Footprints without Feet
Footprints without Feet Solution, Summary & Word Meaning
Footprints without Feet Summary
The chapter “Footprints without Feet” tells the story of Griffin, a brilliant but lawless scientist who discovers how to make himself invisible. The tale begins with two boys in London following mysterious footprints that appear out of nowhere. These belong to Griffin, who has become invisible after swallowing rare drugs that make his body transparent.
Griffin’s invisibility leads him into a series of adventures and misdeeds. After setting fire to his landlord’s house, he wanders the streets of London naked and invisible. To escape the cold, he breaks into a department store, where he clothes himself and enjoys food and drink. However, he oversleeps and is forced to strip again to avoid detection, once more becoming invisible.
Seeking a disguise, Griffin robs a theatrical shop, emerging with bandages, dark glasses, a false nose, and a hat to conceal his invisible state. He then travels to the village of Iping, where he takes rooms at an inn. His strange appearance and behavior puzzle the innkeeper, Mrs. Hall, but she tolerates him due to his advance payment.
As Griffin’s stolen money runs out, peculiar events occur in the village. A clergyman’s house is burgled, and strange incidents happen at the inn, including furniture seemingly coming to life. Suspicion falls on Griffin, especially when he suddenly produces money after claiming to have none.
The situation escalates when Mrs. Hall confronts Griffin about the odd occurrences. In a fit of anger, he reveals his invisibility by removing his disguise. This leads to chaos as the local constable attempts to arrest the now-visible Griffin, who fights back while becoming fully invisible again.
The chapter ends with Griffin escaping, leaving the villagers in a state of shock and disbelief. Throughout the story, Griffin’s actions reveal him to be a clever but unethical individual, using his scientific discovery for personal gain and to evade the consequences of his actions.
Character Sketches: Footprints without Feet
1. Griffin:
Griffin is the central character of the story, a brilliant but morally corrupt scientist. He’s intelligent and innovative, having discovered the secret to invisibility. However, he’s also impulsive, quick-tempered, and lacks ethical considerations. Griffin shows no remorse for his criminal actions, such as arson, theft, and assault. He’s opportunistic, using his invisibility for personal gain and to escape consequences. Despite his scientific achievement, Griffin’s behavior reveals him to be selfish, violent, and socially maladjusted.
2. Mrs. Hall:
Mrs. Hall is the innkeeper’s wife at Iping. She’s initially portrayed as friendly and accommodating, making efforts to welcome the strange new guest. She’s curious about Griffin but respects his desire for privacy, especially since he pays in advance. Mrs. Hall is practical and business-minded, willing to tolerate Griffin’s eccentricities for the sake of a paying customer. However, she becomes increasingly suspicious and frightened as strange events unfold, eventually confronting Griffin directly.
3. Mr. Jaffers:
Mr. Jaffers is the village constable. He’s depicted as a dutiful and determined law enforcement officer. When called to arrest Griffin, he shows remarkable commitment to his job, attempting to carry out the arrest even when faced with the extraordinary situation of an invisible man. Jaffers demonstrates bravery and persistence, struggling with Griffin despite the obvious disadvantage and supernatural nature of the situation.
4. The Clergyman and his Wife:
Though minor characters, they play a role in escalating suspicion against Griffin. They’re presented as ordinary, law-abiding citizens who become victims of Griffin’s burglary. Their experience adds to the growing tension and mystery in the village.
5. The Two Boys:
These unnamed characters appear at the beginning of the story. Their curiosity and decision to follow the mysterious footprints serve to introduce the reader to Griffin’s invisibility in an intriguing way. They represent the innocent wonder and fascination that contrasts with the fear and chaos Griffin later causes.
Difficult Words and Their Meanings
1. Eject – to force someone to leave a place
2. Transparent – allowing light to pass through so that objects behind can be distinctly seen
3. Bitterly (cold) – extremely cold
4. Callously – in a way that shows no concern for others
5. Eccentric – unconventional and slightly strange
6. Solitude – the state of being alone
7. Irritable – easily annoyed or made angry
8. Clergyman – a male priest or religious leader
9. Grasped – seized and held firmly
10. Extraordinary – very unusual or remarkable
11. Hysterics – a state of extreme or exaggerated emotion
12. Witchcraft – the practice of magic, especially black magic
13. Constable – a police officer of the lowest rank
14. Magistrate – a civil officer who administers the law
15. Warrant – a document issued by a legal or government official authorizing the police to make an arrest
16. Garment – an item of clothing
17. Imprints – marks or indentations left by pressure
18. Bewildered – confused and puzzled
19. Lawless – not respecting or obeying laws
20. Panicked – suddenly feeling very frightened
21. Shivering – shaking slightly because of cold or fear
22. Bushy – thick and dense (referring to the side-whiskers)
23. Wagging – moving or causing to move rapidly from side to side (referring to tongues, meaning people were talking a lot)
24. Furious – extremely angry
25. Chink – a slight sharp sound, as of metal striking metal
26. Peeped – looked quickly or furtively, especially through a small opening
27. Moaned – made a long, low sound expressing physical or mental suffering
28. Bandages – strips of material used to bind up a wound or to protect an injured part of the body
29. Horrified – filled with horror; extremely shocked
30. Prophetic – accurately predicting what will happen in the future
Solution to Footprints without Feet
READ AND FIND OUT
Q1: How did the invisible man first become visible?
