, he answered them. Then he dismantled his apparatus to avoid any exposure. The knocking persisted as Griffin ran around disconnecting the entire set-up. He cushioned the cistern cover outside his window with invisible wool fabric and a pillow. He then collected some loose paper, straw and packing material in the middle of the room with the intention of setting it on fire. However, as he did not have any matches, he had to postpone the project. All this while the three gentlemen outside kept on shouting and pounding at the door. By this time, Griffin was totally invisible, so he stepped out of the window and placed himself on the cistern cover. In the meantime, having broken open the door, they all rushed into the room and got a shock of their lives to see the room ‘empty’ Their futile search in all the possible nooks and corners left them totally astonished and disappointed.

Chapter 21: In Oxford Street: Summary: 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.
Notes: Griffin’s initial error was that he became so obsessed with a single scientific notion that he failed to take consequences into consideration. No doubt, he was not concerned about people reacting to him as though he were some kind of mutation or monster. As an albino human, he was already a marginalized individual who did not fit into ordinary society. College was the perfect place for him, but he was so concerned about the possibility of any one getting credit for his discovery that he failed to take advantage of collaboration and more mature knowledge that he might have had access to.

Question. Why didn’t the initial excitement that Griffin felt on turning invisible last for long?
Answer: What were the consequent unexpected problems that he had to face? Griffin went around startling people, clapping their backs, flinging people’s hats astray and having a lot of fun at the behest of his ‘treasure’ of invisibility. However the negative side of this extraordinary advantage that had been overlooked soon started surfacing. First of all he found it unexpectedly difficult to climb down the staircase with his invisible feet. In the absence of visible feet he could not assess whether he was placing them at the right step. He tumbled quite a few times before he finally managed to climb down. Next, people collided with him as they did not see him. Crowds were a big threat to him, for he could be wedged in the crowds and discovered in no time. His heels were trodden, he was squeezed and he created problems for himself by getting away into the way of a stream of people. Cold weather posed yet another grave problem for him. He had to remain stark naked to avoid being seen which made him shiver in the January cold. Within ten minutes of the commencement of his ‘adventure’, Griffin started wondering how to get out of the tight corner that he had landed himself in. Though invisible, Griffin could very well be perceived by dogs. His muddy feet left behind footmarks that could be trailed. He was apprehensive of being detected in the falling snow. Hence, he was surrounded by a number of problems that emerged because of his invisible state.

Question. Describe any two comical situations that resulted from Griffin’s invisibility.
Answer: Just as Griffin had started enjoying the ‘extraordinary advantages’ of his invisibility, he has heard a clashing concussion and was hit violently. He turned to see a man carrying a basket of soda water syphons with a perplexed expression on his face. This man found the accidental collision to be inexplicable. His astonished expression amused Griffin so much that he laughed out loudly and said ‘The devil is in the basket’. With this he swung the entire basket into the air. A cab man, in a bid to catch the basket, poked his finger into griffin’s neck causing him excruciating pain.
As though it were not enough, a short while later a dog, who could perceive Griffin by his scent despite his invisibility, created a ruckus be leaping, jumping and barking at the Invisible Man.
Luckily for Griffin, the dog’s attention was diverted by the noise of the band. Hence, he abandoned his chase and went the other way. Both these incidents bring out the flip side of Griffin’s invisibility and amuse the reader.

 More Important Questions For CBSE Class 12 English HOTs On The Face Of It.......

Chapter14. At Port Stowe
Summary: 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.

Notes: Marvel tries to take advantage of a short respite to let someone else know about the Invisible Man, but he is caught by Griffin before he can complete his story. This chapter gives us a little insight as to how Griffin has been surviving to this point. He has been stealing money wherever he could find it. Now that he is obliged to remain invisible, however, he has to use Marvel as a repository for his ill-gotten gain. The irony is that although Griffin can steal unlimited amounts, he has no way to use the money in his invisible condition. And Marvel, who is for a time nothing more than a helpless victim, will be the one to benefit in the end.

Question. Give an account of Marvel’s encounter with the mariner in Port Stowe.
Answer: Dirty, unshaven and weary, Marvel sat on a little bench outside a small inn on the outskirts of Port Stowe in a nervous and agitated state of mind. It was here that he met an elderly mariner who came and sat down beside him. After exchanging a few remarks about the weather, the mariner referred to the Invisible Man’s story that had been published in the newspaper. He proceeded to give the details of this story. Marvel, who had firsthand knowledge of the Invisible Man posed to be surprised to hear such a story but later on, he offered to give a few details about the Invisible Man that he claimed to have got from ‘private sources’. However, when he was about to narrate his version of the episode regarding the Invisible Man, Marvel was hit hard by an invisible hand. He understood at once that the Invisible Man was around and he did not want him to spill the beans.
Marvel pretended to have a severe toothache, collected his books and moved from his seat. In order to quell the curiosity of the mariner, marvel told him before leaving that in reality the Invisible Man was nothing but a hoax. To convince him further, he claimed that he knew a man who had floated the concocted story.
The mariner, however, did not believe Marvel and demanded to know why he had let him go with the story if he knew it to be a fictitious one. Marvel had no answer. Pushed and pulled by the Invisible Man he left the spot with the mariner fretting and fuming all by himself.

