Note:
These are some of the important questions on the bases of
textual comprehension and analytic approach from the novel The Invisible Man
with their possible and sample answers which are in the forms of value points.
The points have to be simply expanded so as to draft full length answers.
Examples can be cited from the text wherever necessary. Explanation is
also required wherever it is directed.
1. Illustrate whether the ending of the novel justified? What is your reaction when Griffin gets killed and Marvel gets to keep all the stolen money? Are you glad that the invisiblity formula is hidden from Kemp, who could use it?
Value Points:
As there is always an element of nemesis in order to justify man's doings. The novelist also to provide poetic justice to the story gets Griffin killed as the thing he did was against mankind and however innovetive and ambitious the plan may be, if it proves fatal to the mankind it needs to be curtailed. As such the ending is thoroughly justified.
Though Griffin deserves punishment his melodramatic killing on the part of the public was too severe and a little bit unfair as a second chance might have worked for his transformation.
It was just unwholesome and surprising that undeserving and a turn coat Marvel got hold of Griffin's money in the end, which also shows the irrationality pervading in the world.
In other way round it was right that Marvel who could not do any thing of the formulae of invisibility, was found to have possessed with the books otherwise they could be misused by Kemp or if not by him, by any other scientist as we can hardly assertain about the mind of man.
2. Justify the title ‘The Strange Man’s Arrival’.
1. Illustrate whether the ending of the novel justified? What is your reaction when Griffin gets killed and Marvel gets to keep all the stolen money? Are you glad that the invisiblity formula is hidden from Kemp, who could use it?
Value Points:
As there is always an element of nemesis in order to justify man's doings. The novelist also to provide poetic justice to the story gets Griffin killed as the thing he did was against mankind and however innovetive and ambitious the plan may be, if it proves fatal to the mankind it needs to be curtailed. As such the ending is thoroughly justified.
Though Griffin deserves punishment his melodramatic killing on the part of the public was too severe and a little bit unfair as a second chance might have worked for his transformation.
It was just unwholesome and surprising that undeserving and a turn coat Marvel got hold of Griffin's money in the end, which also shows the irrationality pervading in the world.
In other way round it was right that Marvel who could not do any thing of the formulae of invisibility, was found to have possessed with the books otherwise they could be misused by Kemp or if not by him, by any other scientist as we can hardly assertain about the mind of man.
2. Justify the title ‘The Strange Man’s Arrival’.
Value Points:
The first chapter is aptly entitled as it is about the arrival
of the stranger which triggers the exposition of the novel.
The plot of the novel depends on his arrival, and creates an
atmosphere of suspense and mystery that hangs on till the end of the novel.
The unusual appearance of the stranger. (Give illustrations)
The equally unusual behaviour to all who venture in
into Griffin's room.
3. What impressions do you form of the stranger by his strange appearance and the intermittent conversation with Mrs. Hall?
Value Points:
A person of mysterious nature.
A man of weird
intention who keeps all his intention and designs to himself.
Having a very secret
mission which he does not want to let anyone know and only for this purpose he
came to this solitude (Iping) or rather 'dropped form infinity'.
A very laconic and
unsociable person having no regard for the people and their affection.
A man who perhaps deliberately wills to remain a
mystery.
4. Mrs. Hall tried to prove the best of hosts but the regular snubbing on the part of the stranger frustrated all her efforts. Comment.
OR
What different conversational advances did Mrs. Hall try to make? How did the stranger respond and Why did he do so?
Value Points:
Having a guest at
Iping in the dead time of the year was undoubtedly an unheard piece of luck and
that too the person who was no haggler.
Keeping this thing in
mind she did not wish to let him go on account of reluctant services.
Started being the best
of hosts by insuring every thing ready in time. (Give examples).
However she failed to
assess him and sometimes went too far in her considering him, and as such, had
to face rebukes. (Give examples).
Taking the advantage of offering tea or lunch sometimes, about
his asking for getting his luggage brought and telling the story of her nephew.
Though seemed sometimes sociable but cautious at the same time
of the unwarranted intrusion in his private life in any way, he
frustrated all her efforts to sneak into his life.
He did it as talking casually might result in giving some clue
about his mysterious identity and secret objective.
5. What difference do you find in Mrs. Hall’s treatment of the stranger and her husband? How much importance did Mrs. Hall give to Mr. Hall’s observations, remarks and suggestions about the strange guest that she had taken into the “Coaches and Horses” inn? What traits of her character are highlighted by her approach?
Value Points:
Mrs Hall was dominating kind of wife who perhaps had low opinion
of her husband.
Mr Hall too was a little sluggish in his approach to personal,
professional and familial life and as such, failed to be the bread and butter
winner, leaving only a poor impression on his wife's mind.