A1: The invisible man (Griffin) first became visible when he stepped in mud, leaving footprints as he walked. This allowed people to see evidence of his presence, even though his body remained invisible.
Q2: Why was he wandering the streets?
A2: Griffin was wandering the streets because he had become homeless. He had set fire to his landlord’s house in revenge for trying to eject him, and had to remove his clothes to escape unseen, leaving him invisible and without shelter.
Q3: Why does Mrs Hall find the scientist eccentric?
A3: Mrs Hall finds the scientist eccentric because of his strange appearance (covered in bandages and wearing dark glasses), his desire for solitude, his irritable temper, and his claim that an accident had affected his face. His unusual behavior and secretive nature also contribute to this perception.
Q4: What curious episode occurs in the study?
A4: In the curious episode in the study, a clergyman and his wife hear noises early in the morning. They investigate and hear money being taken from the clergyman’s desk. However, when they enter the room, it appears empty, despite the desk being opened and housekeeping money missing.
Q5: What other extraordinary things happen at the inn?
A5: Several extraordinary things happen at the inn:
1. Mrs Hall and her husband find Griffin’s room empty with his clothes and bandages lying around.
2. Mrs Hall hears a sniff close to her ear when the room seems empty.
3. A hat leaps up and dashes into Mrs Hall’s face.
4. A bedroom chair springs into the air and charges at Mr and Mrs Hall.
5. The chair appears to push them out of the room and slam the door shut.
6. Griffin mysteriously appears in his room after it was found empty.
7. Griffin reveals his invisibility by removing his bandages and artificial features in front of the people in the bar.
Think about it
Q1: “Griffin was rather a lawless person.” Comment.
A1: This statement is accurate based on Griffin’s actions in the story. Evidence of his lawlessness includes:
– Setting fire to his landlord’s house out of revenge
– Breaking into a department store to steal clothes and food
– Robbing a theatrical shop and assaulting the shopkeeper
– Burglarizing a clergyman’s house
– Using his invisibility to evade arrest and assault a police officer
These actions demonstrate a clear disregard for the law and the rights of others, supporting the characterization of Griffin as a lawless person.
Q2: How would you assess Griffin as a scientist?
A2: Griffin can be assessed as a scientist in the following ways:
Positive aspects:
– Brilliant and innovative, as evidenced by his discovery of how to make the human body invisible
– Dedicated to his work, spending considerable time on his experiments
– Able to think outside conventional boundaries of science
Negative aspects:
– Lacks ethical considerations in his scientific pursuits
– Uses his scientific discovery for personal gain rather than the betterment of society
– Fails to consider the potential consequences of his invention
– Isolates himself from the scientific community, working in secrecy
Overall, while Griffin shows exceptional scientific aptitude and creativity, his lack of ethics and responsibility significantly undermines his standing as a respectable scientist. His brilliance is overshadowed by his misuse of his discovery and his disregard for the impact of his actions on others.
Talk about it
Q3: Would you like to become invisible? What advantages and disadvantages do you foresee, if you did?
A3: This is a personal opinion question, but here are some potential points to consider:
Advantages:
– Ability to observe without being seen
– Potential for gathering information or intelligence
– Escape dangerous situations easily
– Perform surprise acts of kindness
– Experience places and events without disturbing others
Disadvantages:
– Difficulty in maintaining normal relationships
– Potential for misuse leading to criminal behavior
– Loneliness and isolation
– Lack of physical interaction with the world
– Ethical dilemmas about privacy and consent
– Practical issues like clothing, eating in public, etc.
Q4: Are there forces around us that are invisible, for example, magnetism? Are there aspects of matter that are ‘invisible’ or not visible to the naked eye? What would the world be like if you could see such forces or such aspects of matter?
A4: Yes, there are many invisible forces and aspects of matter:
– Invisible forces: gravity, electromagnetism, weak and strong nuclear forces
– Invisible aspects of matter: atoms, molecules, radio waves, X-rays, infrared light
If we could see these:
– We might see electromagnetic fields around electronic devices
– Air currents and heat radiation would be visible
– We could see the molecular structure of objects
– Radioactive materials would be easily identifiable
– It might dramatically change our understanding of the world and lead to new scientific discoveries
Q5: What makes glass or water transparent (what is the scientific explanation for this)? Do you think it would be scientifically possible for a man to become invisible, or transparent? (Keep in mind that writers of science fiction have often turned out to be prophetic in their imagination!)
A5: Glass and water are transparent because:
– Their molecular structures allow most visible light to pass through without being absorbed or reflected
– The electrons in these materials don’t interact significantly with photons of visible light
Regarding human invisibility:
– Currently, it’s not scientifically possible for a human to become fully invisible
– However, some advancements have been made in creating “invisibility cloaks” using metamaterials that bend light around objects
– Theoretically, if we could manipulate how light interacts with the human body at a molecular level, invisibility might be possible
– While complete invisibility remains in the realm of science fiction, technology continues to advance, and what seems impossible today might become reality in the future