Question. How did the mariner react when Marvel claimed that the story of the Invisible Man was a hoax?
Answer: The mariner, having read the story of the Invisible Man in the newspaper, believed every word of it. He felt only authentic stories with ‘names and everything’ and with extraordinary witnesses like doctor and a clergyman find place in the papers. The veracity of such incidents was beyond doubt. He shared this news with marvel because he was totally confident about its truthfulness.
Marvel, too, initially responded positively. However, when he was about to give out the secret, he was interrupted abruptly by the Invisible Man. Marvel immediately changed his stance and made a complete turnaround by saying that the story of the Invisible Man was just a hoax. He added that he knew the man who had floated this false story. At this unanticipated reversal, the old mariner lost his temper and demanded that if Marvel knew that it was a hoax then why he let him narrate the episode. He accused him of fooling him and refused to believe any part of his ‘cooked up story’. After Marvel was gone, the mariner sat on a bench fuming and cursing.

Question. What other extraordinary story besides the Invisible Man’s misdeeds at Iping did the mariner hear? How did he react to this story?
Answer: Besides the Invisible Man’s misdeeds at Iping, the mariner heard another extraordinary story about a fistful of flying money. He came to know that fellow mariner had seen an unbelievable sight at the corner of St. Michael’s lane. He had seen a handful of money floating in the air along the wall all by itself. It was neither carried by a hand nor did any bag hold it. The fellow mariner had tried to grab this floating money but was instantly knocked headlong. The butterfly money disappeared by the time he got up.
The old mariner declared that although he was in a mood to believe anything still he found this story too hard to believe. Afterwards he sat on the bench thinking about the whole thing indecisive about believing or disbelieving it.

Question. The invisible Man’s activities in Port Stowe make him all the more villainous in the eyes of the reader. Comment.
Answer: Ever since the Invisible Man had come to stay in the ‘Coach and Horses’ he gave the impression of being a man of dubious character. However, his activities at Port Stowe make him all the more villainous in the eyes of the readers. The pitiable condition to which he had driven Marvel upsets the reader. His pushing, pulling and dragging Marvel against his wish is indeed disgusting.
Exploiting a simple tramp and forcing him to be an accomplice in misdeeds make the Invisible Man a villain in the eyes of the reader. The manner in which he slates Marvel while he was talking to the old mariner is humiliating. The Invisible Man is guided in his actions by his overbearing nature and false ego. The stealing of people’s money by employing invisibility to his advantage lowers him further in the eyes of the reader. His heartlessness, selfishness and ruthlessness and greed make him appear to be such a vicious villain who can go to any extent to fulfill his unending desires.

Chapter 15: The Man Who Was Running
Summary: 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.
Notes: This chapter simply introduces Kemp into the story. Kemp’s attitude is representative of the average established, self-confident, and self-sufficient individual. He sees a man in trouble, but his reaction in contemptuous instead of concern. He has heard warning cries about an Invisible Man, but clearly doesn’t believe any of it. He is a man who keeps himself apart form the concerns of the general public, is buried in his work, interested only in what award it will ultimately bring him.

Question. Who was Dr Kemp? What impression do you get from his first appearance?
Answer: Dr Kemp was a young, energetic and enthusiastic scientist who was deeply immersed in some research which he believed would win him the fellowship of the Royal Society. His room was lined with bottles, some scientific instruments, books and some reagents. The doctor himself was a tall, lean and thin man with flaxen hair and a white moustache. Having a scientific bent of mind, he didn’t believe in superstitions. Thus, when people ran blindly for their lives, in mortal fear of the Invisible Man, he viewed them with a sense of contempt. Dr Kemp was a very observant person. When he saw Marvel running down the hill he could make out that the man couldn’t run fast as his pockets were full of some heavy metal. Apart from this, he also analysed things around him in a very logical manner. When all the people were busy bolting themselves indoors, he did not panic and tried to rationalize. However, his selfconfidence made him appear to be somewhat proud and presumptuous.

Question. What caught Dr Kemp’s attention as he sat in his study? How did he react to the sight?
Answer: Dr Kemp was not superstitious like the other people. This fact becomes clear when, sitting in his study, he was attracted by the figure of a man running from the top of the hill towards Burdock.
This short man with a high hat was running so fast that his legs were hardly visible. Dr Kemp was reminded of another man who, running blindly out of fear the Invisible Man, had collided with him in the morning. Having a scientific and logical approach towards things, the doctor looked at that man with a sense of disdain. The running man evoked similar feelings in his mind.
He felt, that this man too was ‘an ass’ like the others who were superstitious and illogical.
Guided by lack of proper knowledge they all believed in the existence of an ‘Invisible Man’. However, the contempt that Dr Kemp had towards this figure stood in complete contrast to the sympathy that people had for him. They saw terror writ large on his face. His breathlessness, discomfort and haste aroused both their fear and curiosity. They asked each other the possible reason for all the apparent haste of the running man. Although they couldn’t understand the problem, still they did not condemn him for running hurriedly. Kemp observed another thing about this man which was missed by other people. He observed that the man was in a great hurry but his heavy pockets didn’t allow him to run as fast as he wanted to. Kemp conjectured that his pockets were loaded with some heavy metal that slackened his pace. Thus, the doctor’s keen observation made him distinct from the ordinary people around.

