Tiger King

An Analysis

The story 'The Tiger King' is satire on the conceit of those in power. Most of the
time the rulers are not interested in serving the people or work for the welfare of
the public; instead they spend their time foolish pursuits. Even the coteries who
surround these power centers are interested in taking advantage of the proximity
for their own welfare. One of the ways in which these most powerful people show
off their waywardness is through game-hunting. They are callous and
indiscriminately destroy the natural habitat. The story conveys the message that
what is important for today is a new awareness about ecology i.e. a realization
that the earth is not our inherited property but we have borrowed from our
future generations. Conservation of wild life is therefore very necessary. There is
a growing awareness of the necessity of conservation and preservation of wildlife.
Grass root environment consciousness is also on the increase, and more and more
people are stepping in towards contributing to the conservation of wildlife. This
story arouses a renewed interest in us regarding the preservation of ecology.

The important literary device used in the story is that of dramatic irony. Dramatic
irony means that the audience or reader is aware of something important, of
which the characters in the story are not aware.

Challenging death on the basis of prediction by astrologers is as good as a wasted

effort. Even after the monumental task of killing ninety-nine tigers, the hundredth
tiger escaped being shot by the king’s gun. Unaware of this, he dies merely
because of a “tiny little wooden tiger” and not by any ferocious living creature like
tiger. Thus, the dramatic irony surfaces strongly at the end of the story when the
readers realise what the king never does.
 The Enemy

The story at a glance.

Sadao Hoki’s Childhood

• Climbed pines, watched islands, played along the coast.

• Stone house located upon rocks, well above the narrow beach- father
imparted value of strong nationalism in little Sadao.

Education

• At 22 yrs, went to America and returned after 8 years as a surgeon and

scientist

Presently

• Army at war but Sadao not sent to war.

• General might need him as he had a health issue.
• Was perfecting a discovery that would render wounds entirely clean

The Challenge

• Misty night, staggering figure appeared, collapsed, was wounded.

• Turned out to be a white man (American), an enemy.
• Sadao and Hana carried him to Sadao’s late father’s bedroom.
• Soldier washed by Hana because Yumi refused to do so.
• Operated by Sadao assisted by Hana who administered the anesthetic.
• Bullet removed from near the Kidney.
• Life saved-prisoner-feeble and weak.
• Prisoner fed and nursed to recovery, but was anxious for his future.

Sadao’s Dilemma

• Servants threatened to leave in protest.

• Conflict between duty as a doctor and duty as a true patriot.
• Afraid of being called a traitor.
 The Enemy

• Resolved to save the prisoner

• Hana and Sadao stood firm,did not relent-treated the prisoner with
respect.

The General Finally Informed

• The General offered to help and send assassins

• Assassins would kill and remove the prisoner quietly.
• Three nights passed-no assassins turned up.

The Escape

• Sadao gave the prisoner a boat, extra food, clothing, bottled water and a
flashlight . He also covered the American’s blond hair with a black cloth.
• Directed him to row to an uninhabited island.
• Told him to flash the torch twice if he ran out of food and flash it once if he
was alright.
• The Prisoner escaped.

Admission by the General

• That he had failed to do his duty towards his country.

• Justified his action- that it was due to ill health and not due to lack of
patriotism.
 The Rat Trap

A Summary

"The Rat Trap" written by Selma Lagerlof is a short story about an old
disheartened beggar and thief who is taken in and shown generosity by a young
woman. Her kindness changes his bitter attitude about life. The peddler is a man
who has fallen upon misfortune and now resorts to selling rattraps, begging, and
thievery. He is very pessimistic about the world around him and sees the world as
merely a "rat trap". He believes that society tempts us with riches and fine things,
and when we accept, we are caught in the trap and are left with nothing.

Selma Lagerlof supports the theory of compassion in her modern day short story
"The Rat Trap" which depicts the powerful aimpact of such care. In the story,
cynicism grips the protagonist, the rat trap peddler until the old man and the
blacksmith's daughter infect the protagonist with their altruism. Thus, the
peddler's soul experiences a rapid transformation.

Lagerlof’s first scene of compassion is the old man's hospitality. Despite the fact
that he did not know the peddler, the old man still opened his arms and acted
charitable by providing food and shelter. This action is not typical in the today's
world; a majority of us would turn a blind eye. However, although the old man
showed a sign of compassion, it was not appreciated-the protagonist steals from
the old man. As the peddler ponders his actions, he soon receives a second
chance through the kindness and care of a girl.

Compassion is illustrated when the blacksmith's daughter takes pity on the

protagonist. Although she knew the fact that he was not Captain von Stahle,
whom he claimed to be, the girl said, “I think he ought to stay with us today. I
don't want him to go." The girl's compassionate words shook the foundations of
the protagonist's cynical world. Throughout the story, the protagonist only
believed in the dismal side of human nature, survival of the fittest, and viewed
 The Rat Trap

the world as a battlefield. His whole belief system was shattered when he
received the girl's pity and an opportunity to enjoy his first "true" Christmas.

Lagerlof's "The Rat Trap" strongly validates the concept that compassion revolves
around humankind. She provides evidence when the old man and the
blacksmith's daughter show compassion towards the protagonist. As a result, the
girl acted as the North Star, guiding the protagonist out of the trap of cynicism.

Another lesson the mendicant learns throughout the course of the story is to be
considerate of others. At the end of the novel, he makes amends with the old
man by returning his money and writing Edla a thank you note. He understands
what he did to the man was wrong and that was not returning the kindness and
trust given to him. He apologizes for lying to the girl and her father and leaves her
a present, a rat trap and the stolen money (thirty kroner bills) of the old man to
be returned to him.
Should Wizard Hit Mommy by John Updike

1. What did father feel after two years of story telling toJo.Describe his skill in
story telling?

Jo's father was a good story teller .With his histrionics, sound effects and
gestures, he is quite effective in the art. He feels empty because he has been
telling stories for over two years now and has quite naturally run short of ideas.

3. How was Jo affected by Jack's story telling ?

Jo would be immensely engrossed in the story. She liked the way her father used
to tell story particularly his dramatization of it, through gestures and changing
voices. She also liked the predictable way the story would unfold.

4. This was a new phase, just this last month. 'What new phase is referred to
here in the story "Should Wizard Hit Mommy"?

Earlier Jo used to accept father's word about magical happenings but now she
has started having apprehensions about such incidents. She has become more
inquisitive and less credulous.

6. After the Skunk started smelling of roses Jo "thought the story was all over."
Why did she think so ?
Viewed from a child's angle, Skunk's smelling of roses is a befitting ending for the
story, because Skunk’s long standing desire has been fulfilled and he was able to
do play with other woodland creatures.The peer group accepatance was the
perfect ending.

7. Why does the skunk’s mother dislike the smell of roses ?

The Skunk's smell is obnoxious for other creatures, but certainly not for other
Skunks. Skunks are born with this particular smell and any deviation is violation of
Nature. So the mother Skunk does not like the rose smell of Roger Skunk.

8. The Skunk accepts Mom's order like a tame lamb and follows her to the
wizard without demur, but Jo chooses to differ from her father with regard to
changing the rose smell. How would you account for this difference in attitude
between the two?

Roger Skunk symbolizes Jack's own childhood. He loved and obeyed his mother.
She taught him courage in dealing with his hurt and humiliation. Jo on the other
hand is an independent individual with a strong need to be accepted in the peer
group.

9. Why did Jo not approve of Skunk's mother scolding him for his new smell?

Jo was very happy to hear that Skunk had got rid of his awful smell and had been
accepted by the woodland creatures. She did not like Skunk's mother scolding him
for his new smell because it had won the Skunk so many friends.

10. What is the underlying idea behind the wizard's taking the beating and
tamely changing the rose smell? By making the wizard take his beating by
Skunk's mother quietly, Jack and through him the author wishes to bring home
the idea that mothers are always right and that we should accept what is natural.
The wizard also sees the point and tamely changes Skunk's rose smell into his
original Skunk smell.

1. What is the moral issue that the story raises ?

"Should Wizard Hit Mommy?" raises a moral question - Should parents always
decide what is best for their children and should children always obey their
parents unquestioningly ? Roger Skunk feels very sad and upset because he
smells so awful that nobody wants to befriend him . One day he gets a chance to
get his bad smell replaced with the smell of roses. Everyone likes his new smell
and readily agrees to play with him. However Roger's mother does not like the
change. So, she makes the wizard restore Skunk's original smell. Roger meekly
accepts his mother's decision and other children get used to Roger's awful smell
and don’t complain about in any more. But Jo feels that mother is wrong in
getting her son's original smell back and wants her to be spanked by the wizard
for her mistake. Her father, who has modeled Skunk's story on his own story,
strongly defends the mother Skunk's decision.

2. Why is an adult's perspective on life different from that of a child’s?

As the child grows into maturity his perspective and vision of life change
gradually. A child views things at superficial and sensory level but a grown up's
vision is realistic,. Viewed from the study of the story "Should Wizard Hit
Mommy?" Jo, a child of four, like most children of her age, prefers to live in
dreams and fantasies. She wants the wizard to retaliate against the Skunk’s
mother. She is annoyed because the father refuses to accept her suggestion. The
father has a mature perspective and sees beyond the surface The wizard had
unwittingly interfered with nature and had thus done a great deal of harm and
deserved to be punished. According to him the punishment meted out to the
wizard is well merited and retaliation is out of the question. Thus the story makes
it clear that the perspective of a child and that of an adult is totally different.

3. How does Jo want the story to end any why? Suggested Answer / Value
Points

Jo feels thrilled to hear stories from her father - themes were the extension of
childhood memories - Jo does not like the end of the story of Roger Skunk, where
the Skunk’s mother hit wizard to restore the natural smell instead of the rose
fragrance. She cannot understand the harm that one encounters for opposing
nature – she is happy to see Roger Skunks has found many friends - she does not
want Roger Skunk to lose his playmates. She also cannot bear the injustice done
to the wizard and wants him to hit the mother.

4. Why does Jack insist that it was the wizard that was hit and not the mother?

Jack firmly believes that mothers cannot err and deserve unchallenged and
unconditioned obedience for they know what is right for their children. Wizards
can be hit but never the mother. Moreover, he felt that the mother was justified
in her belief that one should never give up one’s individuality.

Another reason was that Jack, while narrating the story, unknowingly got
emotionally connected with the character of the protagonist and his mother. He
pictured his own mother in place of Roger Skunk’s mother and thus could not
imagine his own mother being hit by anyone.He had also based his story on his
own childhood humiliations. Jo did not understand the psychological reasons that
were behind Jack’s story and she rebelled against it.

Finally through the story Jack was trying to assert his own authority as the father,
the head of the family whose word is final.

5. What makes Jack feel caught in an ugly middle position?

 Jack is a loving father and a caring husband. The day the story happens , Jack is
supposed to help his wife paint the household furniture and bric-a-brac. However
, he cannot do so because, he has to tell his daughter a story before the Saturday
nap.He thinks that he will finish the story quickly and then go downstairs to help
his wife Clare paint. Unfortunately for him that is not to be. The story takes a
rather long time, for his daughter who is now four, interrupts it on several
occasions and asks him several questions and even corrects him a couple of times.
Moreover, she does not like the ending of the story – she wants her father to end
the story in a way that the wizard spanks the mother on her head for wanting to
change her son’s smell back to the awful one. Although Jack does not like the
ending and would rather stick to the original ending , he knows that Jo will have
her way the next day and make him introduce the ending suggested by
her.Although the story Jack has been worrying about his wife Clare who is six
months pregnant and who is busy painting downstairs and desperately needs him
.Jack is thus face to face with an ‘ugly middle position ‘ where he fails on all fronts
and is neither able to make his four year old daughter sleep nor is able to help his
wife in painting. Clare, who has finished quite a lot of work , complains that he
has taken too long to tell the story. Jack suddenly experiences a mood swing.
Tired, bored and dejected , he feels like doing nothing. He feels trapped in a rut of
life along with his wife .He has no desire to speak to her , work with her or touch
her . Perhaps , Jo’s innocent question has opened up his childhood wounds of
hurt and humiliation.
1|Page

The Invisible Man – Summary

CHAPTER 1: The Strange Man’s Arrival

A stranger arrives in Bramblehurst railway station. He is bundled

from head to foot with only the tip of his nose showing. He enters
the Coach & Horses Inn and demands a room and a fire. Mrs. Hall,
the owner prepares a supper for him and offers to take his coat and
hat, but he refuses to take them off. When he finally removes the
hat, his entire head is swathed in a bandage. Mrs. Hall thinks he has
endured some accident. She tries to get him to talk about himself,
but he is taciturn with her, although not particularly rude.

Notes - This introduction to the Invisible Man through the eyes of

the town people is actually about midway through his own story. He
has already gone from place to place trying to keep his cover and has
committed two acts of violence, one against his own father and the
other against the proprietor of a costume shop whom he tied and
gagged in order to be able to steal clothing and money.
Nevertheless, his intention at this point is simply to find a quiet place
and work as quickly as possible to find an antidote to the invisibility.
The primary thread of the story-that of the growing rumors and
suspicions, which eventually contribute to his exposure-is begun.

CHAPTER 2: Mr. Teddy Henfrey’s First Impressions

Teddy Henfrey, a clock repairman, comes to the inn for tea. Mrs. Hall
asks him to “repair the clock” in the stranger’s room. Teddy
deliberately takes as long as he can with the clock, taking it apart and
reassembling it for no reason. The stranger finally gets him to hurry
up and leave. Offended, Teddy talks himself into believing that the
stranger is someone of a suspicious nature, perhaps even wanted by
the police and is wrapped up to conceal his identity. Teddy runs into
2|Page

Mr. Hall and warns him about the stranger, informing him that a “lot
of luggage” will be coming. It would seem that the stranger intends
to stay awhile. Mr. Hall goes home intending to investigate the
stranger, but is put off by the short-tempered demeanor of his wife.
Notes - Mrs. Hall, although not a major character, is revealed as
rather devious in a harmless sort of way. She really wants to know
what the man’s disfigurement is; she assumes he has been in a
horrible accident, and the motherly side of her wants to know how
to express sympathy. She is a very good innkeeper under the
circumstances. While she is not above using Teddy to pry for
information, she does not contribute to the spread of rumors. In fact,
we are told later that she defends him as long as he is faithful about
paying his bill. Teddy is a character typical of the other people of the
town. He wants to know the man’s story, and when he is rebuffed for
his persistence, he begins to imagine all sorts of things. His
imagination soon becomes fact to him, and he spreads his new
knowledge to anyone who will listen.

