CBSE Class 12 English The Invisible Man Worksheet Set B

 

 

Summary: The Halls arise very early in the morning on Whit-Monday in order to take care of some private business having something to do with their wine cellar. In passing by the guest‟s room, Mr. Hall notices that the door is ajar. A few minutes later, he sees that the bolts on the front door of the house are unlocked although he remembers shutting them on the previous night. The guest is not in his room, but his clothes, shoes, and even his hat are scattered about. As the Halls are investigating, the bed-clothes suddenly gather themselves into a bundle and toss themselves over the bottom rail. Then a chair flies toward Mrs. Hall. The legs of the chair are brought to rest against her back, propelling her out of the room. The door slams and is locked behind them. The Halls decide that the stranger is a spirit.They send for Sandy Wadgers, the blacksmith who is also supposed to be an exorcist. Wadgers is joined by Huxter, and together they ponder the likelihood of witchcraft and contemplate the propriety of breaking through the door in order to examine the situation more closely. However, before they can carry out any such action,the door opens and the stranger emerges, wrapped and bundled as usual. He distracts them long enough to enter the parlor and slam the door against them. When Mr. Hall raps on the door and demands an explanation, the stranger tells him to “go to the devil” and “shut the door after you.”

 

Notes: The panic is building for Griffin, while characterization is enhanced for the people in the town. Wadgers delays “breaking” into the room, using the excuse of propriety when the real and very human reason is apprehension. While they may talk of spirits and witchcraft in their leisure, it is clear that they have no real experience with such. The growing impression is that the Invisible Man is something evil. Griffin helps the idea along with his continued offenses.

 

 

The Halls went down to their cellar in the early morning of Whit Monday to dilute the beer that was to be served to their guests. This was an easy way of making larger profit. But diluted beer lost its tang and taste, so the Halls cleverly added a non-alcoholic drink,sarsaparilla, to cover up. However, this operation had to be carried out stealthily lest their reputation be ruined. So much so, that even their domestic help Millie could not be trusted in this matter. Hence this project was carried out right in the morning before Millie woke up.On whit Monday as they were about to proceed with their work, it was realized that Hall had forgotten to bring „sarsaparilla‟, the most important ingredient for this adulteration. Therefore, he came upstairs to fetch the bottle.

 

On reaching up, Mr. Hall was surprised to see the stranger‟s door ajar. Still he proceeded to get the required bottle. It was then that he saw that the front door bolts had been shot back. He remembered vividly that Mrs. Hall had shot the bolts last night. This aroused his curiosity and he went inside the stranger‟s room which was found to be vacant. The stranger was nowhere to be seen and his clothes were lying scattered. He ran downstairs when his wife shouted at him for delaying. He returned to the cellar and narrated what he had just seen.

 

 

The Halls were extremely scared by the sight of different objects flying all over the guest parlour. Uncertain about what to do under the circumstances, they sent for Mr. Sandy Wadgers, the blacksmith, who had the reputation of being knowledgeable and resourceful. The Halls badly needed some moral support at this point of time. Moreover, they looked forward to get some sane advice from this man in whose wisdom they had a lot of faith. In addition to this, Mr. Wadger lived just across the lane, so it was easy to approach him. He could have reached them the earliest. Hence they sent Millie to call him.

 

Mr. Wadger reached the inn at once and listened carefully to the whole story as expected from a good neighbour who had been approached for help. Employing all his wisdom and knowledge in this regard, he concluded that it was a clear case of witchcraft. Expressing his grave concern for the welfare of Halls, he suggested that the evil shout be warded off at once. This he said could be done effectively by using a horseshoe. As a blacksmith, this was perhaps the best he could think of. However, he did not go to the parlour to check things for himself even when the Halls wanted him to and he preferred to talk in the passage itself.

