Rohit Yadav
Read and Find Out
1. How did the invisible man first become visible?
Answer
Griffin was completely invisible until he happened to step in some mud, which caused him to leave footprints as he walked. His footprints were seen by two boys, who followed him as long as the prints were visible. On getting rid of them, he went into a big London store to put on some warm clothes. After the store was shut, he got dressed by putting on shoes, an overcoat and a wide-brimmed hat. This made him visible to the people who came to work at the store the next day.
2. Why was he wandering the streets?
Answer
Griffin was a lawless person. His landlord disliked him and tried to get rid of him. In revenge, he set fire to the house. He had to remove his clothes to get away without being seen. This was why he had become a homeless wanderer—without clothes and money.
1. Why does Mrs Hall find the scientist eccentric?
Answer
The arrival of a stranger at an inn in winter was in itself a strange occurrence. In addition, the stranger had an uncommon appearance. In spite of Mrs Hall’s attempts to be friendly, he would respond in a cold manner. He told her that he had no desire to talk, and that all he wanted was solitude. He did not wish to be disturbed in his work. For all these reasons she regarded him as an eccentric scientist.
2. What curious episode occurs in the study?
Answer
A clergyman and his wife were awakened by noises in the study very early in the morning. Creeping downstairs, they heard the chink of money being taken from the clergyman’s desk. He and his wife looked under the desk and behind the curtains, and even up the chimney. There wasn’t a sign of anybody. Yet the desk had been opened and the housekeeping money was missing.
3. What other extraordinary things happen at the inn?
Answer
The landlord and his wife were surprised to see the scientist’s door open. Usually, it is shut and locked and he becomes furious if anyone enters his room. The opportunity seems too good to be missed. They peep around the door, see nobody, and decide to investigate. The bedclothes were cold, showing that the scientist must have been up for some time. All of a sudden Mrs. Hall heard a sniff close to her ear. A moment later the hat on the bedpost leapt up and dashed itself into her face. Then the bedroom chair became alive. Springing into the air it charged straight at her, legs foremost. As she and her husband turned away in terror, the extraordinary chair pushed them both out of the room and then appeared to slam and lock the door after them. Mrs. Hall almost fell down the stairs in hysterics. She was convinced that the room was haunted by spirits and the stranger had somehow caused these to enter into the furniture.
Think About It
1. “Griffin was rather a lawless person.” Comment.
Answer
It is rightly said that Griffin was a lawless person. He was not a law-abiding citizen. A person who follows law and order of the country can not think of damaging other’s property. But Griffin set fire to the house and became a homeless wanderer. He also robbed a shopkeeper of all the money he could find. He stole the housekeeping money from the clergyman’s desk. Griffin also attacked Mrs. Hall when she entered his room. All these activities and instances prove that he was really a lawless person.
2. How would you assess Griffin as a scientist?
Answer
After repeated experiments, Griffin had discovered how to make the human body transparent. This was a big achievement. However, he misused his discovery for personal gains and for hurting others. Thus, though he can be termed as a brilliant scientist, he was not a noble one.
Talk About It
Question 1.
Would you like to become invisible? What advantages and disadvantages do you foresee, if you did?
It can be an exciting idea for most people. Like two facets of a coin, invisibility can have many advantages and disadvantages. For a child, invisibility may mean a license for all kinds of pranks without getting caught. Like a Hindi movie, invisibility can help you beat all the villains black and blue and get rid of them. Once you become invisible, nobody will notice you. Within no time, the sadness of isolation will take over the excitement of being invisible. You will have no friends. You will tend to behave like the eccentric scientist in this story.
Question 2.
Are there forces around us that are invisible, for example, magnetism? Are there aspects of matter that are ‘invisible1 or not visible to the naked eye? What would the world be like if you could see such forces or such aspects of matter? ‘
Magnetic forces and electrostatic forces are examples of invisible forces. The atoms and molecules in a matter are so small that they are not visible to the naked eye. Similarly, heat energy is invisible. Similarly, sound is invisible to us. While the idea of seeing invisible things can be very exciting, their visibility would create too many problems. For example, if we are able to see all the sound around us, that would be too irritating for us.
Question 3.