CHAPTER 3: The Thousand and One Bottles.

A stranger arrives in Bramblehurst railway station. He is bundled

from head to foot with only the tip of his nose showing. He enters
the Coach & Horses Inn and demands a room and a fire. Mrs. Hall,
the owner prepares a supper for him and offers to take his coat and
hat, but he refuses to take them off. When he finally removes the
hat, his entire head is swathed in a bandage. Mrs. Hall thinks he has
endured some accident. She tries to get him to talk about himself,
but he is taciturn with her, although not particularly rude. The
stranger’s luggage arrives at the inn. Numerous crates fill the
deliveryman’s cart, some of them containing bottles packaged in
straw. Fearenside, the cartman, owns a dog that starts to growl
when the stranger comes down the steps to help with the boxes. The
3|Page

dog jumps for the stranger’s hand, but misses and sinks his teeth in a
pant leg. The dog tears open the trouser leg, whereupon the stranger
goes quickly back into the inn and to his room. Concerned about the
possibility of injury, Mr. Hall goes to the stranger’s room. He gets a
glimpse of what seems like a white mottled face before he is shoved
by an unseen force back through the door. The stranger soon
reappears at the door, his trousers changed, and gives orders for the
rest of his luggage. The stranger unpacks six crates of bottles, which
he arranges across the windowsill and all the available table and
shelf space in the inn’s parlour-a space he seems to have
commandeered for himself. Mrs. Hall enters later to tend to his
needs and catches a quick glimpse of him without his glasses. His
eyes seem hollow; he quickly puts his glasses on. She starts to
complain about the straw on the floor, but he tells her to put it on
the bill and to knock before entering his rooms. She points out that
he could lock his door if he does not want to be bothered, advice
that he takes. He then works behind the locked door all afternoon.
At one point, Mrs. Hall hears him raving about not being able to “go
on.” She hears a sound like a bottle being broken. Later she takes
him tea and notes the broken glass and a stain on the floor. He again
tells her to “put it on the bill.” Meanwhile Fearenside talks in the
beer shop of Iping Hangar. Fearenside says that the stranger is a
“black man,” an assumption derived from the absence of “pink flesh”
when the trouser leg was ripped open. When reminded of the pink
nose, Fearenside claims that the man must therefore be a “piebald,”
or a part white, part black creature.

Notes - Fearenside is more observant than even he realizes. Of

course, Griffin knows that a close look at his torn pant leg will reveal
a “missing” leg, but he also needs to get away from the dog until
they can get the animal under control. Subtle differences among
4|Page

characters of the town are beginning to be revealed. Mrs. Hall

notices a “hollow” look to the guest’s eyes, an appearance masked
by the dark glasses he usually wears. His frustration is over the
failure of his experiments; she notes the mess he makes but cleans
up after him with minimal complaint when he gives her extra money.
Fearenside, on the other hand, liberally discusses the “discoveries”
he has made as a result of the brief encounter. Fearenside refers to
horses as an example of the “patchy” color that can happen when
black and white are mixed.

CHAPTER 4: Mr. Cuss Interviews the Stranger

The stranger works diligently in his room until the end of April with
only occasional skirmishes with Mrs. Hall. Whenever she disapproves
of anything he does, he quiets her with additional payment. He
rarely goes out during the day, but goes out nearly every night,
muffled up regardless of the weather. His identity becomes a topic of
speculation in the town. Mrs. Hall defends him, repeating his own
words that he is an “experimental investigator.” The view of the
town is that he is a criminal trying to escape justice. Mr. Gould, the
probationary assistant imagines that the man must be an “anarchist”
who is preparing explosives. Another group of people believe he is a
piebald and could make a lot of money if he chose to show himself at
the fairs. All agree, however, that due to his habits of secrecy, they
dislike him. The young men begin to mock his bearing; a song called
“Bogey Man” becomes popular and children follow at a distance
calling out “Bogey Man.” The curiosity of a general practitioner
named Cuss is aroused, and he contrives for an interview. During the
interview the stranger accidentally removes his hand from his
pocket. Cuss is able to see down the empty sleeve to the elbow. Cuss
questions him about “moving an empty sleeve.” The stranger laughs,
then extends the empty sleeve toward Cuss’s face and pinches his
5|Page

nose. Cuss leaves in terror and tells his story to Bunting, the vicar.
Notes - In spite of Hall’s defense, Griffin will be the cause of his own
destruction. Perhaps it is the frustration of always having to guard his
secret that causes him to act offensively when challenged, but in any
case, he could have handled the situation differently. The deliberate
pinching of Cuss’s nose is not only an unnecessary affront, but is also
a mark of Griffin’s immaturity. Bringing pain upon others for the sake
of his own amusement, however, will soon deteriorate to performing
criminal acts. In fact, although Bunting is about to become Griffin’s
new victim, Griffin has already been foraging at night for places that
he could rob in order to maintain his materials and keep up with his
rent. This chapter nudges the plot forward a bit by bringing in
Bunting the vicar. The actions which will follow begin to bring the
town together in an awareness of a stranger in their midst.

CHAPTER 5: The Burglary and the Vicarage

Mrs. Bunting, the vicar’s wife, wakes up at the sound of bare feet
walking through her house. She wakes her husband and the two
watch and listen as a candle is lit and papers are rustled in the study.
When they hear the telltale clink of money, Rev. Bunting rushes into
the study with a raised poker, but the room appears to be empty.
Their money disappears and at one point they hear a sneeze in the
hallway but are unable to locate or see the intruder. Notes - Due to
the necessity of running about naked, Griffin has caught a cold,
which he is unable to completely hide. His sneezes begin to give him
away even though people don’t yet understand what they are
hearing. In robbing the Buntings, Griffin also sets himself up for
accusations and criminal charges. Thus when his presence is
discovered, it is inevitable that people will begin to expect the worst
and will be concentrating on apprehending him rather than helping
him.
6|Page

CHAPTER 6: The Furniture that Went Mad

The Halls arise very early in the morning on Whit-Monday in order to

take care of some private business having something to do with their
wine cellar. In passing by the guest’s room, Mr. Hall notices that the
door is ajar. A few minutes later, he sees that the bolts on the front
door of the house are unlocked although he remembers shutting
them on the previous night. The guest is not in his room, but his
clothes, shoes, and even his hat are scattered about. As the Halls are
investigating, the bed-clothes suddenly gather themselves into a
bundle and toss themselves over the bottom rail. Then a chair flies
toward Mrs. Hall. The legs of the chair are brought to rest against her
back, propelling her out of the room. The door slams and is locked
behind them. The Halls decide that the stranger is a spirit. They send
for Sandy Wadgers, the blacksmith who is also supposed to be an
exorcist. Wadgers is joined by Huxter, and together they ponder the
likelihood of witchcraft and contemplate the propriety of breaking
through the door in order to examine the situation more closely.
However, before they can carry out any such action, the door opens
and the stranger emerges, wrapped and bundled as usual. He
distracts them long enough to enter the parlor and slam the door
against them. When Mr. Hall raps on the door and demands an
explanation, the stranger tells him to “go to the devil” and “shut the
door after you.”

Notes - The panic is building for Griffin, while characterization is

enhanced for the people in the town. Wadgers delays “breaking”
into the room, using the excuse of propriety when the real and very
human reason is apprehension. While they may talk of spirits and
witchcraft in their leisure, it is clear that they have no real experience
with such. The growing impression is that the Invisible Man is
7|Page

something evil. Griffin helps the idea along with his continued
offenses.

CHAPTER 7: The Unveiling of the Stranger

The stranger remains locked in the parlor all morning. He rings his
bell for Mrs. Hall several times, but she does not answer it. About
noon, he emerges and demands to know why his meals have not
been brought to him. Mrs. Hall tells him that his bill has not been
paid in five days. She refuses to accept the excuse that he is waiting
for a remittance. When he produces some money, she refuses it,
saying she first wants to know why he does not enter by doorways
and move about like normal people. For his answer, the stranger
removes all his head wrappings, including his nose and moustache.
He thus looks like a person with a missing head. At the sound of
screams a crowd of people run toward the inn. “Eye-witnesses”
suddenly babble hysterical stories of the man attacking the servant
girl, and brandishing a knife. Bobby Jaffers, the village constable,
appears with a warrant. The stranger slaps Jaffers with his glove, but
then says he will surrender. He will not accept handcuffs, however.
As the constable, Halls and others watch, the man removes the rest
of his clothes, becoming invisible before them. He tells them that he
is invisible. Jaffers wants to take him in for questioning on suspicion
of robbing the Bunting home. A scuffle ensues, and the stranger,
now known as the “Invisible Man,” escapes.

Notes - This is the last chapter in which Mrs. Hall has a significant
presence, but the reader is left with the image of a very courageous,
and spunky lady. She has, just a day before, been shoved out of one
of her own rooms with a floating chair; she knows the man has
entered and left by some mysterious means and yet she rejects his
money and demands an explanation. Griffin’s own actions are
8|Page

quickly becoming offensive, violent and deliberately geared toward

creating reactions of fear and terror in his victims. There seems to be
no sense of humanity left in him; everything he does is first for
survival, then for the sheer thrill of striking terror-simply because he
can. He is like an evil schoolboy who enjoys pulling the legs off of
flies just to see them squirm. It never occurs to him to try to solve his
problem by any means other than violence and terror.

CHAPTER 8: In Transit

An amateur naturalist named Gibbins is relaxing out on the downs

and hears someone coughing, sneezing and swearing. Frightened,
Gibbins gets up and runs home. Notes - This chapter simply indicates
the passage of the Invisible Man through the countryside.

CHAPTER 9: Mr. Thomas Marvel

Marvel is an eccentric bachelor and local tramp who likes to be

comfortable and take his time about things. He has come across a
pair of boots in a ditch. He has tried them on and found them too
big, and is occupied in contemplating the boots when he hears a
voice nearby. Marvel talks about boots with the voice for several
minutes before turning to see his visitor and finding no one there.
First Marvel tells himself that he has had too much to drink, then
that his imagination has played some sort of trick on him. The
Invisible Man begins throwing things at Marvel to convince him that
he is not just imagining the presence. Eventually the Man convinces
Marvel that he is real and is in need of an accomplice who will first
give him food, water and shelter. He delivers an unfinished threat of
what he will do if Marvel betrays him.

Notes - Marvel appears eccentric, unassuming and something of a

loner, which would be bait to Griffin. He has no family, and
9|Page

apparently little money as he is first found contemplating whether or

not he wants to keep a set of cast-off boots. He is fat, red faced, slow
moving and doesn’t seem terribly bright, but that is merely the effect
of Griffin having the advantage over him. As soon as he realizes his
predicament, he begins to look for any possible means of escape. As
for Griffin, he is “making use” of Marvel in the same way that he did
the Halls, the stray cat, and even his own father. Whatever means he
deems necessary to his purpose is enacted

CHAPTER 10: Mr. Marvel’s Visit to Iping

Iping has nearly recovered its earlier holiday atmosphere. As only a

few people had actually made contact with the Invisible Man, the
general population is soon able to reason him away as some trick of
an overactive, holiday imagination. Around 4:00, Mr. Marvel enters
town and is observed by Huxter to behave rather strangely. He
makes his way down the street almost reluctantly. He stops at the
foot of the steps to the Coach & Horses and seems to undergo a
great struggle before finally entering. A few minutes later, he re-
emerges, apparently having had a drink, and walks as if he is trying to
act nonchalant. Soon he disappears into the yard and re-emerges
with a bundle wrapped in a tablecloth. Huxter thinks some robbery
has taken place and tries to follow Marvel when he is tripped in a
mysterious fashion and sent sprawling.

Notes - Griffin has used Marvel to attempt to get his belongings out
of the Coach & Horses. Marvel’s resistance manages to get attention,
but not the attention he wants. Huxter thinks that Marvel has
committed the robbery.

CHAPTER 11: In the Coach & Horses

10 | P a g e

The narrator backtracks to explain what happened inside the Coach

& Horses. Mr. Cuss and Mr. Bunting were in the parlor going through
the belongings of the Invisible Man. Three large books labeled
“Diary” are written in a cipher or code they do not understand.
Suddenly the inn door opens and Mr. Marvel enters. They disregard
him and begin studying the books again when an unseen force grabs
each of them by the neck and begins pounding their heads on the
table between questions about what they are doing with his things.
The man demands his belongings, saying he wants his books and
some clothes.

Notes - Griffin is on the verge of insanity. He is probably terrified on

two counts. One would be lest someone tamper with his notes or
other belongings related to his experiments. The other would be lest
someone should actually be able to decipher his records.

CHAPTER 12: The Invisible Man Loses His Temper Mr. Hall and Teddy
Henfrey are involved in a discussion behind the hotel bar when they
hear a thump on the parlor door. They hear strange sounds as of
things being thrown against the door and some bizarre conversation.
Doors open and shut and they see Marvel taking off with Huxter
trying to follow him. Suddenly Huxter executes a complicated leap in
the air. Seconds later, Hall lands on the ground as if he had been
attacked by a football player. Several other individuals are shoved
aside or sent sprawling in the streets. Mr. Cuss calls for help, telling
people that the “Man” has all of the vicar’s clothes. After breaking all
the windows in the Coach & Horses and thrusting a chair through the
parlor window of another citizen’s house, the Invisible Man
disappears from Iping.

