The Invisible Man

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For the Ralph Ellison novel, see Invisible Man. For other uses, see The Invisible Man
(disambiguation).

The Invisible Man

First edition cover

Author H.G. Wells

Country United Kingdom

Language English

Genre Horror, Science fiction novel

Published 1897 (C. Arthur Pearson)

Media type Print (hardback & paperback)

Pages 149

ISBN NA
The Invisible Man is a science fiction novella by H. G. Wells published in 1897. Originally
serialized in Pearson's Weekly in 1897, it was published as a novel the same year. The
Invisible Man of the title is Griffin, a scientist who has devoted himself to research into
optics and invents a way to change a body's refractive index to that of air so that it absorbs
and reflects no light and thus becomes invisible. He successfully carries out this procedure on
himself, but fails in his attempt to reverse the procedure.

While its predecessors, The Time Machine and The Island of Doctor Moreau, were written
using first-person narrators, Wells adopts a third-person objective point of view in The
Invisible Man.

Contents
 [hide] 

 1 Plot summary
 2 Characters
o 2.1 Griffin
o 2.2 Dr. Kemp
o 2.3 Janny Hall
o 2.4 George Hall
o 2.5 Thomas Marvel
o 2.6 Col. Adye
o 2.7 Dr. Cuss
o 2.8 J.A. Jaffers
 3 Adaptations
o 3.1 Films and TV series
o 3.2 Stage
o 3.3 Radio
 4 In other media
 5 Science
 6 Origins and moral
 7 See also
 8 References
 9 External links

Plot summary[edit]
A mysterious man, Griffin, arrives at the
local inn of the English village of Iping,
during a snowstorm. The stranger wears a
long-sleeved, thick coat and gloves; his
face is hidden entirely by bandages except
for a fake pink nose; and he wears a wide-
brimmed hat. He is excessively reclusive,
irascible, and unfriendly. He demands to
be left alone and spends most of his time
in his rooms working with a set of
chemicals and laboratory apparatus. While
Griffin is staying at the inn, hundreds of
strange glass bottles (that he calls his
luggage) arrive. He becomes the talk of the
village.
Meanwhile, a mysterious burglary occurs
in the village. When his landlady demands
that he pay his bill and quit the premises,
he reveals part of his invisibility to her in a
fit of pique.
There Griffin coerces a tramp, Thomas
Marvel, into becoming his assistant. With
Marvel, he returns to the village to recover
three notebooks that contain records of his
experiments. When Marvel attempts to
betray the Invisible Man to the police,
Griffin chases him to the seaside town of
Port Burdock, threatening to kill him.
Marvel escapes to a local inn and is saved
by the people at the inn, but Griffin
escapes. Marvel later goes to the police
and tells them of this "invisible man.
Griffin's furious attempt to avenge his
betrayal leads to his being shot. He takes
shelter in a nearby house that turns out to
belong to Dr. Kemp, a former
acquaintance from medical school. To
Kemp, he reveals his true identity: the
Invisible Man is Griffin, a former medical
student who left medicine to devote
himself to optics. Griffin recounts how he
invented chemicals capable of rendering
bodies invisible, and, on impulse,
performed the procedure on himself.
Griffin tells Kemp of the story of how he
became invisible.
Kemp has already denounced Griffin to the
local authorities and is waiting for help to
arrive as he listens to this wild proposal.
When the authorities arrive at Kemp's
house, Griffin fights his way out and the
next day leaves a note announcing that
Kemp himself will be the first man to be
killed in the "Reign of Terror". Kemp, a
cool-headed character, tries to organise a
plan to use himself as bait to trap the
Invisible Man, but a note that he sends is
stolen from his servant by Griffin.
Griffin shoots and injures a local
policeman who comes to Kemp's aid, then
breaks into Kemp's house. Kemp bolts for
the town, where the local citizenry come to
his aid. Griffin is seized, assaulted, and
killed by a mob. The Invisible Man's
naked, battered body gradually becomes
visible as he dies. A local policeman
shouts to have someone cover Griffin's
face with a sheet, then the book concludes.
In the final chapter, it is revealed that
Marvel has secretly kept Griffin's notes,
but that he is completely incapable of
understanding them.
Characters[edit]
Griffin[edit]