Question. Why did people start slamming and bolting their doors when they saw a dog yelping and sneaking under the gate and Marvel running down the hill?
Answer: People in the street were quite intrigued to see the terror-ridden face and utter haste of Marvel as he came running down the hill. Unable to understand the cause of his torment and hurry, they asked each other the reason for such a commotion. Just when they saw a dog yelp as though it had been hit hard. The dog ran for its life and sneaked under a gate. Here was another inexplicable situation and as people still wondered at the strange behaviour of the dog they felt someone run past them. His footfalls and heavy breathing was distinctly audible. Hence, people didn’t take much time to put two and two together and conclude that the Invisible Man was around. Instantly the street was flooded with the sounds of screams, shouts and cries. The news spread all over that The Invisible Man was back. People ran blindly to rush into their houses.
Hence, all over one could hear the slamming and bolting at the doors as terror pervaded the entire scene.

Chapter 11: In the Coach & Horses: Summary: 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.
Notes: Griffin is on the verge of insanity. He is probably terrified on two counts. One would be lest someone tampers with his notes or other belongings related to his experiments. The other would be lest someone should actually be able to decipher his records.

Question. How did Cuss and Bunting react to Marvel’s intrusion when Marvel went into the guest parlour ostensibly looking for the Tap? What did they tell him and to what effect?
Answer: On reaching Iping, Marvel headed straight for the ‘Coach and Horses’ with the Invisible Man’s help. Pretending to be looking for the bar, he entered the guest parlour. He found Cuss and Bunting excitedly pouring over the three hand-written books of the Invisible man trying to decode the unfamiliar script. Marvel’s barging into the room irritated Cuss but relieved Bunting.
Actually Cuss hoped that Bunting, who supposedly knew Greek, could decipher the meaning of the text in the books. But Bunting was not confident of his ability and wished to get over the ordeal of interpreting the ‘diary’ as early as possible. Marvel’s entry, therefore, evoked different reactions from Cuss and Bunting. However, they both immediately directed him to the bar and asked him to shut the door while going. Marvel’s purpose of letting the Invisible Man in the parlour had already been served. Now he didn’t mind being asked to leave the room and he did so without showing any resentment.

Question. Why could neither Cuss nor Bunting make any head or tail out of the three handwritten books left behind by the Invisible Man?
Answer: Both Cuss and Bunting sought Hall’s permission to go through the Invisible Man’s belongings with a great sense of excitement. They were keen to find some clues about the strange guest.
When Cuss came upon the hand-written books with the label ‘diary’ on them, he felt confident that they were on the verge of making some big discovery about the Invisible Man. However, the moment Cuss started flipping through its pages, he was greatly disappointed because the diary either had some mathematical calculation or had been written in a coded language. He felt it was written here and there in Russian and Greek. Thus, he could not make any sense out of it.
Though Bunting knew Greek, he was not confident because he might have learnt the language long back. Not wishing to be exposed, he remained non-committal about his familiarity with Greek. But the fact remained that he too, could. Not make out any better conclusion than Cuss, about these diaries. However, the Greek script gave him some amount of hope as Bunting was supposed to have known to be familiar with the language. Cuss asked him to translate the Greek passages. Bunting somehow was not at all confident of his ability as he must have studied this language long time back and hardly retained it. So he remained no committal about his familiarity with Greek. But the fact remained that he too, could not make out any better conclusions than Cuss, about these diaries.

Question. Describe the events behind the closed doors of the parlour after Cuss and Bunting directed Marvel to the Tap.
Answer: Engrossed in finding some clue about the Invisible Man, Dr Cuss and Vicar Bunting were startled when Marvel rudely pushed open the door of the guest parlour. They immediately directed Marvel to the ‘Tap’ asking him to close the door behind him. Little did they realize that a greater shock awaited them in the closed room. As soon as they turned back to the books and tried to decipher the coded language, they found a great pressure on their necks. Before they could understand anything, they heard someone whisper ‘Don’t move, little men’. The voice that chided them for prying into someone’s private papers threatened to kill them and asked where his clothes were. The twosome had no choice but to agree not to ‘try any nonsense’. This was the Invisible Man who told them that he would like to take away the three hand-written books labelled ‘Diary’. He also made it clear that it was very urgent for him to get some clothes to protect himself from the chilly evenings in the month of June. Both Cuss and Bunting, uncertain of their fate, started awaiting the worst.

Chapter 12: The invisible man loses his temper: Summary: 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.
Notes: Marvel has taken advantage of the situation, and rather than carrying Griffin’s material for him, has run off with it. The intervention of Huxter and the other individuals almost enables Marvel to get away with the precious books. Cuss quickly catches on to the fact that Griffin will be visible so long as he is carrying the bundle, but he is unaware of the existence of Marvel. The narrator tells us that “perhaps” the Invisible Man only intended to use the vicar’s clothes to cover his retreat, but that at some chance blow he has “gone completely over the edge.” He throws or upends benches, chairs and boards, along with breaking windows. Eventually he catches up with Marvel and they head for the next town.