 

 

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

 

For his answer, the stranger removes all his head wrappings, including his nose and moustache. He thus looks like a person with a missing head. At the sound of screams a crowd of people run toward the inn. “Eye-witnesses” suddenly babble hysterical stories of the man attacking the servant girl, and brandishing a knife. Bobby Jaffers, the village constable, appears with a warrant.The stranger slaps Jaffers with his glove, but then says he will surrender. He will not accept handcuffs, however. As the constable, Halls and others watch, the man removes the rest of his clothes, becoming invisible before them. He tells them that he is invisible. Jaffers wants to take him in for questioning on suspicion of robbing the Bunting home. A scuffle ensues, and the stranger, now known as the “Invisible Man,” escapes.

 

Notes : This is the last chapter in which Mrs. Hall has a significant presence, but the reader is left with the image of a very courageous, and spunky lady. She has, just a day before, been shoved out of one of her own rooms with a floating chair; she knows the man has entered and left by some mysterious means and yet she rejects his money and demands an explanation. Griffin‟s own actions are quickly becoming offensive, violent and deliberately geared toward

creating reactions of fear and terror in his victims. There seems to be no sense of humanity left in him; everything he does is first for survival, then for the sheer thrill of striking terrorsimply because he can. He is like an evil schoolboy who enjoys pulling the legs off of flies just to see them squirm. It never occurs to him to try to solve his problem by any means other than violence and terror.

 

 

Mr. Bobby Jaffers, the village constable, came to the „Coach and Horses‟ to arrest the stranger for the burglary committed at the vicarage. He had been directed to do so by Shuckleforth, the magistrate, who in turn had been requested by Hall.However, by the time Jaffers reached the inn, the place was in a state of utter chaos as the stranger had revealed his real self by tearing away his nose, and removing the wrappings that hid his face. Hence, on reaching the „Coach and Horses‟, he encountered the headless stranger.

Jaffers was a dutiful and conscientious man. When others got a shock to find the stranger headless, he declared bravely that „head or no head‟ the stranger would be arrested. When the stranger shouted at him and slapped him with his invisible hand, Jaffers was the least bit intimidated. He courageously caught the culprit‟s handless wrist and grabbed his invisible throat. He held his target so strongly that in spite of being kicked in the shin, he didn‟t loosen his grip. Finally, the stranger promised to surrender at which the constable got prepared to handcuff him. But the latter had clever plans and he insisted on being spared of this embarrassment. The constable was a bold man, but was gullible as well. So, when the stranger promised to surrender and requested not to handcuff him, he believed the criminal. Taking advantage of this situation the stranger managed to divert everybody‟s attention and took off his clothes. He was now invisible and thus he tried to escape. More futile efforts were made by everybody to overpower him. However, it was again Jaffers who managed to catch hold of the Invisible Man. He stuck to his post till the end and fought his headless opponent in a very courageous manner.But ultimately, the stranger got the better of him and pushed him down on the gravel. He escaped leaving behind everyone utterly confused and helpless.Therefore, inspite of his brief appearance, Bobby Jaffers manages to leave behind his unfading image in the minds of the readers.

 

 

In this chapter the stranger had revealed the secret of his invisibility by removing his wrappings well before the arrival of Jaffers who had come to arrest him for the burglary at the vicarage. When Jaffers insisted upon arresting this headless culprit, he was offered tough resistance. However, when the stranger found himself losing battle, he thought of using the invisibility trump card. He promised to surrender on the condition that Jaffers won‟t handcuff him. Little did the gullible village constable realise that this shrewd and cunning man would take advantage of this favour. By and by, he took off all his clothes and became absolutely invisible. He then grappled with Jaffers and overpowered him. Kicking here and punching there, he elbowed his way through the crowd that had opened the door of his room by this time. Thus he escaped dodging both Jaffers and all other people who had gathered there.This encounter clearly establishes the stranger as a crafty man who could never be trusted. His ego and arrogance is evident when he asks for Mrs. Hall demanding his breakfast. He shouts and swears at her but the moment Mrs. Hall snubs him reminds him of the unsettled bill the crafty man instantly makes his tone sober and calls her „My good woman‟. Thus the chapter unveils all the wickedness of the crooked character.