On the other hand she had an opportunity to earn money even in
off season time. She, therefore, did not want to entertain any opposite idea on
the part of other people about the stranger.
There could be a tinge of jealousy in Mr Hall which she noticed
and as such, regarded his observations being little bit prejudiced about the
stranger.
By this way it can be concluded that she was a credulous,
somewhat irresponsible (in believing the stranger even without confirming his
identity) about her family's well-being and judgmental about her husband (not
giving any respect to what he said).
6. Describe the stranger’s behaviour while unpacking the crates. What does it indicate about his personality?
Value Points:
Impatient,
and eager for the accomplishment of his task i.e. preparing the antidote
of his invisibility.
Careless about any
other consideration like spoiling the room of Mrs. Hall.
The behaviour also
shows how desperate he is to get his previous form back as this invisibility
has frustrated him to the
core.
A very diligent, concerned, laborious, guy he is to his work.
He is very objective in his approach to his work.
7. What made Cuss interview the stranger? What kind of interview was it and what did come out of it?
Value Points:
The interview was not
intended fairly by Cuss. He with an evil desire to know about the stranger out
of his professional envy tried to infuriate him rather know something valuable.
(Detail it slightly)
It was a fake type of
interview as Cuss asked something else and had his eyes and aim at something
else.
It turned out to be an
extra ordinary, an unusual and a nightmarish kind of experience for Cuss as the
things he noticed and felt could hardly be rationalized. (Give details)
8. There has been a shift in Mrs. Hall’s temperament and opinion about the stranger in sixth chapter. Explain the statement in context of the chapter.
OR
What made Mrs. Hall change her opinion about the stranger and what change do you notice in her attidude towards the stranger?
Value Points:
A person can feel
comfortable even sometimes in the odd behavior and can tolerate somebody if
there is something to have monetary gains or some other self-vested interest.
However, if there is an element of supernatural in it, all the possibilities of
bearing with the person fly. The same happened with Mrs Hall.
The shift directly
appeared in Hall's attitude by the experience she had in the stranger's
room. (Give details)
The money making pursuit which she had in
tolerating Griffin's offending antics vanished when she found
something of the unusual and particularly para-natural or
supernatural in the stranger. (Give details)
9. Why did the invisible man choose Mr. Marvel as his helper and why did Mr. Marvel comply?
Value Points:
Having been thrown by
the people at Coach and Horses and having no hope with those people Griffin
wanted someone who was of his own type.
Mr. Marvel was a
socially outcast and of awkward temperament (explain) which suited Griffin's
purpose i.e. luggage carrier and money pocket.
Mr. Marvel had no
choice (explain) on the one hand and on the other was tempted to the supposed
benefits he would have being with the stranger with the infinite powers of
invisibility.
10. The unusually strange experience with the invisible man could not weaken the enthusiasm of the people for much awaited ‘Whit Monday’. Justify the statement.
Value Points:
The people of Iping
were simple minded and as such, could not be distracted by any unusual event
for so long.
Moreover they were not
sceptic in their approach to the supernatural or unusual event, and could
easily believe the thing i.e. the invisibility the stranger.
The people come out of
their homes in order to celebrate the much awaited event of Whit Monday.
They were in their
gala dress (Explain) and in their cheerful moods.
11. Give pen portrait of Dr. Kemp and contrast it with that of Griffin.
Value Points:
Introduction: Kemp
was a research scholar who aspired for fellowship of Royal Society, and at the
same time wanted to get his journals published so as to benefit the masses.
(Explain his physical features)
Sceptic: He
could not believe anything unusual as such like supernatural or the thing or
idea like invisibility. (Explain)
Contrasting
Personality: He
presents a sharp contrast to Griffin-
Intentionally: He
had fair vision to be achieved by his discovery while Griffin to create a reign
of terror. (Explain)
-- He kept all his
work or did his research in open way unlike Griffin who always kept his plans
to himself. (Explain)
-- He proved to be the
benefactor of humankind by getting Griffin arrested while the latter even
killed Wickstead and harmed other few just like anything.
12. Unseen fear of something strange often leads to puzzle senses of the people. Justify the statement in the light of people at ‘Jolly Cricketers’ and their handling the invisible man.
Value Points:
Often fear drives the
people so much that they go with willing suspension of disbelief.
Their sensuous
impression works more than the reality.
Describe the scene of
Jolly Cricketers when Marvel took shelter and the stranger followed him and
created ruckus.
People's getting
afraid and as such, behaving in an unusual way.
Their (mention names)
trying to hit him.
Lastly their assuming
that they had hit him severely and believing that the stranger was
killed.