Notes - Marvel has taken advantage of the situation, and rather than
carrying Griffin’s material for him, has run off with it. The
11 | P a g e

intervention of Huxter and the other individuals almost enables

Marvel to get away with the precious books. Cuss quickly catches on
to the fact that Griffin will be visible so long as he is carrying the
bundle, but he is unaware of the existence of Marvel. The narrator
tells us that “perhaps” the Invisible Man only intended to use the
vicar’s clothes to cover his retreat, but that at some chance blow he
has “gone completely over the edge.” He throws or upends benches,
chairs and boards, along with breaking windows. Eventually he
catches up with Marvel and they head for the next town.

CHAPTER 13: Mr. Marvel discusses His Resignation

Mr. Marvel, propelled by the unrelenting shoulder grip and vocal

threats of the Invisible Man, arrives in Bramblehurst. Marvel tries to
reason his way out of the situation to no avail. The Invisible man
needs a normal person to carry his books and is determined to make
use of the fat, red-faced little man. Notes - This brief chapter serves
to track Griffin’s movement to the next location and to show his
crude behavior toward Marvel. Marvel tries reasoning, whining, and
even suggesting that he may in the long run be a failure and thus
“mess up” Griffin’s plans. Nothing works. For the moment, Griffin
needs Marvel. If Marvel should drop in accordance with his
professed heart condition, it would mean nothing to Griffin.

CHAPTER 14: At Port Stowe

Marvel arrives in Port Stowe and is seen resting on a bench outside

of town. He has the books with him, but the bundle of clothing has
been abandoned in the woods. As he sits there, an elderly mariner,
carrying a newspaper, sits down beside him. Citing the paper, the
mariner brings up the topic of an Invisible man. According to the
newspaper, the man afflicted injuries on the constable at Iping.
Certain evidence indicates that he took the road to Port Stowe. The
12 | P a g e

mariner ponders the strange things such a man might be able to do-
trespass, rob or even slip through a cordon of policeman. Marvel
begins to confide in the mariner, saying he knows some things about
this Invisible Man. Suddenly Marvel is interrupted by an attack of
some kind of pain. He says it is a toothache, then goes on to say that
the Invisible Man is a hoax. Marvel begins to move off, walking
sideways with violent forward jerks. Later the mariner hears another
fantastic story-that of money floating along a wall in butterfly
fashion. The story is true, however. All about the neighborhood,
money has been making off by the handful and depositing itself in
the pockets of Mr. Marvel.

Notes - Marvel tries to take advantage of a short respite to let

someone else know about the Invisible Man, but he is caught by
Griffin before he can complete his story. This chapter gives us a little
insight as to how Griffin has been surviving to this point. He has been
stealing money wherever he could find it. Now that he is obliged to
remain invisible, however, he has to use Marvel as a repository for
his ill-gotten gain. The irony is that although Griffin can steal
unlimited amounts, he has no way to use the money in his invisible
condition. And Marvel, who is for a time nothing more than a
helpless victim, will be the one to benefit in the end.

CHAPTER 15: The Man Who Was Running

Dr. Kemp happens to be day-dreaming out his window when he

spots a short, fat man running down the hill as fast as he can go. The
doctor notices that the man is running “heavy” as if his pockets are
“full of lead.” Kemp’s reaction is one of contempt, but the people on
the street who see him approaching react a bit differently. The
running man is Marvel; his expression is one of terror. A short
distance behind him, people hear the sound of panting and a pad like
13 | P a g e

hurrying bare feet. Soon cries of “The Invisible Man is coming” are
heard in the streets along with the slamming of doors as people bolt
into their houses. Notes - This chapter simply introduces Kemp into
the story. Kemp’s attitude is representative of the average
established, self-confident, and self-sufficient individual. He sees a
man in trouble, but his reaction in contemptuous instead of concern.
He has heard warning cries about an Invisible Man, but clearly
doesn’t believe any of it. He is a man who keeps himself apart form
the concerns of the general public, is buried in his work, interested
only in what award it will ultimately bring him.

CHAPTER 16: In the Jolly Cricketers

The Jolly Cricketers is a tavern. The barkeep, a cabman, an American

and an off duty policeman are engaged in idle chat when marvel
bursts through the door. Marvel begs for help, claiming the Invisible
Man is after him. A pounding begins at the door and then a window
is broken in. The Invisible Man doesn’t come in immediately,
however. The barman checks the other doors, but by the time he
realizes the yard door is open, the Invisible Man is already inside.
Marvel, who is hiding behind the bar, is caught

Notes - Griffin is injured in this chapter. He is thus forced to find

shelter and help in the nearest possible place. But now, enough
people have been involved in Griffin’s mayhem that it will be
relatively easy to round up a posse of believers when the time comes
to do so.

CHAPTER 17: Doctor Kemp’s Visitor

Doctor Kemp is still working in his study when he hears the shots
fired in the Cricketers. He opens his window and watches the crowd
at the bottom of the hill for a few minutes, then returns to his
14 | P a g e

writing desk. A few minutes later, he hears his doorbell ring, but his
housekeeper says it was only a “runaway” ring. The doctor is at his
work until 2 AM when he decides to go downstairs for a drink. On
the way he notices a spot of drying blood on his linoleum floor. Then
he finds more blood on the doorknob of his own bedroom. In his
room, his bedspread is smeared with blood, his sheet is torn, and
bedclothes are depressed as if someone has been sitting there. The
Invisible Man introduces himself to Kemp. He is Griffin, of University
College. He explains that he made himself Invisible, but is wounded
and desperately in need of shelter, clothes and food. Kemp loans him
a dressing gown along with some drawers, socks and slippers. Griffin
eats everything Kemp can rustle up and finally asks for a cigar. He
promises to tell Kemp the story of his bizarre situation but insists
that he must sleep first as he has had no sleep in nearly three days.

Notes - Kemp’s reaction is in stark contrast to Marvel’s original

reaction to Griffin. Although he finds the story hard to believe, he is
too well educated and too intelligent to deny the evidence of his
own eyes. Nor is he prey to hysterics or to working class
superstitions. The idea of a spirit or witchcraft doesn’t even occur to
him. His cool demeanor as he helps Griffin to the things he needs
could be an indication of hope for the Invisible Man.

CHAPTER 18: The Invisible Man Sleeps

Griffin examines the windows of the room, then exacts a promise

from Kemp that he will not be betrayed in his sleep and finally locks
the door, barring Kemp from his own room. Kemp retires to his
dining room to speculate upon the strange events. There he sees the
day’s newspaper, which he had ignored earlier. He reads it eagerly,
but assigns the more terrifying elements of the stores to
“fabrication.” In the morning he sends his housekeeper for all
15 | P a g e

available papers and reads those as well. The papers contain stories
of the previous evening’s events at the Cricketers along with a rather
badly written account of Marvel’s experience. Marvel doesn’t tell
how he came upon the money in his pockets, nor does he mention
the location of the three books. Kemp becomes alarmed at the
possibilities of what Griffin could do and writes a note to Colonel
Adye at Port Burdock.

Notes - Kemp experiences his first apprehension because of what his

own intelligence reveals to him rather than from the hysterical
reports in the papers. He is motivated, however, from personal
interest. When he recalls the behavior of Marvel, he realizes that
Marvel-a mere trampwas being pursued by Griffin. He suddenly
realizes that Griffin is insane to the point of being homicidal.

CHAPTER 19: Certain First Principles

Griffin explains how he became invisible. He had been a medical

student, but had dropped medicine and taken up physics. He
discovered a formula of pigments that lowers the refractive index of
a substance, allowing light to pass through it rather than being
reflected or refracted. After experimenting with pigments for three
years, he came upon the secret whereby animal tissue could be
rendered transparent. He was continuously trying to hide his work
from another professor. He was finally brought to a halt in his
experimenting by a lack of funds, a problem he solved by robbing his
own father. Because the money did not belong to him, his father
shot himself. Notes - From this chapter through XXIII, the point of
view changes as Griffin tells his own story. He explains how he
became invisible and tells the story up to the time when he had first
entered the Coach & Horses. He explains his use of and contempt for
Marvel, justifying his own behavior as necessary to his survival.
16 | P a g e

CHAPTER 20: Doctor Kemp’s Visitor

Griffin explains how he had found lodging in a boarding house on

Great Portland Street. After his father’s funeral, he went to his
apartment to continue with his experiments. He successfully made a
piece of cloth disappear, then he tried his process on a stray cat. The
cat was not entirely successful, as the animal’s eyes and claws never
completely disappeared. Later the next day he had a minor
altercation with the landlord who brought reports of Griffin
tormenting a cat in the night. The landlord wanted to know what
Griffin was doing in the room and what all the paraphernalia was for.
The two argued and Griffin shoved the landlord out of the room.
Griffin knew he would have to act quickly, so he made arrangements
to have his belongings stored, then he drank some of his own potion.
In the evening the landlord returned with an ejection notice, but was
too terrified at the stone white face of Griffin to serve it. In spite of
extreme illness and pain, Griffin finished his treatment and watched
himself gradually disappear. In the morning, the landlord, his
stepsons and the elderly neighbor lady who had complained about
the cat enter Griffin’s apartment and are astonished to see no one. A
day later, afraid, lest his equipment reveal too much information,
Griffin smashes the items and sets fire to the house. Believing that
he has covered his tracks with impunity, he begins to imagine all
sorts of “wild and wonderful” things he will be able to do under the
cover of invisibility.

Notes - Griffin’s explanations are completely absent of any sense of

humanity or conscience. His intentions suggest anarchy or
lawlessness resulting from an absence of social restriction. Killing his
own father seems to have killed his conscience, and the novelty of
invisibility highlights his immaturity and seems to divorce him from a
normal sense of responsibility.
17 | P a g e

CHAPTER 21: In Oxford Street

Griffin continues to explain his experiences with invisibility. He soon

discovered that being invisible had as many drawbacks as
advantages. People ran into him and stepped on him. He had to be
continually on guard as to the movements and positions of others in
order to avoid accidental contact. To make matters worse, although
people could not see him, dogs could detect him with their keen
sense of smell. As he had to remain naked, he was soon
uncomfortable. Also, he could not eat, as food was visible until it was
fully assimilated into his system. At one point, he had run up the
steps of a house in order to avoid a unit of a marching Salvation
Army band. While he waited, two youngsters spotted the prints of
his bare feet in the mud. Soon a crowd of people had gathered to
look at the “ghost prints.” He leapt over the railing and ran through a
bunch of back roads to avoid the press. Fortunately for him, his
escape at that time was aided with the distraction created by
conflagration engulfing his former dwelling.

Notes - Griffin’s initial error was that he became so obsessed with a

single scientific notion that he failed to take consequences into
consideration. No doubt, he was not concerned about people
reacting to him as though he were some kind of mutation or
monster. As an albino human, he was already a marginalized
individual who did not fit into ordinary society. College was the
perfect place for him, but he was so concerned about the possibility
of any one getting credit for his discovery that he failed to take
advantage of collaboration and more mature knowledge that he
might have had access to.

CHAPTER 22: In the Emporium

18 | P a g e

Griffin explains his first attempts to get clothing and render his
situation more tolerable. He had gone into the Omniums, a large
apartment type store where one could buy everything from groceries
to clothing. He made his way to an area of bedsteads and
mattresses, hoping that once the store closed for the night, he would
be able to sleep on the mattresses and steal some clothes with which
to mask his condition. In the night he procured a complete set of
clothes for himself, helped himself to food in a refreshment
department, and then slept in a pile of down quilts. He failed to
awaken before the morning crew had entered, however, and was
unable to escape as long as they could see him. Thus he was forced
to shed the clothing and run, naked, back out into the cold.and
dragged into the kitchen. The policeman rushes in and grips the
invisible wrist of the hand that holds onto Marvel, but is abruptly hit
in the face. People stumble over and into each other as all try to
catch the Invisible Man. He yelps when the policeman steps on his
foot, then flails wildly about with his Invisible fists and finally gives
them the slip. The American fires five cartridges from his gun,
sweeping his gun in a circular pattern as he fires. The chapter ends
with the men feeling around for an invisible body. Notes - Griffin was
preoccupied with getting his food and clothes by illicit means. His
plans are continually evil even as the reactions of other people are
consistently behaviors of suspicion and rejection. At no point does he
consider trying to get anyone to understand his situation. His
imagination drives him only toward evil, as if the grotesque and the
evil are natural partners.

CHAPTER 23: In Drury Lane

Griffin’s peril increased daily. He had no clothes or shelter and dared

not eat. Also, he soon realized that walking through the streets of
London was going to result in an accumulation of dirt on his skin-
19 | P a g e

which would make him visible in a grotesque way. He made his way
into a costume shop, hoping to make way with some clothes and
dark glasses after the proprietor had gone to bed. In the
shopkeeper’s room, he had to stand and watch the man eat his
breakfast. Furthermore, the man had exceptionally acute hearing
and nearly discovered Griffin several times. When evening came, he
was finally able to explore the house and found a pile of old clothes.
In his excitement, he forgot about the noise he was making and was
nearly caught when the shopkeeper investigated the noise. Unable
to see the source, but positive someone was in the house, the
proprietor went about locking all the doors in the house and
pocketing the keys. In desperation, Griffin struck the old man on the
head, then gagged and tied him with a sheet. Then he put together a
costume of old clothes, stole all the money he could find and went
out into the street. Believing his troubles were over, Griffin went into
a restaurant and ordered a meal, but soon realized he couldn’t eat it
without exposing his invisible face. He ordered the lunch and left,
telling the proprietor that he would be back in ten minutes. Griffin
went to “another place” (which happens to be the Coach & Horses
Inn) and demanded a private room, explaining that he was “badly
disfigured.” Thus he had set himself up at Iping, hoping to find a way
to reverse the process of invisibility. Here he was finally discovered.
Notes - This chapter brings us current with events in the first chapter
of the book.

CHAPTER 24: In Oxford Street

Griffin tells how his original plan, after being discovered by the
people of Iping, had been to get his books and get out of the country,
but that plan had changed upon meeting Kemp. He thinks that Kemp
can work with him. Together they can set up a “reign of terror” to
take full advantage of the Invisibility. Griffin does not realize that
20 | P a g e

Kemp has already betrayed him and is only trying to keep him talking
until the police arrive. Kemp stands in front of the window to keep
Griffin from seeing the police, but Griffin soon hears them on the
stairs and realizes he has been deceived. Griffin quickly begins to
disrobe even as Kemp springs to the door and attempts to lock him
in. A dropped key spoils the effort as the now invisible Griffin shoves
him aside, then hurls his weight at Colonel Adye, the chief of the
Burdock Police who is approaching on the stairs. Griffin escapes past
two more policemen in the hall; they hear the front door of the
house slam violently.