Question. What attracted the attention of Hall and Henfrey as they waited for Cuss and Bunting outside the parlour? Why didn’t they go inside the room to rescue Bunting and Cuss?
Answer: While Bunting and Cuss poured over the Invisible Man’s books, Henfrey and Hall stood in the bar, a short distance away from the guest parlour, discussing the episodes of the day. Suddenly they heard a violent thud against the door at the parlour which was followed by a sharp cry and then absolute silence. The gentlemen called out to the Vicar and the Doctor to ask if everything was fine. They were assured by Bunting that all was well and further they were warned not to interrupt. In spite of their efforts to stay close to the door to overhear the conversation inside, the muffled sounds and the hissing whispers remained unintelligible. Around this time Mrs Hall spotted them and chided Hall for wasting his time. Dominating as she was, she discouraged them from going inside to help Bunting and Cuss. In the meantime, Huxler’s cry ‘Stop thief’ diverted their attention out in the street and they left Cuss and Bunting to their fate.

Question. What created a commotion in the street when a great rush of people poured out from the ‘Coaches and Horses’ on Whit Monday? How did it help Marvel in escaping?
Answer: Many people came to the Tap to enjoy drinks on Whit Monday when they heard Huxter’s cry to stop the thief. Driven by curiosity, everybody came out to the street to help Huxter catch the culprit. People already down the street stood astonished and some of them came running to join the group that was chasing the thief. A terrible commotion was created and there was utter chaos.
Amidst this, people tumbled, tripped and fell over each other. Most of them were obstructed by some invisible force. They ran helter- skelter in confusion. It was clear that the thief had to be over-powered but in absence of a clear chase-plan things went haywire. This commotion proved to be advantageous for Marvel who found enough time to escape while the mob following him jostled each other. As the people tried to comprehend the invisible hands hitting them, Marvel moved very fast through the lanes going as far as possible from the crowd. The internal maze of the villagers thus helped him to dodge those who were chasing him.

Question. What embarrassment did Cuss and Bunting face due to the Invisible Man’s indecency?
How did the two of them try to handle the situation?
Answer: Bunting and Cuss remained confined to the guest parlour when everybody poured into the street following Huxter’s plea to stop the thief. Actually the Invisible Man had lost his temper when he saw the two gentlemen pouring over his ‘private memorandum’. In addition he was infuriated to the point of craziness when he saw his clothes missing from the room, for they had been removed by Mrs Hall when she tidied up the place. He stripped both the men in a fit of rage and took away with him Cuss’s trousers and all of Bunting’s clothes.
It was only after the Invisible Man left that Cuss came out funnily dressed in a kill (pleated skirt). Bunting, however, stuck to the guest parlour wondering what he should do with his naked state. A while later, Cuss returned to inform Bunting that the Invisible Man was awfully infuriated and was back at the inn. Now Bunting weighed which evil was greater- exposing himself to the wrath of the Invisible Man or running out in the open in a disrobed state. Hearing a frightful struggle in the passage of the inn, he decided in a minute and jumped out of the window with a rug and newspaper precariously wrapped around his body. Inadequately covered, he ran for his life as fast as possible, this embarrassing flight of the vicar was remembered in Iping for a long time to come.

Chapter13. Mr. Marvel discusses his resignation: Summary: 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.
Notes: This brief chapter serves to track Griffin’s movement to the next location and to show his crude behavior toward Marvel. Marvel tries reasoning, whining, and even suggesting that he may in the long run be a failure and thus “mess up” Griffin’s plans. Nothing works. For the moment, Griffin needs Marvel. If Marvel should drop in accordance with his professed heart condition, it would mean nothing to Griffin.

Question. Why was Marvel in deep despair as he moved towards Bramblehurst?
Answer: Marvel was in deep despair as he moved towards Bramblehurst because he had been forced against his will to be an accomplice in stealthily removing three books and another bundle from the parlour of the ‘Coach and Horses’by the Invisible Man.
On his way, he inadvertently took a wrong turn giving the Invisible Man the impression that he was trying to give him a slip. Hence, a constant close watch was kept on him. He was goaded to walk faster and warned not to act smart. All pleadings of Marvel were unheeded and he was continuously threatened. No relief or respite was given to the poor man. Hence, Marvel pitied himself and complained that the misery he was being subjected to was beyond endurance.
Finding the Invisible Man insensitive to his plight, Marvel was deeply pained, depressed and upset.

Question. What traits of the Invisible Man’s personality surface as he leads Marvel to Bramblehurst?
Answer: The episode when Marvel is led to Bramblehurst lays bare the utter selfishness of the Invisible Man. His constant threats to Marvel and his insensitivity towards his suffering show that he was an absolutely self-centered, callous and thoughtless being. In spite of calling Marvel ‘a poor tool’, this manipulating man was not ready to release him. He wanted to misuse him to an optimum in future also. Instead of feeling grateful to him for having helped retrieve his things from ‘Coaches and Horses’ he knocked him about and showed utter in difference towards him.
He was more worried that the ruckus he had created in Iping would be reported in the press which would draw people’s attention towards his existence. He was not concerned with anything else besides his own interests. He was oblivious to the inconvenience that marvel was suffering and he didn’t bother to lend him a helping hand to carry what was heavy. This revealed his apathy and heartlessness as well. Thus, this episode clearly established the evil character of the Invisible Man.

