Question

Compare and contrast the character of Dr.kemp and Thomas Marvel

Answer 1

Dr. Kemp and
Griffin were two diametrically opposite characters. Though scientists by
profession, morally, ethically they were poles apart.
Griffin was
a man who had no conscience, was callous towards other people and simply
self-centered. He appeared to be at war with the entire mankind. All his
actions stemmed from his desire to save himself, with not a thought of care and
sympathy for others. He did many mean acts in the novel. When he was short of
money he continued his experiments, without any thoughts of the consequences,
he robed his own father, who committed suicide because the money was not his.
He attended his father’s funeral without feeling sorry for his own act; instead
he blamed his father for being a sentimental fool. He experimented on a cat,
with no concern for the poor creature’s cries of pain. He threw it out and
never tried to find whether it was alive or dead. He burnt down the house at
Great Portland Street when the landlord and his sons found about his
experiments and were horrified. He was only worried about covering his trail.
Even after
becoming invisible he committed one brutal act after another, not because they
were necessary for his survival, but simply because he enjoyed doing them. The
way he looted his owner of a small costume shop, and left after striking the
old man on his head, spoke volumes about his inhumanity. He terrorized Marvel
when he was on the run, fought with the policemen. His plan to spread reign of
terror among people using his powers of invisibility really shocked Dr. Kemp.
He even tried to kill him for betraying him. In his final run from the people
hunting him, he killed an old man with a rod because he bumped into him.   
Dr. Kemp on
the other hand was a man of principles and understood his responsibilities to
his fellow men and women. Not only he helped Griffin in his hour of need but
also dared to risk his life for saving his fellow men and women from the cruel
plans of Griffin.
He was quite
observant and self-confident scientist. He examined the first traces of the
Invisible man’s presence in his house objectively. On coming face with him,
Kemp did not at all get started. Without losing his composure, he heard Griffin’s
entire story with patience and assured to provide all the help he could.
However, after he read all the reports about the invisible man as printed in
the newspapers, he sent a word to the police chief, Colonel Adye to come and
arrest this criminal.
After he
became sure Griffin was a danger mankind, he took decisions in the larger
interest of the welfare of the society. The manner in which he got Griffin
arrested – by making himself bait, shows he was capable of putting his life in
danger for the larger interests of society. Griffin was selfish; but Kemp could
sacrifice his own life, this was the main difference between them.
Therefore,
Kemp earns the admiration of the readers for the positive qualities for grit
and determination.