Notes - In assuming that he can make demands and others will

simply capitulate to him, Griffin has misjudged Kemp. Kemp is self-
centered, but is not a murderer. As for Griffin himself, he appears to
have abandoned any intention of searching for an antidote and is
only interested in trying to terrorize as much of the country as he
can. He wants to set himself up as a vindictive god with Kemp as his
personal henchman.

CHAPTER 25: The Hunting of the Invisible man

Kemp explains the situation to the police, informing them of Griffin’s

intentions to cause general mayhem. They talk of using dogs to sniff
him out and of putting powdered glass in the streets. Notes - The
narrator tells us that if he had used his time more wisely, Griffin may
have been able to escape during the 24 hours it took the countryside
to organized. He slept instead, however, and by the time he had
awakened there was no escape possible.

CHAPTER 26: The Wicksteed Murder

21 | P a g e

By 2:00 in the afternoon, the entire countryside around Burdock has

been mobilized. Men set out with guns, clubs and dogs, and the
police warn the village people to lock their doors and stay inside.
Griffin manages to evade his pursuers for a 24-hour period except for
one encounter with a middle-aged man who had apparently
cornered him. Griffin kills the man by beating him with an iron rod.

CHAPTER 27: The Siege of Kemp’s House

Kemp receives a letter telling him that the Reign of Terror is

beginning and that Kemp himself will be the first execution for the
sake of an example. Kemp decides that he himself will be the bait
and that Griffin will be caught because he will have gone too far. A
knock at the door turns out to be Adye with news that Kemp’s
housekeeper-who was carrying notes for the police-had been
attacked and the notes taken from her. Griffin makes his presence
known by smashing windows in Kemp’s house. During the battle that
follows, Adye is shot. Griffin gets inside the house and tries to tell the
police to “stand away” as he is after only Kemp. He swings an ax at
them, but one of them manages to strike him with an iron poker. By
this time Kemp has followed his housekeeper through a window and
is nowhere to be found. Notes - The police express contempt for
Kemp, believing he has run off and left them to face Griffin alone.
The truth is, he has, because he knows Griffin will follow through on
his threats. However, even though Kemp tries to escape, he does not
forget his earlier idea of using himself as bait. It is ironic that he runs
the same course he watched Marvel run just a couple days earlier.
He, too, is white faced and terrified, but keeps his wits; whenever he
finds a bit of uneven ground or a patch that is scattered with broken
glass, he takes it, knowing it will slow down the invisible, barefooted
Griffin.
22 | P a g e

CHAPTER 28: The Hunter Hunted

chases Kemp through the town. People begin to join in the chase.
When Kemp realizes that the people are chasing Griffin, he stops
running, which allows the Invisible Man to catch him. Even though
people cannot see him, they are able to grab hold of him and keep
him down. The effort is not needed for long as Griffin has been
fatally injured and seems to have lost a lot of blood. As the town
people watch, the effect of invisibility is gradually reversed, and
soon, Griffin, now dead, is visible.

Notes - When Griffin becomes visible, his albino condition is also

revealed. It is interesting that the people are not horrified or even
surprised. Nor is there any speculation about how this bizarre
incident could have happened. The people watch as his broken,
battered body slowly becomes visible from his extremities to the
center of his being. It is only when his white face and hair and staring
garnet eyes are revealed that someone calls for them to “cover that
face” before the children in the town can see it.

EPILOGUE Mr. Marvel, formerly the tramp, has become the landlord
of the little inn near Port Stowe and the “owner” of all the
information about Griffin. He has been able to keep all the money
Griffin stole because lawyers could not identify the sources
accurately. The books seem to have disappeared entirely; at least
whenever anyone asks Marvel about them, he denies knowing
anything. However, when the inn is closed and he is alone, he takes
the books out of their hiding place and tries to study the “wonderful
secrets.”

Notes - The epilogue implies that the people, represented by the

tramp-turned-innkeeper, not only have learned very little from the
experience of the invisible man, but that they would not be above
23 | P a g e

trying the invisibility themselves if only they knew how to do it.

Regardless of the horrors perpetrated by Griffin, it seems to be part
of human nature to want to be able to cause chaos and commit
obscenities with impunity. While Marvel says that he would not do
the same things Griffin did, there is little doubt that anyone, given
such advantage over others, would resist the temptation to dabble in
behaviors that are unacceptable in normal civilized society. Literary
Elements Setting England in the 1890's. Iping and the surrounding
area Much of the action initially occurs around or in a couple of pubs
and an inn, thus taking advantage of the natural opportunity for
people to spread rumors, speculate on mysterious issues, and
expand on each other’s stories.
 Should Wizard Hit Mommy

This story has two issues running through it. One is the parent child equation. Jack
wants to tell his daughter the story in a particular manner, the conclusion being
that parents know what is best for their children. ‘Should W hit M?’ raises the
issue, ‘Are parents always right’? Jo wants Roger Skunk to have the security of
belonging to a group. To her, being accepted as part of the peer group is the most
important thing. But Jack wants Roger Skunk to listen to his mother, though it
means smelling bad again.

The other thread that weaves in and out of the story is Jack’s discomfort with the
independence that his wife and daughter have started showing. Jack is not a
feminist and doesn’t believe in it either. Whether in the story or real life, he
would like to maintain the status quo – children should listen to their parents; his
daughter and his wife are likeable when ‘hanging on his words’ (Pg 53).

This attitude of Jack is what makes him feel ‘caught in an ugly middle position’. He
loves his family but is unhappy because of their independent thinking. Jo has
started asking questions, and her gestures, demands and even the way she smiles
show that she is growing up and acquiring a personality of her own.

His pregnant wife is busy painting furniture. To Jack the woodwork seems like a
‘cage’–he feels trapped in a life that he is not at ease with. And though his wife is
‘in the cage with him’, her independence makes him feel unwanted. He feels no
bond with her, no desire.

The ‘half old tan and half new ivory’ (last para of story) is a metaphor for his life –
new feminist changes in the old family structure.
Invisible Man

H.G Wells
CONFLICT

*Protagonist / Antagonist
The story contains both external and internal conflict. In either case, both the protagonist
and the antagonist is Griffin himself as he has made himself his own worst enemy. The
external conflicts that Griffin causes are between Griffin and various members of the town
as his invisibility is gradually discovered. People react with fear and then with terror as
Griffin aggravates the situation by lashing out against people as soon as they figure him out.
The people accept his existence with surprising lack of suspicion about the possibility of
such an occurrence, which may be a lack on the author's part. Once they believe that he
exists, the primary goal is to apprehend and imprison him. Although motives are not
elaborated upon, it would seem that different people in the town have different notions of
what they might do when and if they could capture the man. Griffin also ultimately sees
Kemp as an enemy although he had at first believed that Kemp would be both sympathetic
and cooperative.
The most important conflict is internal as Griffin himself struggles to live with his situation.
He rationalizes his crimes rather than making any sane attempt to get people to understand
his predicament. He uses force to get people to help him and goes from bad to worse in his
attempts to replenish his research materials for experiments in reversing the process that
rendered him invisible. There is no real depth of character. Griffin simply runs from place to
place trying to survive by increasingly decadent methods.

*The protagonist is usually the hero, or main character, of a story. The antagonist is a person,
place, or thing that creates obstacles or the protagonist. Examples could be an enemy or a desert
that needs to be crossed.

Climax
The climax occurs when Griffin returns to Kemp's house intending to make an example of
Kemp for having betrayed him. Kemp escapes out the window but is soon followed by
Griffin who can see him although he can't see Griffin. The entire town is soon involved in the
chase.

Outcome
The resolution is the death of Griffin. Once Kemp realizes what is happening he slows down
and allows Griffin to catch him. Although Kemp is buffeted about a good bit for his efforts,
Griffin is weaker than usual due to his injuries. Some of the men of the town are able to
grasp invisible wrists and ankles and hold him down until the effort is no longer necessary.

SHORT SUMMARY (Synopsis)

The plot is simple and straightforward. Griffin, having rendered himself invisible with an
earlier experiment, enters a town and sets up a lab in an inn where he works night and day
to come up with a formula that will reverse his invisibility. When he slips up and accidentally
reveals himself, he engages in immature and violent actions until he is forced to run and find
a new hiding place. As more people become aware of his existence, his situation becomes
more perilous. Finally, he stumbles into the home of a former college professor whom he
assumes will be interested in his experiments and willing to help him. The doctor, Mr. Kemp,

1
Invisible Man

H.G Wells
however, reads newspaper accounts of Griffin’s insane actions against people in the town
and betrays his trust. Griffin is hunted down, caught and killed, whereupon he becomes
visible again. The little, inconspicuous victim of some of Griffin’s behavior is left with the
stolen money and the documents that explain Griffin’s experiments. The story closes with
the suggestion that Marvel himself might try the experiments if only he could figure them
out.

SETTING
England in the 1890's, Iping and the surrounding area. Much of the action initially occurs around or
in a couple of pubs and an inn, thus taking advantage of the natural opportunity for people to spread
rumours, speculate on mysterious issues, and expand on each other’s stories.

CHARACTER LIST

Major Characters

Griffin
The Invisible Man. He is an albino college student who had changed his area of study from medicine
to physics and had become interested in refractive indexes of tissue. During his studies he stumbled
across formulas that would render tissue invisible. Eventually he tries the formula on himself,
thinking of all the things he could do if he were invisible. Unfortunately, the conveniences are far
outweighed by the disadvantages; Griffin turns to crime as a means of survival.
Mr. Marvel
The first character whom Griffin tries to use as an accomplice. Mr. Marvel is short, fat, and a loner.
He is the area tramp. Griffin perhaps also thinks that he is a little stupid and will thus not be able to
resist and will not be believed if he tries to tell anyone about his predicament.
Dr. Kemp
A former associate of Griffin’s in his college days. Griffin had been a student and knew Kemp to be
interested in bizarre, and idiosyncratic aspects of science. It is to Kemp’s house that Griffin goes in
his final attempt to find an accomplice and live a more normal life. Kemp, however, has no particular
sense of loyalty to a former student and is not prepared to participate in Griffin’s grand schemes. He
is also more deceitful than Griffin knows and betrays the invisible man even while pretending to
accept his confidences.
Minor Characters

The Halls
Proprietors of the Coach & Horses. Mrs. Hall is the one who is primarily in charge. She is happy
enough to leave Griffin alone so long as her money is coming in on time. Her husband is more
suspicious but does not interfere until Griffin’s behaviour starts to become obvious.
Teddy Henfrey
A clock repairman who happens to visit the inn for a cup of tea. Mrs. Hall takes advantage of him to
try to find out about her strange guest. Because the stranger will not talk, Teddy convinces himself
that the man is someone of a “suspicious” nature. Teddy begins the rumors about the man being
wanted by the police and merely wrapping himself up to conceal his identity.
Fearenside
A cartman who delivers luggage from the station whenever he is needed. He notices darkness
through a torn pant leg where there should be pink flesh and starts the stories of Griffin being either
a black man or a piebald.

2
Invisible Man

H.G Wells
Cuss
A general practitioner who attempts to get an interview with Griffin. He is the first to realize he
actually see emptiness where there should be flesh and bone. He also tells an outrageous story to
his companions in town after Griffin terrifies him by pinching his nose with an invisible hand.
Mr. And Mrs. Bunting
Bunting is the vicar. Cuss takes his story to Bunting. The next evening Bunting and his wife hear noise
in their house after they have gone to bed. They are able to hear someone sneeze, and their money
disappears right before their eyes.

Other people in the town who appear briefly in the story but have no particular characterization.
Huxter; Wadgers
The blacksmith
Jaffers
The village constable
The mariner; Colonel Adye
Chief of Burdock Police

THEMES
• Corruption of morals in the absence of social restriction
• Science without humanity

MOOD
The mood is generally distant as that of a newspaper reporting telling about a strange event. In the
sections where Griffin is telling his own story, the tone is one of self-justification, lack of conscience,
and even a certain amount of arrogance.

H. G. Wells - BIOGRAPHY
Born September 21, 1866, Herbert George Wells has been called the Father of Science Fiction. His
best-known stories are The Time Machine, The Invisible Man, and The War of the Worlds, but he
wrote over 100 books, among them nearly 50 novels.

Wells had humble origins; he was the son of domestic servants who had become shop keepers. At
the age of 17 he left a hated apprentice position and became a pupil/teacher in a small country
school. He won a scholarship to the Normal School of Science in London, but never obtained his
degree. Subsequently, he held the poorest paying teaching positions. He tried his hand at a novel,
but the first one was not well accepted.
When a haemorrhage threatened his life, Wells abandoned his poor paying job. Out of necessity, he
turned to journalism and short story writing. Within a year he wrote The Time Machine, a novel that
has been described as a “resounding success.” A few years later he wrote The War of the Worlds
(1897), his most famous work. He was soon able to give up journalism and devote himself to
becoming a full time novelist.
“
THE INVISIBLE MAN:

CHARACTER ANALYSIS

3
Invisible Man

H.G Wells
Griffin
Griffin is the model of science without humanity. He begins his road to decline in college when he
becomes so obsessed with his experiments that he hides his work lest anyone else should receive
credit. When he runs out of money, he kills his own father-a crime that makes the rest of his crimes
pale in comparison. He goes from scientist to fanatic when he begins to focus all of his attention
merely on the concept of invisibility and neglects to think about the consequences of such a
condition. He may not have had any intention initially of trying the potion on himself, but the
interference of his landlord and prying neighbor lady motivate him to cover his work and remove
himself from further confrontation. The evil that he could commit does not occur to him until after
he has swallowed the potion and seen the reaction of the landlord and others. The irony is, that his
invisibility is good only for approaching unseen and for getting away. Any gains from his crimes are
useless to him. He cannot enjoy any of the normal comforts of life-such as food, clothes, and money.
He cannot eat without hiding the action, as the food in his system will render him visible. Clothes,
when he is able to wear them, must be used to cover him from head to foot in order to conceal his
real “concealment”--hardly a comfortable state in the heat of the summer. He can steal money, but
cannot spend it on his own accord. Thus the condition that would make him invulnerable also
renders him helpless.
In spite of his predicament, Griffin at no time expresses any remorse for his behavior or for the
crimes, which he merely describes as “necessary.” His only regret is frustration over not having
thought about the drawbacks of invisibility. For nearly a year, he works on trying to perfect an
antidote; when time runs out for that activity, he first tries to leave the country, and then, that plan
failing, tries to find an accomplice for himself so he can enjoy his invisibility and have all the comforts
of life as well. He goes from obsession to fanaticism to insanity.