Chapter 1. The Strange Man’s Arrival
Summary: A stranger arrives in Bramblehurst 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.

Notes: This introduction to the Invisible Man through the eyes of the town people is actually about midway through his own story. He has already gone from place to place trying to keep his cover and has committed two acts of violence, one against his own father and the other against the proprietor of a costume shop whom he tied and gagged in order to be able to steal clothing and money. Nevertheless, his intention at this point is simply to find a quiet place and work as quickly as possible to find an antidote to the invisibility. The primary thread of the story-that of the growing rumors and suspicions, which eventually contribute to his exposure-has begun.

Question. H.G Wells has called Mrs. Hall’s guest ‘A Strange Man’ in the title of the first chapter. Justify.
Answer: H. G Wells is absolutely justified in calling Mrs. Hall’s guest a strange man. The things that made him strange included his appearance which was far from that of a normal person. His big blue spectacles with sidelights, head swathed in bandages and his thick black hair peeping from here and there made him peculiar. His shiny pink nose stood out as a prominent feature of his otherwise nondescript face. His body language too, was unusual for he spoke from behind a table napkin. He smoked a pipe with the lower part of his jaw securely wrapped with a silk muffler. All this definitely made him strange and abnormal. His insistence on not allowing Mrs. Hall to take away his wet coat and hat for drying also made his behavior questionable. In addition, his disinclination to get into any sort of conversation with his inn-keeper also lent an air of eccentricity to his personality. His curt and concise remarks to cut short Mrs. Hall’s narration of the story of her sister’s son’s accident sounded equally strange. Hence, H G Wells has appropriately termed Mrs. Hall’s guest as ‘a strange man’.

Question. Why did Mrs. Hall consider the stranger’s arrival in the ‘Coach and Horses’ as her ‘good fortune’?
Answer: Iping was a very small village which hardly ever saw any visitors during the winters. It was a very lean period for business. Mrs. Hall, the inn keeper of the ‘Coach and Horses’, was therefore elated to have a guest at her inn. His arrival was a pleasant surprise. However, she quoted the peak season price for boarding and lodging because as a shrewd business woman she expected the man to haggle. Surprisingly, he agreed to her terms at once and placd a couple of sovereigns as advance. This was indeed Mrs. Hall’s good fortune. But, apart from being a shrewd business woman, she was also conscientious and efficient. She did not let any expression of delight surface and proceeded to promptly to give her guest a perfect service and a very comfortable stay in her inn. She was keen to deliver full worth of the money that the stranger was spending. This episode reveals the lady’s professionalism and her will to carry out the responsibility as a good hostess.

Question. Describe the appearance of the stranger when he arrived at the inn.
Answer: Mrs. Hall was a very observant person. Hence, despite all her joy at getting a client for her inn during the winter season, none of the oddities of his appearance and behavior escaped her notice.
When he appeared at the inn, Mrs. Hall found her guest all wrapped up from head to foot in his coat, hat, muffler and gloves. The brim of his soft hat hid his face considerably. Only his shiny, pink nose stood out conspicuously on his nondescript face. Later, when he removed his hat, she found his head bandaged all over. His thick black strands of hair showed themselves here and there lending him a very shabby and strange appearance. His big blue spectacles with sidelights completely concealed his eyes. Apart from his strange appearance, his behaviour was also eccentric. He refused to part with his wet clothes, talked to the lady from behind a table napkin, and displayed an utter reluctance to enter into any sort of conversation with her. Thus, she formed a very negative impression about the appearance and behaviour of the stranger.

Question. Do you agree that Mrs. Hall had excellent hospitality skills? OR What did Mrs. Hall do to prove herself worthy of her good fortune?
Answer: Mrs. Hall was indeed happy to have a guest for her inn during the lean business period of winter time. She considered it to be a piece of unheard luck. On top of it, the guest who came to stay there did not haggle the peak season price quoted by her. Hence, the lady was very keen to prove that the good fortune’s favour is not ill-placed. Therefore, she tried to make her guest very comfortable right from the beginning. Exhibiting her excellent hospitality skills, she first lit him a nice fire to relieve him of the biting cold of the wintry February. She then proceeded to prepare him a meal with her own hands. She offered to take away his wet clothes for drying, but when the gentleman refused to part with them, she didn’t pester him.
Now and then, she ventured to enter into polite conversation with him but when he repeatedly showed reluctance, she felt a little snubbed. When the stranger expressed his eagerness to get his luggage from Bramblehurst station, she assured him that it would be done the next day. She also fulfilled promptly even his small requirements like matches to light his pipe. Thus, she proved herself worthy of her good fortune.

Chapter 2. Mr. Teddy Henfrey’s First Impressions
Summary: 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.

Notes: Mrs. Hall, although not a major character, is revealed as rather devious in a harmless sort of way. She really wants to know what the man’s disfigurement is; she assumes he has been in a horrible accident, and the motherly side of her wants to know how to express sympathy. She is a very good innkeeper under the circumstances. While she is not above using Teddy to pry for information, she does not contribute to the spread of rumors. In fact, we are told later that she defends him as long as he is faithful about paying his bill. Teddy is a character typical of the other people of the town. He wants to know the man’s story, and when he is rebuffed for his persistence, he begins to imagine all sorts of things. His imagination soon becomes fact to him, and he spreads his new knowledge to anyone who will listen.

