Important questions of novel invisible man from chapter 1-20
Answers
1.How can we say that Griffin's invisibility became more disadvantageous for him than giving him any advantage?
Answer: Griffin had imagined his invisibility would end all his problems. Griffin was motivated to experiment on invisibility many factors. His albinism and passion for physics were prominent two factors that egged him on to experiment on invisibility.
He had believed invisibility would make him invincible, and master of his circumstances. He thought after becoming invisible he would have the impunity to do whatever he chose. He could do anything and escape by being invisible. No person could hold him. He could take his money from anywhere and anyone at his own will.
However, after becoming invisible his joy was just short lived. He soon realized many disadvantages of being invisible. The first and foremost disadvantage was the cold. The extreme cold climatic condition in London during winter could not be faced without clothes. In order to become invisible, Griffin had to take all his clothes off. Being clothe less would soon freeze him to death.
The second disadvantage was the rain and the snow. He realized when it rained and snowed, his presence was liable to be detected as the water would trickle down him making him visible; similarly, snow would also make an outline on his shoulders and head making him visible. He could easily be caught and imprisoned.
The fourth disadvantage was he had neither any home nor any shelter where he could hide himself. He did not want to confide his secret of invisibility to anyone, as he had no friend. He feared no one would believe him. He also feared if he confided to anyone he could betray him. Seeing so many disadvantages that could endanger his survival, he felt being visible was far better than being invisible. So he wanted to be visible again. But he did not how to become visible. He needed a quiet place where he could carry his experiments on becoming visible again. He made a plan to cover himself thoroughly until he was successful with his experiment of becoming visible.
2. Describe the incident at Jolly Cricketers.
Just after the Port Stowe incident Marvel succeeded in giving Griffin a slip. Thus running away from him and Griffin chasing him determinedly, Marvel entered Jolly Cricketers, a pub at Burdock, for safety from angry Griffin. Besides the barman, the other people present there were an anaemic cabman a black-bearded man, and a policeman off duty. He appealed to them for help. Naturally the policeman jumped to action. He got the doors closed shut.
In spite of being in the company of people with the doors shut, Marvel wanted to go inside the kitchen to be safer; so much was he afraid of Griffin. Seeing his fear, the barman let him hide behind the counter. At the same time a loud knocking on the closed door further frightened Marvel. Then a window was smashed to pieces. The man with the black beard drew a revolver and asked the door to be unbolted.
However, Griffin entered the pub from the behind door and seized and dragged Marvel from his hiding place. Taking advantage of his invisibility Griffin beat everyone with blows and kicks. The policeman assisted by cabman succeeded to free Marvel from Griffin’s grip. It was at this moment that the black bearded man again took his revolver out and chased Griffin depending on the sounds made by his actions. Then a tile whizzed past his head and smashed the crockery on table to pieces. The black bearded man shot five times towards the imagined direction of Griffin’s presence. One of the bullets grazed him and injured him.
3. What happened when Mr. Hall went into the room to check on the stranger?
As he found the stranger’s room, he rapped at the door. No one answered. He went inside; the room was empty. As he looked closely at the things around, he saw there was no one on the bed. To his surprise, the stranger’s clothes and bandages lay scattered on the chair and the bed. His hat was also on the bedpost. He called his wife to the room also to show her the strange things.
As Mrs. and Mr. Hall were inspecting the stranger’s empty room, the articles in the room began behaving abnormally. Firstly the bed-clothes leapt up at them followed by stranger’s hat dashing at Mrs. Hall’s face. Then, the chair accompanied by the laughter resembling the stranger’s laughter charged at her forcing her and her husband out of the room.
Q1. Why did the people of Iping turn hostile towards the stranger?
Ans. Griffin aroused the curiosity of the people of Iping from the very first day. He did not talk to anyone. He confined himself in the room and talked to none. His bags contained only bottles. His rude and unusual behavior aroused the curiosity of the people.
Teddy Henfrey who had come to mend the clock was rudely asked to leave. He warned Mr. Hall that the stranger could be a criminal in disguise as he had a suspicious nature. When his bags arrived the dog came and tore off his bandage. He rushed to his room to change followed by Mr. Hall who offered to help but he was pushed out of the room. Suspicion arose when Dr. Cuss saw his empty sleeve in the place of an arm and the people started disliking him. The Vicar and his wife saw the candlelight in the middle of the night in their room and their money and gold vanished away. When Mr. and Mrs. Hall found his room empty they were attacked by an invisible person and saw the furniture dancing. This infuriated Mrs. Hall as it was her mother’s furniture. She thought that the stranger was a spirit. Mr. Hall brought the police to catch the stranger but the invisible man pushed everybody and escaped.
Q2. Describe the meeting between Marvel and the Invisible Man.
Ans. Mr. Marvel was a local tramp. He was sitting alone and trying his boots. Suddenly, a voice talked to him. He answered the voice but when he looked around, he found no one. He thought probably he was drunk, so could not see anyone. The Invisible Man then started throwing flints at him to show that he was an ordinary man but invisible that needed food, clothing and shelter like any other man. Marvel felt his hand, face, and chest and was convinced. The Invisible Man told Marvel that he had chosen him as he wanted his help and would be rewarded. He also warned him against betrayal. A terrorized Marvel promised to help. Marvel had to do things according to the wishes of the Invisible Man. He went to Iping, entered Griffin’s room and stole the three note books. As Mr. Huxter chased him, Marvel had to run for his life.
The story of the Invisible Man was in the papers. Marvel tried to tell the mariner about the Invisible Man but was stopped by him. Tired and exhausted, he ran for his life with the books of Griffin and the money that Griffin had stolen.
At Burdock, Marvel entered the Jolly Cricketer and hid himself in the kitchen but was pulled out. A fight ensued between Griffin and the police. Marvel escaped and landed in the police station.
After the death of Griffin, we see Marvel open an inn called The Invisible Man. The owner of the money stolen by Griffin could not be found, so it remained with Marvel. He is no more a tramp but rich man. He has preserved the note book of Griffin away from the outside world. He hoped that someday it would fetch him a fortune.