Marvel
Mr. Marvel is the local tramp. He is harmless, eccentric, fat, but not nearly as stupid as Griffin thinks
he is. He is smart enough to know when a good thing has happened to him; the stories he tells to the
press bring him much attention and sympathy. In the end, he gets to keep all the money Griffin
stole, and he contrives on his own to keep the books of Griffin’s experiments. He becomes the
owner of an inn as well as the village bard, as it is to him that people come when they want to know
the stories of the Invisible Man. In spite of his earlier torment, he is the only one who actually
benefits from Griffin’s presence.

Kemp

Kemp is referred to as “the doctor,” but his degree seems to be an academic one rather than a
medical one. He continues his own study in hopes of being admitted to “the Royal Fellows.” His own
experiments and fascination with science enable him to listen sensibly to Griffin, but in spite of being
rather contemptuous of his fellow citizens, his common sense and decency prevent him from being a
part of Griffin’s schemes. Kemp is also the only “cool headed” person in the town once the final
attack begins. He runs to escape Griffin, but as soon as Griffin catches him, he has the presence of
mind to turn the capture around. He is also the first to realize that even though Griffin is invisible, he
is injured, and, ultimately, dead.

PLOT STRUCTURE ANALYSIS

The plot of the story is very straightforward. It begins in third person as the narrator introduces the
Invisible Man midway through his experiences. Once the Man is revealed, Griffin himself takes over
and tells how he began his experiments and what happened to him after he had taken the potion. At
the end, the point of view once again changes to that of an objective narration.

4
Invisible Man

H.G Wells
As Griffin tells his story, one can see that his behavior becomes increasingly reprehensible. In a very
logical way, people first in Iping, and then in surrounding towns, become aware of the strange being
in their midst. The people are curious, frightened and then determined in their attempts to bring
him down and to find out who and what he really is.
The climax of the story occurs when Griffin returns to take revenge on Kemp for betraying him. The
plot is resolved with the Invisible Man’s death.

THEMES - THEME ANALYSIS

Corruption of Morals in the Absence of Social Restriction

The narrator uses the Invisible Man to experiment with the depth to which a person can sink when
there are no social restrictions to suppress his behavior. When Griffin first kills his father, he excuses
it away by saying that the man was a “sentimental fool.” When he takes the potion himself, he
endures such pain that he “understands” why the cat howled so much in the process of becoming
invisible. Nevertheless he has no compassion for the cat, for his father or for any of the people he
takes advantage of in the course of trying to survive invisibility. On the contrary, he descends from
committing atrocities because they are necessary to his survival to committing them simply because
he enjoys doing so.
This theme of corruption in the absence of social law has become a motif that is explored in other
literary works. H. G. Well created his story with very little psychological elaboration or character
development. Other writers, however, have taken the idea much farther; we are thus blessed with
novels such as Lord of the Flies, and Heart of Darkness, along with short stories by Poe and Melville.

Science without Humanity

Although Wells does not have his characters elaborate on this idea, the concept is represented in the
character of Kemp as well as in Griffin himself. Kemp wants to stop Griffin more out of fear for
himself than out of concern for the community, but he is nonetheless fascinated by the
accomplishment of this misguided college student. The problem with the entire experiment is that
Griffin pursued the idea of invisibility without regard to whether or not there would be any real
benefit to society because of it.

POINT OF VIEW
The point of view is third person dramatic for the first half of the book. Then it is a blend of third
person and first person while Griffin tells his own story. Chapters 25 through the Epilogue return to
third person.

STUDY QUESTIONS
1.) Why does Mrs. Hall tolerate the Invisible Man as long as she does?

2.) Why do you think Griffin smashes bottles and swears behind the locked door of his room?

3.) How do the speculations of the people in town exemplify human nature?

4.) Which characters have realistic reactions to the Invisible Man? Which ones have unrealistic
reactions?

5.) Explain why Teddy Henfry decides the Man is trying to hide something from the police.

5
Invisible Man

H.G Wells

6.) What do Huxter’s actions say about him as a member of the town?

7.) At what point is Griffin truly insane?

8.) How do you think you would react if you saw your money disappear in front of you, but couldn’t
see who was taking it?
9.) Marvel ends up with all the money because the lawyers couldn’t tell definitively whom it
belonged to. How is this similar to our court systems today?
10.)Marvel is introduced as a tramp and ends up a business owner. How realistic is this? What does
it say about Marvel himself?

6
Letter Placing an Order

You Are Rajiv Sethi , Administrative Officer Of Sanskriti Public School 15, Tank Road, New Delhi.
Write A Letter To M.S Delhi Furniture Store, Rajouri Garden, New Delhi, Placing An Order For
School Furniture.

Sanskriti Public School

15, Tank Road,
New Delhi,

90/33/16
10 April 2016

The Manager
M/S Delhi Furniture Store,
Rajouri Garden,
New Delhi

Sub: Order for School Furniture.

Dear Sir

This is with reference to your quotation No. 0538/8 dated 20 March 2016. We wish to place an
order for furniture for the school .We would be requiring the following items:

SL. No: Description Quantity Unit price Amount (Rs.)

1 Desks 500 700 35,000

2 Chairs 500 600 30,000

3 Tables 100 500 5,000 70,000

Please arrange to supply to us the following goods at an early date. We shall arrange payment within
ten (10) days. Please send all commercial and financial documents along, with goods. We reserve the
right to reject the goods if received late. In this connection, we deem it fit to let you know that if you
make your terms of payment liberal we can assure that we shall be able to place more orders in
future.

Thank you

Yours Faithfully,

1
Letter Placing an Order

Rajiv Sethi

[Rajiv Sethi]
Administrative Officer

Letter of Cancellation of Order

02/34/16

ELectra Trading Concern

North-South Plaza
Banani, Dhaka
Phone: 953718, 953817

September 1, 2016

The Sales Manager

Proton Electronics
Airport Road
Dhaka

Subject: Cancellation of Order No; 01/33/16 dated 15.08.2016

Dear Sir

We hope that you have received our order No. 01/33/16dated15.08.2016 for supply of thirty (30)
Samsung Television to be supplied to us on or before 30.08.16.

We regret to inform you that you have neither executed the order within the agreed date nor inform
us your inability to execute the order. We have to suffer much because of the non-delivery of
Samsung Television within the time.

We have therefore, decided to cancel the order for your failure to execute the order in time as time
was of prime importance in this respect.

We, therefore, request you to kindly treat our order as cancelled. Please note that we shall refuse
the goods, if delivered, because of cancellation of the order.

Thank you

Yours faithfully

Riaz Mohammad
Sales Manager,
Electra Trading Concern

2
Letter Placing an Order

3
 Writing a Letter to the Editor

A Sample

A report released by the National Crime Records Bureau stated that Delhi is one of the top most
crime affected cities in India.Write a letter to the editor on the increasing crime rate in this city
.You are Vishu Tanwar/Vaishnavee Tanwar of 300/3, Krishna Park, New Delhi-110056.

376/4, Krishna Park

New Delhi-110056

August 31, 2015.

The Editor
The Times of India
7, Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg
New Delhi- 110002.

Subject: Rising Crime Rate

Dear Sir
With reference to the growing crime in Delhi, it is alarming to note that despite Delhi’s status as the
capital of India, it is not a safe place to live in. The crime rate has been rising steeply for the past
decade.
There are crimes against the elderly, sexual harassment of women, robberies, cyber crimes like
hacking e mail and bank account IDs. Almost everyone is a victim of these crimes. The police are not
doing their duty as they are generally deployed in providing security to the VIPs. The major reason
for the increase in crimes in Delhi is the influx of poor immigrants. Poverty sucks them into a world
of crime. The lavish lifestyles of the rich tempt some people to take short cuts to earn wealth.
Carjacking, financial frauds are a caused by greed. Above all these reasons responsible for crime, the
real reason is the mindsets of the people who think they are above law. To tackle this problem
criminals should be tracked, laws strengthened and camps organised to educate the masses. The
police should also become more vigilant.
Hence it is hoped that Delhi becomes a safer place to live, joining the list of the most liveable cities in
the world.

Thank You

Yours faithfully

Ramani Tandon

Ramani Tandon
 Writing a Letter to the Editor

Observations:

Did you note...

• that the letter is written in third person? Personal incidents or personal pronouns like I, you,
me do not occur. The letter has a neutral tone, describing the general situation.
• that the letter begins with a reference to the issue and does not use the clichéd and
outdated phrase ‘Through the esteemed columns of your newspaper.’
• that the letter does not ask the editor to do something. The editor must not be addressed
because this space in the newspaper is merely meant to provide the reader a voice so
essential in a democracy.
• All sentences flow from one to the other. This means they are presented in a connected
manner. Linking ideas is very important. Let us look at the following sentences:
The police are not doing their duty as they are generally deployed in providing
security to the VIPs. The major reason for the increase in crimes in Delhi is the influx
of poor immigrants.
Above all these reasons responsible for crime, the real reason is the mindsets of the
people, who think they are above law.

The underlined phrases are linking devices to create a connection between ideas. Now
for a minute examine what the sentences would look like if they were written in the
manner given below:

The police are not doing their duty. They provide security to the VIPs. Some immigrants
are criminals.

The mindsets of the people cause crimes.

If we write in this manner sentences seem to lack any connection. The language does not flow and
understanding what is meant becomes difficult.
Letter of Complaint

[Your Address]
[Your City, State, Pin Code]

[Date]

[Name of Contact Person] (Only if given in question)

[Title]
[Company Name]
[Street Address]
[City, State, Pin Code]

Dear [Contact Person]:

On [date], I bought [or had repaired] a [name of the product with the serial or
model number or service performed]. I made this purchase at [location, date, and
other important details of the transaction]. Unfortunately, your product has not
performed well [or the service was inadequate] because [state the problem].

To resolve the problem, I would appreciate your [state the specific action you
want]. Enclosed are copies of my records [receipts, guarantees, warranties,
cancelled checks, contracts, model and serial numbers, and any other documents]
concerning this purchase/repair.

I look forward to your reply and a resolution to my problem. I will wait [set a time
limit] before seeking third-party assistance. Please contact me at the above
address or by phone [home or office numbers with area codes].
Letter of Complaint

Yours Sincerely/Yours faithfully

[Your Name]

Q1. Life comes to a standstill in Delhi when it rains. Waterlogging leads to traffic
jams and delays. Write a letter to the Engineer –in Chief of the Public Works
Department, MSO Building, I.P. Estate, New Delhi 110002 complaining about
the problem. You are Ravi Kumar/ Ritu Kumar of M-110 ,Mall Road Delhi.

M- 110
Mall Road
Delhi

September 1, 2017

The Engineer –in Chief

Public Works Department
IP Estate
New Delhi -110002

Subject: Waterlogging on Roads

Dear Sir
This is with reference to the recent rains in Delhi and the subsequent
waterlogging issues that prevailed in the city. A lot of inconvenience was caused
to the public as a result of flooded streets and roads. This issue needs to be
looked into.
Every monsoons Delhi experiences traffic jams causing tremendous delays. The
whole city is thrown out of gear. It seems that the PWD does not plan or prepare
Letter of Complaint

for the rains. The drains are clogged, roads cave in resulting in traffic pile ups.
People have to wade through water to reach their work places. Many vehicles
break down. All this is causing a lot of hardships to the people.
The PWD must resolve the issue by working on construction of storm drains and
desilting of the existing ones. This will go a long way in ensuring the smooth
movement of traffic.
It is hoped that the matter will be looked into urgently so that future troubles can
be avoided.

Thank You

Yours Faithfully
Ravi Kumar

[RAVI KUMAR]

Points to Remember:
There is a lot of similarity between a Letter of Complaint and a Letter to the Editor
• Similarities: Both start with a reference paragraph that states the problem
or issue clearly. Both letters examine the issue in the 2nd Paragraph going
into the causes of the problem/issue and the results or consequences. The
3rd Paragraph deals with solutions to the problem.
• Differences: The letter to the Editor does not address the editor by drawing
his attention to the issue. Further the conclusion does not contain an
expectation that the editor will solve the problem. On the other hand, a
letter of Complaint addresses the addressee like the Engineer-in –Chief in
this case and expects that he will solve the problem.
Letter of Complaint

Q 2. Your residential area is littered with a lot of garbage. Write a letter to

the Municipal Corporation asking for action to be taken. You are Binita
Tyagi of 21 Green Park, New Delhi – 110016

21 Green Park
New Delhi – 110016

September 1, 2017

The Municipal Commissioner

The Municipal Corporation
Najafgarh
New Delhi- 110043

Subject: Lack of Garbage Disposal

Dear Sir
This is with reference to the insanitary conditions prevailing in Green Park.
The garbage is lying piled up creating unhealthy conditions for the people
living in the area.

The problem has been created due to the absence of sweepers on many
days of the month. Further people dispose of the garbage in an arbitrary
manner. The garbage heaps have become breeding grounds for pigs and
mosquitoes. This is giving rise to diseases amongst the local population.
In order to solve the problem, the sweepers must be supervised. In addition
to this the phone numbers for complaints must be available to the public.
Awareness campaigns will also help eradicate the habit of littering.

I request you to find an early solution to this most troublesome issue.