Question. How was Teddy Henfrey received at the inn by Mrs. Hall? How did the stranger respond to Teddy’s arrival in his room?
Answer: Teddy Henfrey was received gladly by Mrs. Hall when he visited her bar. She was all the more happy to see him carrying his tool bag. Actually, his arrival gave her the brilliant ideas of entering the guest’s room on the pretext of getting the parlour clock repaired. However, when he visited the guest’s room, he missed the warmth he had experienced earlier in the bar. After a cold ‘Good morning’, the stranger silently stared at Teddy working at the clock. In an attempt to break the silence of the room Teddy tried to get into some sort of conversation with him. But the guest snubbed him curtly. Rather he rebuked Teddy by prolonging the job that needed just fixing of the hour hand on the axle. Embarrassed by the snubbing, Henfrey finished the work quickly and left the room.

Question. Why did Teddy Henfrey feel insulted after his encounter with the strange man? What did he do to relieve himself from his nasty mood on his way back from the inn?
Answer: Teddy Henfrey looked forward to meet the new guest of the Halls’ when he entered the parlour to repair the clock. However, the strange man responded in a cold manner watching the clockjobber constantly and never opening his mouth once. The stranger’s constant gaze and absolute silence started getting on Henfrey’s nerves. Still he tried to initiate a formal conversation by commenting on the biting cold weather. The stranger snubbed him at once and asked him to finish the job and leave the place. This set off a bad mood for Teddy Henfrey. He felt insulted.
When he left the inn he came across Mr. Hall, the inn-keeper’s husband. He gave vent to his nasty mood by sowing the seeds of suspicion in the mind of Hall that his wife had taken in a rum-looking customer. Describing the grotesque guest, Teddy expressed his apprehension about the stranger that he had disguised himself to escape something and also hoped that his luggage did not contain stones. By doing this, Teddy felt relieved.

Question. What explanation did the stranger give Mrs Hall for coming to Iping and confining himself to a dark room?
Answer: On arrival, the stranger did not reveal either his name or his purpose of coming to Iping. Mrs. Hall took him in as it was a lean business period and she did not wish to lose a guest who paid the peak season price. However, his eccentricity did make her ill-at-ease. Later in the afternoon the stranger appeared relaxed and told Mrs. Hall that he was ‘an experimental investigator’ and had come to Iping to carry out his work in peace and solitude. He also added that he needed to shut himself in a dark room for hours together because an accident had left his eyes very weak and painful. He justified his insistence on getting his luggage at the earliest as it carried his apparatus and appliances. His vehemence at safeguarding his privacy was explained by him as an attempt to save him from excruciating annoyance. Thus he gave a convincing explanation regarding his identity and the purpose of his visit to Iping to allay all doubts about him.

Chapter 3. The Thousand and One Bottles
Summary: 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 trouser 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.

Notes: Fearenside is more observant than even he realizes. Of course, Griffin knows that a close look at his torn pant leg will reveal a “missing” leg, but he also needs to get away from the dog until they can get the animal under control. Subtle differences among characters of the town are beginning to be revealed. Mrs. Hall notices a “hollow” look to the guest’s eyes, an appearance masked by the dark glasses he usually wears. His frustration is over the failure of his experiments; she notes the mess he makes but cleans up after him with minimal complaint when he gives her extra money. Fearenside, on the other hand, liberally discusses the “discoveries” he has made as a result of the brief encounter. Fearenside refers to horses as an example of the “patchy” color that can happen when black and white are mixed.

Question. Describe the incident when the stranger was bitten by Fearenside’s dog.
Answer: Fearenside, the cart driver, brought the stranger’s luggage from Bramblehurst station to the ‘Coaches and Horses’ inn. It consisted of numerous crates, a box of books and a couple of trunks. The stranger emerged from his room for the first time since his arrival, all covered from head to toe. He saw Fearenside and Mr. Hall getting prepared to carry the luggage to his room. In all his excitement, the stranger rushed to the cart. Just as he was trying to help picking up a small crate, Fearenside’s dog growled fiercely. The animal pounced upon the stranger and before anyone could do anything. The stranger kicked the dog in self-defense, Hall ran for his life and Fearenside snatched his whip to stop the dog from attacking further. In the meantime, the dog made another attempt and bit the stranger’s leg. Now, both his glove and trousers had been torn by the dog. The stranger rushed back to his room and Hall followed him out of sympathy. Fearenside whipped his dog which retreated under the carriage whining. This attracted a lot of villagers who had gathered outside the wagon out of curiosity. All started offering suggestions.

Question. What did Hall experience when he entered the stranger’s room after the latter had been bit by Fearenside’s dog? Why didn’t he share his experience with others?
Answer: Mr. Hall followed the stranger to his room out of sheer sympathy when the latter had been bit by Fearenside’s dog. He entered the dimly lit room without knocking at the door. To his utter dismay, he encountered an indescribable sight.
He saw a handless arm moving towards him. In place of a face he saw three huge indeterminate spots of white. Perhaps the stranger removed his spectacles and what Hall saw were two hollows in place of eyes and one hollow in place of mouth. He received a violent blow in his chest before he could see any further. He was pushed out of the room and the door was shut on his face.
Shocked and perplexed at the drastic turn of events, he tried to comprehend what he had just encountered. He came out confused and unsure of himself. He was doubtful about anybody believing him if he narrated what he had seen. He simply announced that the strange man was fine and needed no help.