Main article: Griffin (The Invisible Man)

Griffin is the surname of the story's protagonist. His name is not mentioned until about
halfway through the book. Consumed with his greed for power and fame, he is the model of
science without humanity. A gifted young student, he becomes interested in the science of
refraction. During his experiments he accidentally discovers chemicals (combined with an
unspecified kind of radiation) that would make tissue invisible. Obsessed with his discovery,
he tries the experiment on himself and becomes invisible. However, he does not discover how
to reverse the process, and he slowly discovers that the advantages of being invisible do not
outweigh the disadvantages and the problems he faces. Thus begins his downfall as he takes
the road to crime for his survival, revealing in the process his lack of conscience, inhumanity
and complete selfishness. He progresses from obsession to fanaticism, to insanity, and finally
to his fateful end.

Dr. Kemp[edit]

Dr. Kemp is a scientist living in the town of Port Burdock. He is a former acquaintance of
Griffin, who knew Kemp to be interested in strange, bizarre aspects of science. Kemp
continues to study science as he hopes to be admitted to The Royal Society. His scientific
temperament makes him listen to the story Griffin tells him. He does not become hysterical
nor does he behave like the locals. Griffin hopes Kemp would support him in his evil
schemes and help him live a normal life, but Kemp is too decent to join him. He is repelled
by Griffin's brutality and considers him insane and homicidal. He betrays Griffin to the
police. He keeps his cool throughout the plot, when the final hunt for Griffin begins. Kemp
helps in the final capture and killing of Griffin.

In the 1933 Universal film adaptation, Kemp is given the first name Arthur and is played by
William Harrigan. Unlike the novel, Kemp in the film does not survive to the end of the
story.

Janny Hall[edit]

Janny Hall is the wife of Mr. Hall and the owner of the Coach and Horses Inn. A very
friendly, down-to-earth woman who enjoys socialising with her guests, Mrs. Hall is
continually frustrated by the mysterious Griffin's refusal to talk with her, and his repeated
temper tantrums, and becomes suspicious of him.

Mrs. Hall appears in the 1933 film adaptation, where she was played by Una O'Connor.

George Hall[edit]

George Hall is the husband of Mrs. Hall and helps her run the Coach and Horses Inn. He was
the first person in Iping to suspect that the mysterious Griffin is invisible: when a dog bites
him and tears his glove, Griffin retreats to his room and Hall follows to see if he is all right,
only to see Griffin without his glove and handless (or so it appears to Hall).

Mr. Hall appears in the 1933 film adaptation, where his first name is changed to Herbert; he
is seriously injured by Griffin. He is portrayed by Forrester Harvey.

Thomas Marvel[edit]

Thomas Marvel is a droll tramp unwittingly recruited to assist the Invisible Man as his first
visible partner. He carries the Invisible Man's scientific notebooks and stolen money.
Eventually Marvel grows afraid of his unseen partner and flees to Port Burdock, taking both
the notebooks and the money with him, where he seeks police protection. Although the
Invisible Man is furious and vows revenge, he becomes preoccupied with hiding from the law
and retaliating against Dr. Kemp, and Marvel is spared. Marvel eventually uses the stolen
money to open his own inn, which he calls the Invisible Man, and prospers. The novel ends
with him secretly "marvelling" at Griffin's notes (though not comprehending them). It turns
out Marvel kept the notes and only views them when there is nobody around, so nobody can
know Griffin's secrets — or that Marvel has them.

Marvel does not appear in the 1933 film adaptation, but does appear in Alan Moore's comics
series The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.

Col. Adye[edit]

Col. Adye is the chief of police in the town of Port Burdock. He is called upon by Dr. Kemp
when the Invisible Man turns up in Kemp's house. Adye saves Kemp from the Invisible
Man's first attempt on his life and leads the hunt for the unseen fugitive. He mostly follows
Kemp's suggestions in planning the campaign against the Invisible Man. He is eventually
shot by the Invisible Man with Kemp's revolver. Upon being shot, Adye is described as
falling down and not getting back up. However, he is mentioned in the epilogue as being one
of those who had questioned Thomas Marvel about the whereabouts of the Invisible Man's
notebooks, and it is never made clear whether this occurred prior to his being shot or if it
occurred afterwards and Adye survived.