Letter of Complaint

Thank You

Yours faithfully
Binita Tyagi
[BINITA TYAGI]

1. You are Keerti/Krishna of 56, Indrapuram,Bangalore. You bought a new “VIP”

Washing Machine from M/s Rama Electronic, Commercial Street, Bangalore last
week. Now you find that the machine makes an unbearable noise and motor
tears delicate fabrics. Write a letter to the dealer complaining about the same
and requesting him to change the machine as early as possible.

2. You are Keerti/Krishna of 56, Indrapuram,Bangalore. You recently had a

meal at Persian Terrace 26/1, 4th Floor, Sheraton Grand Bangalore Hotel Dr.
Rajkumar Road, Malleswaram-Rajajinagar, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560055 which
turned out to be an unsatisfying experience. Write a letter to the Manager
complaining about the same
 Keeping Quiet
By Pablo Neruda

Stanza 1. The poet urges all people of this world to stop their various activities for
twelve seconds …to think about this world. This silence will be a form of re -
connection with the universe. It will bring all the scattered elements of this world
together in a moment of deep introspection.

Stanza 2. For once man will not speak in his own native language. This implies the
wiping out of cultural and linguistic differences. When man stops his cultural
biases and preferences and speaks the language of silence, he becomes aware of
his connection with the rest of the world. Not moving one’s arms is almost a
moment of Zen, a focused consciousness, not distracted by physical movement.

Stanza 3. Such a moment would be rare and beautiful as the whole world would
come together as it introspected on one thing. The mad hurry to accomplish
various activities would cease. There would be a complete shut down of
technology and industry. Such a moment would surely feel strange but it would
also be beautiful.

Stanza 4. Man would stop those activities which are not eco friendly. The
fishermen would stop hunting whales. The salt gatherers whose hands have been
eaten away by the corrosive salt would stop and look at their hands

Stanza 5 .The world, which is fighting and quarrelling over cutting emissions and
blaming each other for not taking appropriate measures to halt the accumulation
of greenhouse gases ,should settle down in harmony. These are the “green wars’
we fight. We also fight over oil, in an attempt to control this source of power and
wealth. These are the wars we “fight with gas” (American gasoline- petrol). Then
there are the regular wars that are fought with missiles and firearms. These are
the wars with fire. The outcome of all these type of conflicts is a general defeat
for all. There are no winners in such wars because of the disastrous impact on the
world at large. When all conflicts cease there will be a sense of peace and
harmony. Mankind will be washed clean of its wrong doings and would move in
the shade of peace, wearing a clean conscience. The “doing nothing” stands for
the coming together of the human race united in a common goal- the goal of
 Keeping Quiet
By Pablo Neruda
preserving this earth. We will no longer be engaged in activities which will benefit
us but harm other lives.

Stanza 6.The poet wishes to correct the impression he might have created of a
depressing death like existence. He says that he wants “no truck with death”.
This means he is not suggesting the giving up of all human endeavor and
enterprise. He is merely suggesting a redirection of energy towards rebuilding this
world. We all need to slow down and leave our selfish pursuits to think about
saving the earth from destruction. Only such a move will destroy the unhappiness
we are creating by pursuing our individual goals at the cost of the happiness of
the others in this world. The silence suggests a slowing down and an introspection
leading to the creation of a better life on this earth. By doing all this we will be
benefitting ourselves as through our present activities we are threatening our
own existence with death and destruction.

Stanza 7.The earth can teach us a lesson or two in regeneration and renewal. In
winters a blanket of snow covers everything creating a deathlike state for the
earth. However come spring and earth experiences a renewal and rebirth.
Similarly man must bounce back to a state of health and wellbeing, of peace,
harmony and togetherness.

Stanza 8. Thus does the poet urge man to keep quiet to bring the focus back on
saving our world. Once the awakening takes place the poet muse will not be
required anymore and he will go away.
 A Thing of Beauty

Thing of Beauty is a poem written by the famous romantic poet, John Keats. The
poem tells about how nature and its wonder mesmerize us and take away all the
sorrow that surrounds us from time to time. The following explanation might aid
you in understanding this exceptional piece of work in poetry.

Explanation

A beautiful thing is a source of eternal joy, its attractiveness grows with the
passage of time and its impact never fades away. It is as pleasant as a cool quiet
bower or sound sleep with sweet dreams; or robust health and mental peace. It
provides the beholder with a haven of tranquility and solace.

It is the beauty of nature that keeps us attached to this earth. Every morning we
collect fresh lovely flowers and prepare garlands. The fascination for flowers is
our bonding with the earth. It helps us steer clear of despondency and
disappointments. We forget all our despair, of acute shortage of noble souls, of
misfortunes that overtake us to test our forbearance. Life is full of trials and
tribulations and we often find ourselves in the midst of gloom. It is at such
depressing moments that a sight full of beauty dispels the pall of sadness from
our spirits making room for hope and optimism.

The objects of beauty are countless. These include heavenly bodies like the sun
and the moon, the old and young trees that provide cool shelter to sleep, the
daffodil flowers encased in green leaves, the streams that flow through a shady
passage which they make themselves with plants, and the bushes that bear
 A Thing of Beauty

fragrant flowers. These simple and even commonplace things lift the human spirit
filling it with joy and delight. In addition to these objects of nature, there are
wonderful tales of our legendary heroes, who lived and died heroically, which
inspire us with their matchless beauty. These beautiful things are metaphorically
an endless source of nectar that pours down to us from heaven bringing eternal
joy for the soul’s grandeur. They are like an elixir of life, a never diminishing
source of pleasure and delight, an endless fountain of joy that seems to be a
precious gift from Heaven.
 IN OXFORD STREET
After setting fire to his old
apartment, Griffin leaves in an
exalted mood; he "experienced
a wild impulse to jest, to startle
people” and "generally revel in
[his] extraordinary advantage."
He immediately discovers a
disadvantage to his invisibility
when a man carrying a basket
violently knocks into Griffin's
invisible body with his basket. A
cabman outside a public house
in London then violently pokes
his finger into Griffin's invisible
ear.
 IN OXFORD STREET

Griffin responds to both assaults

by striking back, which creates
chaos on the street. Griffin flees
the frenzied scene and joins the
"afternoon throng of Oxford
Street," where he is further
bruised by pedestrians and a
hansom. He is freezing, because
he had "not reckoned that,
transparent or not, [he is] still
amenable to the weather and all
of its consequences.”
 IN OXFORD STREET

A dog detects his presence, which

"incontinently made for [him], nose down."
He flees from the dog in search of a quieter
area. Instead, he runs into a street with a
Salvation Army marching band—playing a
hymn called "When shall we see his Face"—
and a crowd of spectators.
 IN OXFORD STREET
Two observant urchins
(merchants) detect Griffin's
presence when they notice his
muddy footprints on the newly
whitened steps of a house.
When one urchin notices
Griffin's foot is bleeding, Griffin
realizes that although his body is
invisible, his leaking blood is not.
He once again flees, chased by a
small group of people following
his footprints. Griffin eventually
eludes his pursuers and finds his
way to less frequented streets.
 IN OXFORD STREET
He itemizes for Doctor Kemp a
litany of the physical injuries and
discomforts he experiences the
first day of his invisibility. Among
them is catching a cold, causing
him to sneeze and making it
difficult to hide. He is saved from
detection, however, when people
rush past him, drawn by “a mass
of black smoke streaming up
above the roofs and telephone
wires." His boarding house is on
fire.
 IN THE EMPORIUM
Continuing to tell his story, Griffin
says he enters a large store,
Omniums, shortly before closing
time, intending to find a place to
sleep and to rob the place for
food and clothing. He mills
around until the customers,
workers, and cleaning crew
depart. Then he helps himself to
trousers, pants, socks, a jacket, an
overcoat, a slouch hat with "the
brim turned down," and other
items. This makes him begin "to
feel a human being again.” Next
he helps himself to food and an
artificial nose before settling in on
a heap of down quilts.
 IN THE EMPORIUM
Although Griffin feels serene as he falls asleep, he has a disturbing
dream in which he is forced into his father's open grave and buried
alive as "gravel [comes] flying after [him] in spadefuls." As he
wakes, he hears sounds of men approaching. Dressed but hatless,
his movements are detected, and the shop workers raise an alarm.
When a worker finds Griffin hiding under a counter, Griffin whips a
chair at him and then sends another man spinning. He smashes an
art pot on a pursuer before causing the whole pile of pots to fall.
He evades another pursuer by downing him with a lamp. Griffin
takes off all his clothes except his lambswool vest, which "fits a
man like a skin" and races to his bedstead storeroom. He manages
to peel the vest off just before the policemen and shop men come
around the corner. They spot his discarded clothes but cannot find
him. Griffin eventually leaves the store without his coveted clothes
and with "only the vaguest plans of action" in his mind.
THE SIEGE OF KEMP HOUSE
Doctor Kemp receives a letter from
Griffin in the one o'clock post. It
announces the start of the "Terror," to
be known as the "Epoch of the
Invisible Man," and Griffin's intention
to execute Kemp "for the sake of
example." Kemp decides to set himself
up as bait to capture Griffin. He
secures the house, writes several
notes, and sends his housemaid to
deliver them to Colonel Adye. Adye
arrives shortly after and informs him
that Griffin has assaulted the
housemaid and snatched the notes out
of her hand. While they discuss the
situation, Griffin arrives at Kemp's
house and breaks several windows.
Adye leaves the house armed with
Kemp's revolver.
 Adye agrees to help Griffin by trying
to get back in Kemp's house. Instead,
he rushes Griffin, and Griffin fatally
shoots him. Kemp sees the shooting
from a window and assumes the
game he has set in motion is "opening
well." The housemaid and two
policemen appear on the road. Doctor
Kemp becomes alarmed when Griffin
breaks through the kitchen shutters
with an axe. After the housemaid and
two policemen enter the house,
Griffin, armed with Kemp's revolver
and an axe, also gets inside. He tells
the policemen he wants Kemp, and a
policeman charges Griffin with a
poker. Griffin fells him with his axe.
The other policeman manages to hit
Griffin with his poker, and Griffin flees
Kemp's house. After the policemen's
struggle with Griffin, they discover
Doctor Kemp and his housemaid have
also fled the house.
THE HUNTER HUNTED
After Doctor Kemp's nearest
neighbor, Mr. Heelas, awakens
from a nap in his garden, he sees
Kemp and his housemaid climbing
out the window of Kemp's trashed
house and racing away. He
connects their racing, the house's
broken windows, and the reports
of the Invisible Man and
concludes, "The Invisible Man is
coming." He runs inside, where he
and his servants shut the windows
just as Kemp appears and tries to
enter his house. Heelas tells Kemp
he can't come in, even though he
is sorry the Invisible Man is after
him.
Kemp runs down the hill into Burdock's town center. The
townspeople stare at Kemp as he passes. When he hears the
"swift pad of his pursuer," he shouts out, "The Invisible
Man!” warning everyone. After running through the streets,
he ends up near the end of the tramline. Several men are in
fighting mode, "slashing viciously with a spade" and striking
out. Before they can form a cordon around Griffin, Griffin
attacks Doctor Kemp and they engage in a life-or-death
struggle. A labourer strikes Griffin with a spade, and Griffin
releases his grip on Doctor Kemp's throat. Kemp grabs
Griffin's unseen elbows and calls for help holding him down.
A group of men rush Griffin and beat and kick him. Griffin
screams out for mercy, so Kemp tells everyone to get back.
As Kemp examines Griffin's injuries, he realizes his
ministrations are futile—Griffin's heart is not beating.
Griffin's body then progressively becomes visible. The crowd
watches in fascination until the "bruised and broken body of
a young man about thirty" appears. Someone covers Griffin's
body, and they carry him into the Jolly Cricketers.
 EPILOGUE
It is some time later, and Marvel has become a
landlord of an inn in Port Stowe. He regales
anyone who asks with tales about his experiences
with the Invisible Man and afterward. Because
the lawyers could not prove "whose money was
which," he was able to keep the money Griffin
stole, and he used it to buy the inn. But if anyone
asks about the "three manuscript books," he
"cuts off the flow of his reminiscences abruptly"
and says he does not have them. Yet, every
Sunday, he locks his bar and pulls out the three
books and tries to interpret their secrets.
The End
 WRITING BUSINESS LETTERS

Useful phrases and vocabulary for writing business letters.

Phrases and vocabulary to help write business letters:

Salutation • Dear Mr. Brown

• Dear Ms. White
• Dear Sir
• Dear Madam
• Dear Sir or Madam

Starting • We are writing

- to inform you that ...
- to confirm ...
- to request ...
- to enquire about ...
• I am contacting you for the following reason...
• I recently read/heard about ..... and would like to know ....
• Having seen your advertisement in ..., I would like to ...
• I would be interested in (obtaining / receiving) ...
• I received your address from ----- and would like to ...

Referring to • Thank you for your letter of March 15.

previous contact • Thank you for contacting us.
• In reply to your request, ...
• Thank you for your letter regarding ...
• With reference to our telephone conversation yesterday...
• Further to our meeting last week ...
• It was a pleasure meeting you in London last month.
• I enjoyed having lunch with you last week in Tokyo.
• I would just like to confirm the main points we discussed on Tuesday.

Making a request • We would appreciate it if you would ...

1
 • I would be grateful if you could ...
• Could you please send me ...
• Could you possibly tell us / let us have ...
• In addition, I would like to receive ...
• It would be helpful if you could send us ...
• I am interested in (obtaining / receiving) ...
• I would appreciate your immediate attention to this matter.
• Please let me know what action you propose to take.

Offering help • Would you like us to ...?

• We would be happy to ...
• We are quite willing to ...
• Our company would be pleased to ...

Giving good news • We are pleased to announce that ...

• I am delighted to inform you that ..
• You will be pleased to learn that ...

Giving bad news • We regret to inform you that ...

• I'm afraid it would not be possible to ...
• Unfortunately we cannot / we are unable to ...
• After careful consideration we have decided (not) to ...

Complaining • I am writing to express my dissatisfaction with ...