What makes glass or water transparent (what is the scientific explanation for this)? Do you think it would be scientifically possible for a man to become invisible, or transparent? (Keep in mind that writers of science fiction have often turned out to be prophetic in their imagination)
The fact that light can pass through glass or water makes them transparent. When light falls on an object, the reflected light from that object makes it visible to us. If some device can be made which can prevent the reflection of light from the human body then the human body can be made invisible.
MCQs
Question 1.
Where was the theatrical company shop situated?
(a) Dury lane
(b) Drury lane
(c) Druy lane
(d) Druri Lane
Answer
(b) Drury lane
Question 2.
“The scientist was always _____; now he became furious.”
(a) patient
(b) quick-tempered
(c) calm
(d) none of the above
Answer
(b) quick-tempered
Question 3.
What do you mean by the word “hysterics”?
(a) an exaggerated reaction
(b) a normal reaction
(c) no reaction
(d) none of the above
Answer
(a) an exaggerated reaction
Question 4.
Who called the incident “an extraordinary affair”?
(a) clergyman
(b) clergyman’s wife
(c) Mrs Hall
(d) all of the above
Answer
(a) clergyman
Question 5.
What does the first encounter tell us about Mrs Hall?
(a) She is not friendly
(b) She is money-minded
(c) she is disinterested in her guests
(d) all of the above
Answer
(b) She is money-minded
Question 6.
Why does Mrs Hall find the scientist eccentric?
(a) he visited during off-season
(b) his intention was only to work
(c) he looked weird
(d) all of the above
Answer
(d) all of the above
Question 7.
How did he justify his disinterest in having a conversation with Mrs Hall?
(a) desired solitude
(b) didn’t want to be disturbed during work
(c) both 1 and 2
(d) none of the above
Answer
(c) both 1 and 2
Question 8.
Where did he go next?
(a) Piping
(b) Iping
(c) Snowland
(d) none of the above
Answer
(b) Iping
Question 9.
What did he take from there?
(a) food
(b) wine
(c) bandages
(d) all of the above
Answer
(c) bandages
Question 10.
Where did he find comfort in London?
(a) at the inn
(b) a big store
(c) theatre store
(d) none of the above
Answer
(b) a big store
Question 11.
What suggests that he was a homeless wanderer?
(a) no clothes
(b) no money
(c) invisible
(d) all of the above
Answer
(d) all of the above
Question 12.
What did he do for revenge?
(a) burned himself
(b) burned the landlord
(c) burned the house
(d) he didn’t do anything for revenge
Answer
(c) burned the house
Question 13.
What was he working on?
(a) making fake footprints
(b) making human bodies invisible
(c) making a fool of children
(d) all of the above
Answer
(b) making human bodies invisible
Question 14.
What is the meaning of “bewildered”?
(a) perplexed
(b) confused
(c) puzzled
(d) all of the above
Answer
(d) all of the above
Question 15.
“THE two boys started in surprise at the fresh muddy imprints of a pair of _____”
(a) bare feet
(b) shoes
(c) tyres
(d) none of the above
Answer
(a) bare feet
Question 16.
At Iping where did Griffin stay?
(a) in a hotel
(b) in an inn
(c) in a church
(d) in a but
Answer
(b) in an inn
Question 17.
According to Mrs Hall, what type of a scientist was her guest?
(a) good
(b) brilliant
(c) eccentric
(d) all of the above
Answer
(c) eccentric
Question 18.
The shop of the theatrical company was situated at:
(a) Drury Lane
(b) London Lane
(c) Iping Lane
(d) Griffin Lane
Answer
(a) Drury Lane
Question 19.
What did Griffin do in the big London store?
(a) he wore shoes
(b) he wore an overcoat
(c) he ate cold meat and sweets
(d) all of the above
Answer
(d) all of the above
Question 20.
Why was it a bad time to wander about in London without clothes?
(a) it was a rainy season
(b) it was very hot
(c) it was bitterly cold
(d) none of the above
Answer
(c) it was bitterly cold
Question 21.
Who were following the muddy footprints?
(a) the landlord
(b) two girls
(c) Mr and Mrs Hall
(d) two boys
Answer
(d) two boys
Question 22.
Griffin swallowed certain rare drugs and his body became as ————- as a sheet of glass.
(a) shining
(b) thin
(c) transparent
(d) thick
Answer
(c) transparent
Question 23.
Griffin discovered a medicine that could make his body ———-
(a) large
(b) small
(c) invisible
(d) all
Answer
(c) invisible
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