Questions/Answers on The Invisible Man by H. G. Wells

Q 2. Do you think Griffin misused his discovery out of compulsion or do you think that he did all of his illegal activities by nature? Explain your point of view on either of the above statements supporting with examples.

 Ans. Griffin was doubtlessly a brilliant scientist and by dint of his continuous hard work for years he was able to make a human body invisible.

But he commits several illegal activities which we come to know from the text. We are to conclude whether he did those activities by nature or out of compulsion.

Let’s first see the main activities that can be termed as illegal. He set on fire the house he lived. He entered the London store and ate some food stuff to satisfy his hunger and passed night there. He could have run with the clothes but he had to throw them to make himself invisible.

Then he entered a theatrical company, put on a mask, dark glasses, grayish whiskers and a wig. He also stole some money from there. He had to hit the shop-keeper and by tying him with a sheet, he ran away from there.

In Iping also, he stole money from the clergyman’s desk. He also injured Jaffers the police constable and thrashed others.

He also committed murders, one of Col. Adye and the other is of Mr. Wicksteed.

If we say he stole money because he was compelled to do so because he had no money; if we say he burnt the house because the owner of the house could have come to know about his equipments and plans; if we say he was compelled to murder Col. Adye and Wicksteed to defend himself; we cannot defend him on these grounds. Similarly other examples can be quoted to prove that he did all out of compulsion.

But breaking law is an illegal activity whether done out of ignorance or compulsion.

We cannot defend Griffin in any way. Some of his violent activities were also done because he was a man of short temper and violent nature.