• I am writing to complain about ...
• Please note that the goods we ordered on ( date )
have not yet arrived.
• We regret to inform you that our order n° ----- is now
considerably overdue.
• I would like to query the transport charges which seem
unusually high.

Apologising  We are sorry for the delay in replying to ...

(US: apologizing)  I regret any inconvenience caused (by) ...
 I would like to apologize for the (delay, inconvenience)...

2
  Once again, please accept my apologies for ...

Orders  Thank you for your quotation of ...

 We are pleased to place an order with your company for..
 We would like to cancel our order n° .....
 Please confirm receipt of our order.
 I am pleased to acknowledge receipt of your order n° .....
 Your order will be processed as quickly as possible.
 It will take about (two/three) weeks to process your order.
 We can guarantee you delivery before ...(date)
 Unfortunately these articles are no longer available / are out of stock.

Prices  Please send us your price list.

 You will find enclosed our most recent catalogue and price list.
 Please note that our prices are subject to change without notice.
 We have pleasure in enclosing a detailed quotation.
 We can make you a firm offer of ...

Referring to  Our terms of payment are as follows ...

payment  Our records show that we have not yet received payment of ...
 According to our records ...
 Please send payment as soon as possible.
 You will receive a credit note for the sum of ...

Enclosing documents  I am enclosing ...

 Please find enclosed ...
 You will find enclosed ...

Closing remarks  If we can be of any further assistance, please let us know.

 If I can help in any way, please do not hesitate to contact me.
 If you require more information ...
 For further details ...
 Thank you for taking this into consideration.
 Thank you for your help.
 We hope you are happy with this arrangement.
 We hope you can settle this matter to our satisfaction.

3
Referring to  We look forward to a successful working relationship in the future.
future business  We would be (very) pleased to do business with your company.
 I would be happy to have an opportunity to work with your firm.

Referring to  I look forward to seeing you next week.

future contact  Looking forward to hearing from you, ...
 Looking forward to receiving your comments,
 I look forward to meeting you on the (date).
 I would appreciate a reply at your earliest convenience.
 An early reply would be appreciated.

Ending business
letters For all customers and clients: ◊ Sincerely,
◊ Yours sincerely,

In more formal letters: ◊ Yours faithfully,

For those you already know and/or ◊ Regards,

with whom you have a working relationship: ◊ Best regards,

4
Note Making and Summary Writing

1.The tests of life are plus factors. Overcoming illness and suffering is a
plus factor for it moulds character. Steel is iron plus fire; soil is rock plus
heat. So let’s include the plus factor in our lives.
2. Sometimes the plus factor is more readily seen by the simple
hearted. Myers tells the story of a mother who brought into her home –
a companion to her own son- a little boy who happened to have a
hunch back. She had warned her son to be careful, not to refer to his
disability. The boys were playing and after a few minutes she overheard
her son say to his companion, “Do you know what you have got on your
back?” The little boy was embarrassed, but before he could reply, his
playmate continued, “It is the box in which your wings are, and some
day God is going to cut open and then you will fly away and be an
angel.”
3. Often it takes a third eye or change in focus, to see the plus factor.
Walking along the corridors of a hospital recently where patients were
struggling with fear of pain and tests, I was perturbed. What gave me a
fresh perspective were sayings put up everywhere, intended to uplift.
One saying made me conscious of the beauty of the universe in the
midst of pain, suffering and struggle. The other saying assured me that
God was with me when I was in deep water and that no troubles would
overwhelm me.
4. The import of those sayings also made me aware of the nether
springs that flow into people’s lives when they touch rock bottom or
guilt ridden. The nether springs make recovery possible, they bring
peace and patience in midst of negative forces.
5. The forces of death and destruction are not so much physical as they
are psychic and psychological. When malice, hatred and hard
1
Note Making and Summary Writing

heartedness prevail, the forces of life gush forth to regenerate hope

and joy. The life force is triumphant when love overcomes fear. Both
fear and love are deep mysteries, but the effect of love is to build,
whereas fear tends to destroy. Love is generally the plus factor that
builds character. It creates bonds and its reach is infinite.
6. It is true there is no shortage of destructive elements-forces and
people who seek to destroy themselves- but at the same time there are
signs of love and life everywhere that are constantly enabling us to
overcome setbacks. So let’s not look at gloom and doom-let us seek
positivity and happiness. For it is when you seek that you will find what
is waiting to be discovered.
a. On the basis of your reading of the above passage, make notes using
abbreviations wherever necessary. Also suggest a title.
b. Write a summary of the passage in not more than 80 words.
The Tests of Life

1. The Importance of Tests of Life

a) Overcoming illness & suffering- plus factor
b) Illness & suffering build char.
2. Looking at Disabilities- positive approach
a) Simple hearted eg; children –view disabilities +vly.
b) Different reaction compared to adults
3. Change of Focus
a) Hospital quotes
i) Made one conscious of beauty in universe

2
Note Making and Summary Writing

ii) Enhanced faith in God – troubles could not

overwhelm.
4. Underlying human strength.
a) loneliness, guilt – strength emerges
b) underlying strength-nether springs
i. Makes recovery possible
ii. Brings peace and patience amidst –ve forces.
4. Defeat Forces of Death and Destruction
a) Psychic & psychlgical
i) Malice, hatred & hard heartedness- forces of life
generate hope& joy
ii) Fear – Love overcomes –both mysteries.
ii. i Fear destroys, love builds
iii) Ppl –destructive-destroy others & themslvs
iv) Signs of love everywhere-helps overcome setbacks.
Abbreviations- Key
1. char. - Character
2. +vly. – Positively
3. –ve - Negative
4. Psychlgical –Psychological
5. Ppl – People
6. Themslvs- Themselves

3
Note Making and Summary Writing

Summary
The tests of life like illness, suffering, pain and disability build character.
The simple hearted have the ability to view them as signs of hope and
the presence of God. Even in the midst of suffering there is God. The
belief that amongst pain and suffering the universe is still beautiful and
God present gives strength to overcome obstacles. One must realize
there is an underlying human strength that emerges during troubles.
This brings peace and patience. The forces of destruction can be
overcome by the power of love.

Passage for Practice

Read the following passage carefully.
The Great Wall of China is said to be the one structure built on the
earth by man, which is visible on the moon. It covers a distance of 1500
miles. From the Liaotung Peninsula Westward to the last fortress in
Central Asia, it crosses the northern province of china.
In the eastern section its height varies from 15 to 30 feet, and its width
from about 25 feet at the bottom to 15 feet at the top, where there is a
pathway wide enough for six horse– men to ride side by side protected
by parapets. When the wall was first built it had about 25000 towers
each 40 feet square and 40 feet high projecting from it every few
hundred yards, with holes from which the defenders could shoot at
attackers. There were also many watch-towers on the enemy side,

4
Note Making and Summary Writing

outside the wall on hilltops or passes. These and the towers of the wall
were used for signalling with smoke or flags by day & with fire by night.
The great Emperor Shih Huang Li joined these earlier frontier walls to
form a great wall to act as boundary between China & the north and
keep out the feared nomads of The Mongolian steppes. The wall was
designed to strengthen the nation’s defences. Later it became in Ming
times, a substitute for a strong army and state.
Construction was started in about 221 B.C. and the structure was
practically completed when Shih Huang Li died in 210 B.C. The man who
did most in carrying out the emperor’s plans was general Meng Ledn
who in 221 B.C. led an expedition against the Tartars and drove them
back from the Yellow River into the Steppes, and set his men to work
on building the wall. They were later joined by thousands of Convicts.
Year in and year out in icy winds and snow storms in winter, and in dust
storms in summer, the work went on and so many men died. The wall
therefore was sometimes called the Longest Cemetery in the world.
The core of the wall is earth and stone, faced with bricks and set in a
stone foundation. In hilly place the design was altered; two parallel
ditches were dug out of the rake, 25 feet apart and great blocks of
stone were laid in the benches to a height of several feet. Along each
said of these stones, baked bricks about 2 feet long were laid at right
angles to the face of the wall, joined together with a white mortal so
hard that no nail could be driven in to it.
Emperor Wu Ti (140-86 B.C.) resumed work on the wall and extended it
to its greatest length The Emperors of the Ming Dynasty (A.D. 1386-
1644) carried out work on the wall repairing its whole length and
establishing new wall west of the yellow river. The wing dynasty, which
now exists dates from the Ming.
But many of the foundation are nearly 2000 years old
5
Note Making and Summary Writing

Hints:-

Title: The Great Wall of China

Notes :

1. Description of the Unique Wall

(a) huge wall
(i) ---------- earth --------
(b) ------------- miles
(i)---------------
(c) width 25 ft. -------------
(d) 2500 towers --------------

2. Reason for Building

(a) bldng.------------
(b) Ming’s terms------------

3. Structure of the Wall

(a) foundtn in stone
(b) core-------------

6
Note Making and Summary Writing

(c) hilly places

(i) Two parallel--------------
(ii) Strengthened--------------

4 History of Construction & Development.

a) Began in ----------------------------
b) Gen. Meng tien helped --------------------
(i) used workers & convicts
c) Emperor -----------------------
d) Extn and repair
i)------------------------

Summary:
The great wall of -------------- from the moon, covers ------------ miles. It
had 25000 towards --------------- attackers. It is ----------------- stone faced
-------------- The construction ------------------------- completed in 210 B.C.
general --------------- workers & convicts --------------- extended by
emperor Wu Ti & Ming dynasty
Tips for Note Making:
1. Note Making carries 5 Marks
2. A summary is for 3 marks and is to be written in 80 words.
3. Read the whole passage before attempting note making. The
main theme of a passage is usually stated right at the beginning in
the first sentence called the topic sentence. (Sometimes though
the first sentence might not be the topic sentence). If the topic
7
Note Making and Summary Writing

sentence identification seems confusing read the first paragraph

and the last paragraph to understand what the passage is dealing
with. If you read the concluding paragraph you will find the same
theme repeated.
4. Read each paragraph and figure out what it is about. Remember
each paragraph deals with a main idea and supporting details.
Create a sub-heading and points both of which are numbered.
5. Notes are brief. Write only in points and sub-points. (very short
phrases not sentences)
6. Use Abbreviations (at least 04) as part of your notes. You will
score one mark
7. Title must also be written in the beginning. It carries 01 marks
8. The body of the note carries 3 marks. Create a proper format.
9. The summary should be developed with the help of the notes.
10. The divisions in notes are made as follows:
 Main Sections: 1,2,3 etc.
 Sub-sections: a), b), c) etc.
 Sub-sub sections: (i), (ii), (iii) etc
 Abbreviations and symbols are used.
 Articles, prepositions and conjunctions are omitted.

8
 SAMPLE QUESTION PAPER (2017-18)

ENGLISH (CORE)

GRADE XII

Time allowed: 3 Hrs Maximum Marks: 100

General Instructions:

1. This paper is divided into three sections: A, B and C. All the sections are compulsory.

2. Separate instructions are given with each section and question, wherever necessary.
Read these instructions very carefully and follow them.

3. Do not exceed the prescribed word limit while answering the questions.

SECTION-A
(READING
(Marks:30)
1. Read the passage given below :

1. A fisherman, enfeebled with age, could no longer go out to sea so

he began fishing in the river. Every morning he would go down to the
river and sit there fishing the whole day long. In the evening he
would sell whatever he had caught, buy food for himself and go
home. It was a hard life for an old man. One hot afternoon while he
was trying to keep awake and bemoaning his fate, a large bird with
silvery feathers alighted on a rock near him. It was Kaha, the
heavenly bird. “Have you no one to care for you, grandpa ?” asked
the bird. “Not a soul.” “You should not be doing such work at your
age, ” said the bird. “From now on I will bring you a big fish every
evening. You can sell it and live in comfort.” True to her word, the
bird began to drop a large fish at his doorstep every evening. All that
the fisherman had to do was take it to the market and sell it. As big
fish were in great demand, he was soon rolling in money. He bought
a cottage near the sea, with a garden around it and engaged a servant
to cook for him. His wife had died some years earlier. He had decided
to marry again and began to look for a suitable woman.

2. One day he heard the royal courtier make an announcement. Our

king has news of a great bird called Kaha,” said the courtier.
“Whoever can give information about this bird and help catch it, will
be rewarded with half the gold in the royal treasury and half the
kingdom !” The fisherman was sorely tempted by the reward. Half
the kingdom would make him a prince !

3. “Why does the king want the bird ?” he asked. “He has lost his
sight,” explained the courtier. “A wise man has advised him to bathe
his eyes with the blood of Kaha. Do you know where she can be
found ?” “No…I mean …no, no…” Torn between greed and his
sense of gratitude to the bird, the fisherman could not give a coherent
reply. The courtier, sensing that he knew something about the bird,
informed the king. The king had him brought to the palace.

4. “If you have information about the bird, tell me,” urged the king. “I
will reward you handsomely and if you help catch her, I will
personally crown you king of half my domain.” “I will get the bird
for you,” cried the fisherman, suddenly making up his mind. “But
Kaha is strong. I will need help.” The king sent a dozen soldiers with
him. That evening when the bird came with the fish, the fisherman
called out to her to wait. “You drop the fish and go and I never get a
chance to thank you for all that you’ve done for me," he said. “Today
I have laid out a feast for you inside. Please alight and come in.”
Kaha was reluctant to accept the invitation but the fisherman pleaded
so earnestly that she finally gave in, and alighted. The moment she
was on the ground, the fisherman grabbed one of her legs and shouted
to the soldiers hiding in his house to come out. They rushed to his aid
but their combined effort could not keep Kaha down.

5. She rose into the air with the fisherman still clinging onto her leg.
By the time he realised he was being carried away, the fisherman was
too high in the air to let go. He hung on grimly, and neither he nor
Kaha were ever seen again.

1.1 On the basis of your understanding of the above passage, 1x4=4

answer each of the questions given below by choosing the most
appropriate option:

(a) Why was the king desperately looking for Kaha the bird ?
i. The king wanted a pet bird.
ii. A wise man advised the king to capture the bird for good luck.
iii. Kaha was the only heavenly bird with silvery feathers.
iv. The king was blind and required Kaha’s blood for his eyes.