Question. Why did a good number of villagers gather outside the ‘Coach and Horses’ after the guest was bitten by Fearenside’s dog? What impression do you gather about the villagers from this episode?
Answer: The simple villagers gathered around Fearenside’s cart after the dog had bitten the guest because the easy village life permitted them quite a leisure time to assemble at the scene and quell their curiosity. Their sympathy towards the stranger was also one of the reasons that brought them around. They were unhappy about the incident and they felt that the dog had bitten the man without any rhyme or reason. Many of them felt such pets should not be kept at all. Some of them claimed that they had a way with the dogs and they wouldn’t allow any dog to bite them. A lady went to the extent of saying that she would shoot the dog for the kind of mischief that he had indulged in. One of the villagers suggested that immediate cauterization was needed in such cases, particularly if there was some inflammation. Mrs. Hall was quite annoyed with Fearenside’s dog for having bitten her guest. He was himself very sorry for his dog’s conduct and offered his apologies to the guest for the unfortunate incident.
The concern of the villagers for an unknown man indicated that they were still untouched by the unconcerned attitude of city life. Their willingness to offer help, even when it was not asked for, showed their humane aspect. This incident establishes the simplicity governing the village-folk.

Question. Describe the skirmish between Mrs. Hall and the stranger that ensued after the unpacking of the latter’s luggage. How was it finally settled?
Answer: As soon as the stranger’s luggage reached his room, he eagerly started unpacking the first crate.
He pulled out bottles of different colours, shapes and sizes carelessly throwing the packagingstraw all over the carpet. He arranged the bottles everywhere- over the shelves, chest of drawers, on the table, on the bookshelf, and the floor. By the time all the crates had been emptied, the room looked more like a chemist’s shop rather than the guest parlour. When Mrs. Hall came to the room with her guest’s dinner, he was so engrossed in his work that he didn’t hear her. Hence he turned towards her without caring to cover his eyes with large spectacles. The lady was startled to see his extraordinarily hollow sockets. When she saw the place strewn with straw she was irritated and tried to express her displeasure. The stranger snubbed her at once and told her that if the straw troubled her she could put down the damage in the bill. Hence, despite the mess irritating the lady, the offer of a shilling as compensation silenced her and the matter was settled.

Chapter 4. Mr. Cuss Interviews the Stranger
Summary: 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 quietens 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.

Notes: In spite of Hall’s defense, Griffin will be the cause of his own destruction. Perhaps it is the frustration of always having to guard his secret that causes him to act offensively when challenged, but in any case, he could have handled the situation differently. The deliberate pinching of Cuss’s nose is not only an unnecessary affront, but is also a mark of Griffin’s immaturity. Bringing pain upon others for the sake of his own amusement, however, will soon deteriorate to performing criminal acts. In fact, although Bunting is about to become Griffin’s new victim, Griffin has already been foraging at night for places that he could rob in order to maintain his materials and keep up with his rent.
This chapter nudges the plot forward a bit by bringing in Bunting the vicar. The actions which will follow begin to bring the town together in an awareness of a stranger in their midst.

Question. What sort of stories or rumours about the stranger circulated in Iping? Why?
Answer: Mrs. Hall, who was apparently the closest to the stranger, defended him while other people in the village had a negative attitude towards him. However, she too got into an argument with him because of domestic indiscipline. Her husband Hall already had a strong dislike for the guest and he wanted to get rid of him at the earliest. Despite his dislike, Hall did not have any say in the matter because Mrs. Hall wanted to retain the guest for his punctuality in settling bills. Almost all the villagers had a story for the stranger's weird appearance. Many thought that he was a criminal trying to conceal himself behind bandages to escape justice. Others thought him to be an Anarchist busy preparing explosives. Some took him to be freak who could make a lot of money by showing himself at the village fair. Some brushed him aside as a lunatic. The women folk believed that there was something supernatural about him. Thus, with the exception of Mrs. Hall, no one sympathized with him in the village. Their inability to discover the truth about him led to
speculation and rumours.

Question. Despite her apprehensions, Mrs. Hall defended her guest. Why? What light does this throw on her character?
Answer: The weird appearance and eccentric behaviour of Mrs. Hall’s Guest earned him the displeasure of everyone. Mrs Hall was least interested in getting rid of this man because he was so prompt in his payments. So, she spoke in defence and told people that by profession he was an’ experimental investigator’, who kept himself, occupied conducting scientific experiments. She also stood up for him when people questioned regarding his appearance. She explained that he had had a nasty accident that had temporarily disfigured his face. This necessitated the constant use of bandage and gloves.
The strong support of Mrs. Hall for the stranger showed that she played her role as the hostess to perfection. Although her decision to retain her guest was influenced by the good business he offered, she still took up the responsibility of taking good care of him. We see her compassion being highlighted through this episode.