13. “All men, however highly educated retain some superstitious inkling”. Explain the line in context of Dr. Kemp's reaction at unusual sight in his house.
Value Points:
If we even tend to
doubt the existence of something like supernatural it tends to exist and if we
rule it out completely it does not. Every impression stays in our subconscious
mind for some time and if we incline to think of it, there may be chances of
believing its existence.
Our so-called
rationality, however, sometimes belies our senses.
The same happened with
Kemp as well. (Explain his impressions of Marvel's running as if he had been
chased, the spot of blood and his experience of the invisible man in his room.)
14. What strange thoughts or nightmare Griffin had when he was sleeping after he had executed his experiment on himself and why did he feel so? What do these suggest about his present state?
Value Points:
The experiment was
being carried out at the cost of his social, familial and personal life. Even
he became less scrupulous about stealing his father's money which later on
caused him to commit suicide.
This had created a
kind of unease in Griffin's psyche that did not leave him in his sleep.
The chaos in his
subconscious mind resulted in his experiencing his father at his funeral.
He felt as if somebody
were pulling him into the grave itself. (Explain)
Effect on his life: Guilt
ridden about the supposed killing of his father and obsessive about his remembrances.
He became a kind
irritated person and could not develop intimacy with anybody. (Explain)
15. Once
Griffin saw no drawbacks in the invisibility but when he became invisible,
there came to his view thousands of disadvantages. Explain the statement in the
general way when we have certain fantastic plans and the ensuing disappointment
when we have realized them.
Value Points:
There have been many examples evident whenever ambition turns
into vaulting ambition, the result has been disastrous. This was the case with
Tithonas when he asked for immortality, and had to regret later on. The same
case was with Dr. Faustus who regretted sorely after signing a bond with the Satan. His wish
to do whatever he could failed to satisfy him and ultimately his mortality came
very soon. Bhasmasur's over ambition turned into his own downfall when he took
it otherwise.
Griffin also failed to be an exception to it.
His wild idea of invisibility of conquering the world and
creating a reign of terror led him to be oblivious of a thousands of drawbacks
he would have to be exposed to.
(Explain the drawbacks like his being prone to the weather
condition, crowd's reaction or their unbidden collision etc.)
16. Sometimes the plan or the intention behind some ambitious innovation is so wicked that the accomplishment of it is either prevented from or if it is done, it is done with some irreparable faults. Justify the statement with Griffin's plans and intentions.
Value Points:
There is always an
element of nemesis (retribution) implied in all the evil tasks that human being
presupposes.There have been many
examples evident whenever ambition turns into vaulting ambition the result has
been disastrous. This was the case with Tithonas when he asked for immortality
and had to regret later on. The same case was with
Dr. Faustus who regretted sorely after signing a bond with the Satan. His wish to do whatever he
could failed to satisfy him and ultimately his mortality came very soon.
Bhasmasur's over-ambition turned into his own downfall when he took it
otherwise. All these examples show that the evil intended task is always
prevented from its accomplishment as was desired. The reason is that the
welfare of humankind is above the malicious intentional innovation.
Though Griffin did the impossible yet he failed to generate fair
intention in him after its fulfillment. (Explain his intention) (Explain
the challenges he faced during and after the accomplishment of his idea of
invisibility)
17. Often the innocent
people fall the victim of the mad raid. Justify the statement with Griffin
attacking and killing Wickstead desperately and cruelly. Why did he do so?
Value Points:
The cruelty of a few
people is suffered by many and, that too more often by the innocent.
When the over
ambitious plan is felt to be of no use or ruined, the frustration is faced by
the one who has the least to do with it.
Griffin, betrayed by
the infidelity of Kemp, felt deeply anguished and at the same time the mounting
disillusionment left him at a troubled state of mind.
The result was the
desperate murder of the innocent Wickstead and the throwing of a child.
Reason: It
was the last desperate attempt of resolution to accumulate the shattered pieces
of his broken wild ambition and evil some plans. (Explain)
18. The entire course of Griffin’s life is that of wickedness, cruelty, rudeness and unscrupulous existence. However, at the end he ended with a tragic note. Explain the statement with Griffin’s chasing his ambition, getting deceived and finally leading to his catastrophic death.
Value Points:
"Cut is the branch that might have grown full
straight,
And burned is Apollo's laurel-bough,
That sometime grew within this learned man.
... Regard his hellish fall...."
The above mentioned lines clearly justify the situation of
Griffin as he himself ventured into something beyond natural and scientific
laws and limits.
(Explain the instances of his wickedness and rudeness which he
showed to various people he came across.)
His sacrifices to follow his ambitious task.
His interaction with Marvel and Kemp and having been deceived by
the latter.
His Final doom and tragic death at the hand of the people
prematurely.