(b) Why did the bird volunteer to bring fish for the old man ?
i. The old man was inexperienced at fishing.
ii. The bird took pity on the old man and wanted to help him.
iii. The bird had caught more fish than required.
iv. The bird wanted to make the old man rich.

(c) What led the courtier to sense that the fisherman might know
something about Kaha ?
i. The courtier had observed Kaha alight at the fisherman’s house
every evening.
ii. The courtier had seen the fisherman talk to Kaha.
iii. The fisherman fumbled when asked about Kaha.
iv. Word went around that the fisherman was in contact with Kaha.

(d) Which of the following is not true about Kaha ?

i. Kaha was a very considerate bird.
 ii. The blood of Kaha was precious.
iii. Kaha was a strong bird.
iv. Kaha saved the fisherman from the King’s wrath.

1.2 Answer the following questions briefly: 1x6=6

a. Why did the fisherman stammer when asked if he knew about the
bird ?
b. How did the fisherman get Kaha to come down ?
c. What does the phrase ‘rolling in money’ in the passage refer to ?
d. Why was the fisherman doubtful about revealing information about
Kaha to the courtier ?
e. Mention two traits of farmer's character revealed through the
story.
f. How did the bird manage to escape?
\
1.3 Pick out the words/phrases from the passage which are 1x2 =2
opposite in meaning to the following:
i. Take off (Para 1)
ii. Released (Para 4)

2. Read the passage given below carefully and answer the questions
that follow:

1. The youth is a dynamo, an ocean, an inexhaustible reservoir of

energy. But this energy cannot be kept in prison. Its basic nature is to
flow , to express itself. The youth energy on the basis of the nature of
its expression can be divided into four categories.

2. The vast majority of the youth today are with the establishment,
whose formula of life is learn, earn, burn, and enjoy. It means learn to
operate the modern devices and employ them to earn the maximum
amount of wealth to the point of burning the natural resources of the
earth , as well as yourself out, and then enjoy your own funeral. This
category of youth is intelligent, skilful and hardworking but it lacks
insight and foresight. They are self-indulgent and any sense of moral
code of conduct is alien to their nature. Neither are they able to see in
depth, to find out whether there is a deeper meaning and purpose to
their human life, nor have they the capacity to look beyond the tips of
their nose to find out the consequences of their way and approach,
where it is leading them to. They are the ends unto themselves and
enjoyment is the motto of their life.

3. The second category of youth in nature and approach is the same

but as it is less privileged and less qualified and skilled; it has lesser
opportunities for earning and enjoying. Such youth may be incited to
be against the establishment. This opposition takes various forms.
When it is well organised and systemic it may take the form of
political opposition and even go to the extent of expressing itself in
unjust ways. When the opposition is not so intense and organised , it
remains content with giving verbal expression to its resentment
periodically. The youth of the above two categories need to be
shown the correct path to positively channelize their energy.

4. The third section of youth is a sober and thoughtful class of people,

which objectively observes and studies the phenomenon of
development of the world. These youth find that man in his insatiable
thirst for consumption has become blind and lost the sense of
distinction between milk and blood .Today man in his mad rush for
exploitation is sucking the blood of Mother Earth; leading to their
destruction and is thereby digging his own grave . This responsible
category of young people is looking for an alternative mode of
development based on co-operation between man and man. This
development based on mutual love, friendship and harmony is not
only sustainable but leading to endless prosperity mutually. To bring
about his natural revolution from death-movement to life-movement
is the aim of this group.

5. The fourth and most vital group of youth which is going to usher
humanity into the third millennium and act as the pioneer for the
future development of planetary life is engaged in evolving a new
way of life and releasing a new principle of global consciousness
through a fundamental research in the science of life. The science of
life is a new branch of knowledge which takes the whole man into
account without dividing him into subjective and objective halves of
spirituality and physicality and does not treat him either as a refined
(thinking) animal or an ethereal entity, having its base in some other
non- physical world. It , rather, recognises man as a basic unit of
conscious life which has got immense, practically inexhaustible,
possibilities and potentialities for evolution, development and growth.
As per the Vedic formula, man is the micro-cosmos and his fullest
flowering and enfoldment lies in his identification with the cosmos.
(http://www.tribuneindia.com/1998/98nov29/sunday/head8.htm)

2.1 On the basis of your understanding of the passage, complete 1x2=2

the statements given below by choosing the most appropriate
option:

(a) Which trait is lacking in the youth that is dexterous with the
modern devices?
i. intelligence
ii. perseverance
iii. foresight
iv. skilfulness

(b) Which category of youth supports the view that man’s growth lies
in his identification with cosmos
i. the youth that will take us to the third millennium
ii. that which supports sustainable development
iii. youth that opposes the establishment
iv. youth that is self-indulgent and unscrupulous
 2.2 Answer the following briefly: 1x6=6
a. What is the most prominent quality associated with youth?
b. Explain the formula of majority of youth.
c. Give the merits and demerits of the pro- establishment youth.
d. How does the dissatisfied youth express itself?
e. Explain the attitude of modern man towards the Mother Earth.
f. How is humanity likely to be ushered in a new millennium?

2.3 Find words from the passage which mean the same as the
following: 1x2 =2

i. Provided with facilities (para3)

ii. the universe seen as a well-ordered whole (para5)

3. Read the passage given below:

1. Colour Therapy is a complementary therapy for which there is
evidence dating back thousands of years to the ancient cultures
of Egypt, China and India. If we define it in simple terms,
Colour is a light of varying wavelengths, thus each colour has
its own particular wavelength and energy.
2. Colours contribute energy. This energy may be motivational
and encouraging. Each of the seven colours of the spectrum are
associated with energy.The energy relating to each of the
seven spectrum colours of red, orange, yellow, green, blue,
indigo and violet, resonates with the energy of each of the
seven main chakras/energy centres of the body. Colour therapy
can help to re-balance and/or stimulate these energies by
applying the appropriate colour to the body .
3. Red relates to the base chakra, orange the sacral chakra, yellow
the solar plexus chakra, green the heart chakra, blue the throat
chakra, indigo the brow chakra (sometimes referred to as the
third eye) and violet relates to the crown chakra.
4. Colour is absorbed by the eyes, skin, skull our ‘magnetic
energy field’ or aura and the energy of colour affects us on all
levels, that is to say, physical, spiritual and emotional. Every
cell in the body needs light energy - thus colour energy has
widespread effects on the whole body. There are many
different ways of giving colour, including; Solarised Water,
Light boxes/lamps with colour filters, colour silks and hands
on healing using colour.
5. Colour therapy can be shown to help on a physical level,
which is perhaps easier to quantify, however there are deeper
issues around the colours on the psychological and spiritual
levels. Our wellbeing is not, of course, purely a physical issue.
Fortunately, many more practitioners, both orthodox and
complementary are now treating patients in an holistic manner.
6. Colour Therapy is a totally holistic and non-invasive therapy
and, really, colour should be a part of our everyday life, not
 just something we experience for an hour or two with a
therapist. Colour is all around us everywhere. This wonderful
planet does not contain all the beautiful colours of the rainbow
for no reason. Nothing on this earth is here just by chance;
everything in nature is here for a purpose. Colour is no
exception. All we need to do is to heighten our awareness of
the energy of colour, absorb it and see how it can transform
our lives.

(a) On the basis of your understanding of the above passage, make

5
notes on it using headings and sub-headings. Use recognizable
abbreviations (wherever necessary-minimum four) and a format you
consider suitable. Also supply an appropriate title to it.
(b) Write a summary of the passage in about 80 words.
3
SECTION : B
(WRITING SKILLS )
(Marks:30)
4. You are Arnit/Arnika .You want to sell your car as you are planning 4
to buy a new one . Draft a suitable advertisement to be published in
the Vehicles column of a newspaper.
OR
You are Dr. Amit Gupta, an eminent educationist. You have been
invited to preside over an Inter Zonal Declamation competition by
Nalini, the President of English Literary Club of Government Model
Sr. Sec. School, Sector-20, Chandigarh. Write a reply accepting the
invitation.

5. You are Nitin/ Natasha, staying at 20, S.F.S. Flats, Worli, Mumbai. 6
You bought a mobile phone from “Mobile Villa”, Mahim,
Mumbai. The phone developed a problem within a few days of the
purchase. Write a letter to the Sales Manager of the showroom
complaining about the defect and seeking immediate replacement.
OR
You are Mallika/Mayank, student of class XII, Modern School,
Shimla. You are eager to enter the National Film Academy, Shimla,
after your board results. Write a letter to the Director of the film
academy seeking information regarding admission procedure,
eligibility criteria, fee structure, placement opportunities, etc.

6. On the threshold of being a world super power, India does have a 10

large young workforce but unfortunately not many in this force are
employable for want of necessary skills. Write in about 150-200
words, an article for a newspaper on the topic' Skill Development is
the need of the hour'. You are Anita/Arnav.
OR
With a view to create awareness regarding health St. Anne's school
organised 'Health Mela' in the school premises. Various charts,
models, fitness equipments were displayed. Lectures, debates,
discussions, plays were organised. A workshop on low calorie
 cooking was also organised. Write a report in 150-200 words on the
'Health Mela' for the school magazine. You are Neha/Nikhil,
Secretary of the Health Club of school.

7. Yoga unites the body, mind and soul. When you are in harmony, the 10
journey through life is calmer, happier and more fulfilling.. Write a
speech in 150-200 words to be delivered in the morning assembly on
the topic ' Yoga- a way of life'. You are Karan/ Kajal, Head Boy
/Head Girl of D.A.V. Public School, Delhi.
OR
'Homes for the aged is a necessity in India '. Write a debate in 150-
200 words either for or against the motion. You are Shivam/Shivani.
SECTION: C
(LITERATURE: TEXT BOOKS and LONG READING TEXT)
(Marks : 40)
8. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that 4
follow:
Those who prepare green wars, wars with gas, wars with fire,
Victory with no survivors, would put on clean clothes
And walk about with their brothers in the shade, doing nothing.
1. Who are ' those ' in line 1 ?
2. What are 'green wars'?
3. Explain : ' victory with no survivors'.
4. Which figure of speech is used in the above stanza?

OR

Aunt Jennifer’s fingers fluttering through her wool

Find even the ivory needle hard to pull.
The massive weight of uncle’s wedding band sits heavily upon Aunt
Jennifer’s hand.

1. Why is it so hard for Aunt Jennifer to pull the ivory needle?

2. Which poetic device has been used in line 1?
3. What is 'uncle’s wedding band’?
4. Why does the poet use ‘ massive weight’ and ‘sits heavily’ for
uncle's ring?

9. Answer any four of the following questions in about 30 -40 words 3x4=12
each:
a. Why did Hauser and the other villagers come to attend the last
lesson?
b. How did the near drowning experience at the pool affect Douglas?
c. Why does the poetess look at ‘young trees ‘and ‘merry children’?
d. What does Stephen Spender want for the children of the slums?
e. ‘I shall cut my tuft ,crop my hair short and become an insurance
agent'.
Explain the context.
f. Why does Mr. lamb say,” So you are not lost , are you ? Not
altogether ?"
10. Answer any one of the following questions in about 120-150 6
words:
Edla's empathetic and compassionate behaviour changed the life of
the rat trap seller .Do you think that an act of kindness can change a
person's view of the world?
OR
Maintaining a balance between one’s fantasies and the real world is
the key to the survival . Give your opinion on Sophie’s character in
the light of the above statement.

11. Answer any one of the following questions in about 120-150 6

words:
Dr. Sadao planned and helped the enemy soldier to escape.
Comment.
OR
Give an account of the blunders committed by the prison authorities
which helped Evans in escaping from the prison.

12. Answer the following question in about 120-150 words: 6

Compare and contrast the character of Dr. Kemp with that of Griffin.
OR
Attempt a character sketch of Silas Marner.
13. Answer the following question in about 120-150 words: 6
Why did the invisible man choose Mr. Marvel as his helper?
OR
How does Molly Farren affect the course of action that takes place in
the story?
Quotes from the Invisible Man
QUOTES CONTEXT
“It’s a beast of a country and This statement expresses Griffin’s contempt for the people of
pigs for people.” Iping
-Griffin, Chapter 9
“It’s quite wonderful enough This statement brings out Marvel’s cunning and opportunistic
for my modest wants” tendency.
-Marvel, Chapter 9
‘Here,’ I said, ‘is an outcast Griffin’s motivation behind trying to recruit Marvel.
like myself. This man is for
me’
-Griffin, Chapter 9
“It is so much easier not to
believe in an invisible man; The simplistic and ignorant attitude of the villagers of Iping.
and those who had actually
seen him dissolve into air...”
-Narrator, Chapter 10
“In all my great moments I Griffin’s statement emphasizes his alienation from other
have been alone.” people. His scientific achievement did not change his isolation.
— Griffin, Chapter 19
“And I beheld, unclouded by This reveals Griffin’s quest for scientific achievement and
doubt, a magnificent vision progress and his lack of concern about the effects it would have
of all that invisibility might on society.
mean to a man,—the
mystery, the power, the
freedom. Drawbacks I saw
none.”
— Griffin, Chapter 19
“Another one of those Kemp’s disdain and contempt for the villagers.
fools,…I can’t imagine what
possess people”
-Dr Kemp, Chapter 25
"No doubt invisibility made it Griffin believed becoming invisible would bring him happiness,
possible to get them, but it but he was mistaken, and he did not consider the disadvantages
made it impossible to enjoy and isolation he would have to endure. His words reflect the
them when they are got." idea that power, wealth, or achievement does not bring
— Griffin, Chapter 23 happiness.
"Don't try any games. Griffin shows the power people in authority have over others.
Remember I can see your People who aren't in possession of vital information are helpless
face if you can't see mine." to oppose those who "hold all the cards."
— Griffin, Chapter 27
"Kemp discovered that the Doctor Kemp experiences a distorted perception of the distance
hill road was indescribably from the town and civilization. Changed by his experiences with
vast and desolate, and that Griffin, he feels a distance from all he once knew.
the beginnings of the town
far below at the hill foot
were strangely remote."
— Narrator, Chapter 28