Question. Why was Cuss so keen to see the stranger?
Answer: There were several reasons that resulted in Cuss’s keenness to see the stranger. Firstly, the stranger’s reputation of being an ’experimental investigator’ aroused Cuss’s curiosity. As the general practitioner of Iping, he felt there must be something akin between the two of them.
Secondly, when people all over Iping had nothing but the stranger to talk about, Cuss felt left out because it seemed to him that he was the only one who had missed seeing him. Moreover, Cuss had heard about the countless bottles in the stranger’s room. He wondered whether these bottles outnumbered the bottles he possessed at his clinic. The description of the stranger’s bandages also aroused his professional interest. So, he eagerly awaited an opportunity to meet the stranger.

Question. Describe Cuss’s encounter with the stranger?
Answer: Cuss hit upon a plan to visit the stranger without appearing to be obtrusive. He decided to go to him on the pretext of collecting subscription for Nurse Fund. He tried to gather his name from Mrs. Hall to be added to the subscription list. However, he was quite shocked to learn that the Halls were not aware of their guest’s name. He proceeded to the guest’s room, apologized for the intrusion and stated the purpose of his visit. The stranger did not respond initially but later promised to consider subscribing for the good cause. Cuss’s roving eyes saw numberless bottles, a balance and lots of test-tubes in stands. He also sniffed the smell of chemicals all over the place. Intending to continue with the conversation, Cuss inquired if he was doing some research. The stranger affirmed and elaborated that he had lost his formula while he pointed to the fireplace with his handless arm. This gave Cuss the shock of his life. A dismayed Cuss sought an explanation from the stranger for his empty sleeve. He in turn lifted his hollow sleeve bringing it to Cuss’s face. Before the practitioner could register this unusual thing, an invisible thumb and finger tweaked his nose. Hitting back hard at the cuff, Cuss ran out of the room and went straight to Vicar Bunting to narrate this weird encounter.

Question. How did the Vicar respond to Cuss’s encounter with the stranger?
Answer: Cuss came out of the stranger’s room utterly shocked after the weird encounter. He dashed straight to Vicar Bunting in order to normalize himself. He was so dazed after meeting the stranger that he initially spoke incoherently and asked for something to drink to cool his agitated mind. Bunting gave him a glass of cheap sherry. Cuss, then related a detailed account of the weird encounter that he had earlier with the stranger. Bunting listened to the whole story with rapt attention. However, he couldn’t help laughing when Cuss described his feelings on getting his nose tweaked by the invisible finger and thumb of the stranger. Bunting’s laugh hurt Cuss and he commented that the incident was startling and it did not deserve to be laughed over. The vicar saw a genuine panic in Cuss’s eyes. Though he still looked at Cuss with suspicion, doubting the veracity of his account, he tried to pacify him by observing that the story was indeed remarkable. He assured Cuss that his wisdom and judiciousness were definitely an extraordinary one.

Chapter 5. The Burglary and the Vicarage
Summary: 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.
Notes: Due to the necessity of running about naked, Griffin has caught a cold, which he is unable to completely hide. His sneezes begin to give him away even though people don’t yet understand what they are hearing. In robbing the Buntings, Griffin also sets himself up for accusations and criminal charges. Thus when his presence is discovered, it is inevitable that people will begin to expect the worst and will be concentrating on apprehending him rather than helping him.

Question. Why did the Buntings fail to capture the burglar in spite of all the presence of mind and courage?
Answer: Mrs. Bunting had inkling that there was an intruder in the house when she heard the noise made by the opening and the closing of the door. She sat on the bed trying to catch some sounds that would confirm the presence of the intruder. The minute she realized that her doubt was not unfounded, she woke up her husband. Mr. Bunting too took stalk of the situation without raising an alarm. He put on his spectacles, wore his wife’s dressing gown and his bath slippers without striking light. He went down to the landing to listen further to the sounds made by the burglar and guess his exact location. He could hear distinctly some ruffling sound in his study. In addition, someone’s violent sneeze left him without doubt about the presence of the intruder. He chose a poker and proceeded towards the study room where they saw a candle being lit and heard the clinking of the money they had saved. Not able to hold back anymore the Buntings entered the room bravely demanding the burglar to surrender. However, they couldn’t capture the intruder because they failed to see anybody in the room. They heard the burglar sneeze in the passage, and following the sound they saw the kitchen door open and close. Despite their grit and presence of mind the buntings were unable to catch the burglar.

Question. Do you find the break-in at the vicarage humourous? Why?
Answer: Burglaries are scary and fearsome. People panic and are left terror-stricken whenever such an episode occurs. Contrary to the expected reaction, the buntings managed the crisis very boldly and coolly. However, the suspense did not stress or unnerve the reader because the narration of the episode is somewhat amusing. Mr. Bunting’s hurried attire evokes humour. He dons his wife’s dressing gown and moves gingerly with the poker in his hand to encounter the intruder. A couple of ill-timed sneezes of the burglar amuse the reader. The couple’s attempt to search the house thoroughly is yet another comical image. They go about looking desperately in the most impossible hiding places – behind the screen, under the desk and probe even the chimney. Before wrapping up the search, the dustbin and the container for the coal are also peeped into. The concluding sentence of the chapter further arouses laughter. It was full daylight and the Buntings were using a candle light to search for the intruder. Thus a serious incident is presented in a humourous way to provide a comical relief to the reader in an otherwise suspense story.