Dr. Cuss[edit]

Dr. Cuss is a doctor living in the village of Iping. Intrigued by tales of a bandaged stranger
staying at the Coach and Horses Inn, Dr. Cuss goes to see him under the pretence of asking
for a donation to the nurse's fund. Cuss is scared away after Griffin pinches his nose with an
invisible hand. Cuss immediately goes to see the Rev. Bunting, who, not surprisingly, does
not believe the doctor's wild story. Later, Cuss and Bunting obtain the Invisible Man's
notebooks, but these are subsequently stolen back from them by the invisible Griffin, when
he also takes both men's clothes.

J.A. Jaffers[edit]

J.A. Jaffers is a constable in the town of Iping. He is called upon by George Hall and Janny
Hall to arrest Griffin after they suspect him of robbing the Reverend Bunting. He quickly
overcomes his shock at the discovery that Griffin is invisible,and is determined to

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people fall in love in mysterious ways ,, they don’t know what they’re doing baby you are so beautiful

Have you ever been to London? London is a beautiful place with active palaces and where
people are white as hell. They only consume wine, pork and bread. Their whole life revolves around
wine, pork and bread. They have never tried GOLGAPPE in their lifetime. If suppose they do. Their
national food will be GOLGAPPE. Now the Big Ben Clock tower in London is the most famous one.

People Are not allowed to keep watches with them so they are ordered to look at the big Ben tower to
watch time. If you are somewhere lets say 6 km away from the big Ben tower, you will have to take
an auto rickshaw to big Ben tower to look at the time. London word comes from hindi which means
ahm ahm let it be.

Due to the white snowfall people and kids play with the white snow that’s how they become white. So
white that one have to wear sunglasses to see them. The city is cleaner as compared to India. It is
because people loves to clean the streets and waters the street daily with mug and a tub. In London
there is damn cold. One could freeze to ice. It is said that someone has opened the fridge gate and
forgot to close it back which is resulting to cold and freezing weather. Christmas is celebrated by
majority. The kids think that SANTA is going to give them gift for the Christmas but they don’t know
that their own father has not trimmed his white beard during the no shave November and continued it
till December. After the Christmas the most celebrated occasion is Happy New Year. This 31 st of
December people dance like mad monkey, they dance as if the coming year they are going to win a
1000 pounds lottery. Some people are decent that they don’t do such kind of stuff they eat bread, pork
and wine to celebrate the new year “as usual”. The similar looking building in London makes a man
feel comfortable. As he has to travel all around the city 5 times and still reaches the place he had
started his journey. People (including children) there in London are always old. They have white and
brown hair. They have never seen young age.

Actually now we talk about Japan. “Japan” a country where Doraemon flies in the sky with the fukin
tiny fan on his head. Japan is a country which is not paying the fare for travelling in a floating land on
an ocean. The land on the oceans floats that much that the vibration and movement of land they
named it “earthquake”. In Japan people use to eventually get hit by one another as they are unable to
see. They walk, drive, play, work by closing their eyes (most talented people from all over the world).
Japan loves to eat those tiny living beings which makes the ladies of the world scare the hell out of
them, “INSECTS”. The most favourite dish of Japan. They don’t even know what is Masala Dosa. If
they would, they would have converted themselves into South Indians. But after watching Kasam
Paida Karne Wale Ki and other South Indian movies like Jeene Nahi Dunga they would have
converted themselves back to Japanese. When I was 12 years old I thought Japan was an animation
world where the people are really cartoons like Doraemon, Shinchan, Kochekame, Beyblade, Ninja
Hatori, Pokemon, Dragon Ball Z. But it was only until I watched Takeshi’s Castle. My thoughts still
not changed for them “THEY ARE REALLY CARTOONS”. I got to know that car drifting was
invented there only. There was a business strategy behind this they invented drifting to make their
tyres sell in the market.