The Invisible Man by H. G. Wells
"The Invisible Man," a novel by H.G. Wells published in 1897, tells the story of a mysterious stranger who arrives in the small English village of Iping during a snowy February. The stranger, who remains largely concealed behind bandages and dark glasses, requests a room at the Coach and Horses Inn. As events unfold, it becomes clear that he possesses the ability to become invisible, leading to a series of unusual and terrifying incidents in the village. The stranger, later identified as Griffin, is a scientist who has conducted dangerous experiments to achieve his invisibility, which ultimately drives him to madness and violence.
The narrative explores themes of isolation, the ethical implications of scientific experimentation, and the consequences of unchecked ambition. Griffin’s descent into chaos raises questions about morality and humanity, reflecting societal anxieties about the power of science and the potential for its misuse. As the villagers attempt to confront the invisible menace, the story culminates in a dramatic confrontation, revealing the tragic fate of Griffin and the impact of his actions on those around him. Wells's work remains a poignant commentary on the relationship between science and society, as well as the darker aspects of human nature.
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The Invisible Man by H. G. Wells
First published: 1897
Type of work: Novel
Type of plot: Science fiction
Time of plot: Late nineteenth century
Locale: England
Principal characters
Griffin , the Invisible ManMr. Hall , the landlord of the Coach and Horses InnMrs. Hall , his wifeDr. Kemp , a physician in the town of BurdockColonel Adye , the chief of the Burdock policeMarvel , a tramp
The Story:
The stranger arrives at Bramblehurst railway station on a cold, snowy day in February. Carrying a valise, he trudges through driving snow to Iping, where he stumbles into the Coach and Horses Inn and asks Mrs. Hall, the host, for a room and a fire. The stranger’s face is hidden by dark blue spectacles and bushy sideburns.
He has dinner in his room. When Mrs. Hall takes a mustard jar up to him, she sees that the stranger’s head is completely bandaged. While she is in his room, he covers his mouth and his chin with a napkin.
His baggage arrives the next day, consisting of several trunks and boxes of books and a crate of bottles packed in straw. The drayman’s dog attacks the stranger, tearing his glove and ripping his trousers. Mr. Hall, landlord of the inn, runs upstairs to see if the stranger was hurt and enters his room without knocking. He is immediately struck on the chest and pushed from the room. When Mrs. Hall takes up the lodger’s supper, she sees that he has unpacked his trunks and boxes and set up some strange apparatus. The lodger is not wearing his glasses; his eyes look sunken and hollow.
In the weeks that follow, the villagers make many conjectures as to the stranger’s identity. Some think he suffers from a strange disease that left his skin spotted. Unusual happenings also mystify the village. One night, the vicar and his wife are awakened by a noise in the vicar’s study and the clinking of money. Upon investigation, they see no one, although a candle is burning and they hear a sneeze.
In the meantime, Mr. Hall finds clothing and bandages scattered about the lodger’s room; the stranger disappears. The landlord goes downstairs to call his wife. They hear the front door open and shut, but no one comes into the inn. While they stand wondering what to do, their lodger comes down the stairs. Where he was and how he returned to his room unnoticed are mysteries that he makes no attempt to explain.
A short time later, the stranger’s bill being overdue, Mrs. Hall refuses to serve him. When the stranger becomes abusive, Mr. Hall swears out a warrant against him. The constable, the landlord, and a curious neighbor go upstairs to arrest the lodger. After a struggle, the man agrees to unmask. The men are struck with horror; the stranger is invisible to their view. In the confusion, the Invisible Man, as the newspapers are soon to call him, flees from the inn.
The next person to encounter the Invisible Man is a tramp named Marvel. The Invisible Man frightens Marvel into accompanying him to the Coach and Horses Inn to get his clothing and three books. They arrive at the inn while the vicar and the village doctor are reading the stranger’s diary. They beat the two men, snatch up the clothes and books, and leave the inn.
Newspapers continue to print stories of unnatural thefts. Money is taken and carried away; the thief is invisible while the money is in plain view. Marvel always seems to be well supplied with funds.
One day Marvel, carrying three books, comes running into the Jolly Cricketers Inn. He says that the Invisible Man is after him. A barman, a policeman, and a cabman await the Invisible Man’s arrival after hiding Marvel; the Invisible Man finds Marvel, however, drags him into the inn kitchen, and tries to force him through the door. The three men struggle with the unseen creature while Marvel crawls into the bar. When the voice of the Invisible Man is heard in the inn yard, a villager fires five shots in the direction of the sound, but searchers find no body in the yard.
Meanwhile, Dr. Kemp works late in his study in Burdock. Preparing to retire, he notices drops of drying blood on the stairs. He finds the doorknob of his room smeared with blood and red stains on his bed. While he stares in amazement at a bandage that is apparently wrapping itself about nothing in midair, a voice calls him by name. The Invisible Man takes refuge in Kemp’s rooms. He identifies himself as Griffin, a young scientist whom Kemp met at the university where both studied. Griffin asks for whiskey and food. He says that except for short naps he did not sleep for three days and nights.
That night, Kemp sits up to read all the newspaper accounts of the activities of the Invisible Man. At last, after much thought, he writes a letter to Colonel Adye, chief of the Burdock police.
In the morning, Griffin tells his story to Kemp. He explains that for three years he experimented with refractions of light on the theory that a human body will become invisible if the cells can be made transparent. He needed money for his work and robbed his father of money belonging to someone else; after that, his father shot himself. At last, his experiments were successful. After setting fire to his room in order to destroy the evidence of his research, he began his strange adventures. He terrorized Oxford Street, where passersby saw only his footprints. He discovered that in his invisible state he was compelled to fast, for all unassimilated food and drink was grotesquely visible. At last, prowling London streets and made desperate by his plight, he went to a shop selling theatrical supplies. There he stole the dark glasses, the sideburns, and the clothes he wore on his arrival in Iping.
Griffin plans to use Kemp’s house as a headquarters while terrorizing the neighborhood. Kemp, believing that Griffin is insane, attempts to restrain him, but the Invisible Man escapes. Shortly thereafter, a man called Mr. Wicksteed is found murdered, and a manhunt begins.
The next morning, Kemp receives a note announcing that the reign of terror is begun; one person will be executed daily. Kemp is to be the first victim. He is to die at noon; nothing can protect him. Kemp sends at once for Colonel Adye. While they are discussing possible precautions, stones are hurled through the windows. The colonel leaves to return to the police station for some bloodhounds to set on Griffin’s trail, but Griffin snatches a revolver from Colonel Adye’s pocket and wounds the police officer. When Griffin smashes Kemp’s kitchen door with an ax, the doctor climbs through a window and runs to a neighbor’s house. He is refused admittance. He runs to the inn. The door is barred. Suddenly, his invisible assailant seizes him. While they struggle, some men come to the doctor’s rescue. Kemp gets hold of Griffin’s arms. A constable seizes his legs. Someone strikes through the air with a spade. The writhing unseen figure sags to the ground. Kemp announces that he cannot hear Griffin’s heartbeats. While the crowd gathers, Griffin’s body slowly materializes, naked, dead. A sheet is brought from the inn, and the body is carried away. The reign of terror ends.
Bibliography
Costa, Richard Hauer. H. G. Wells. Boston: Twayne, 1967. Explains the influence of science on The Invisible Man, compares the novel to Wells’s earlier science fiction, and explores the struggle of the characters to cope with new scientific attitudes.
Hammond, J. R. An H. G. Wells Companion: A Guide to the Novels, Romances, and Short Stories. Totowa, N.J.: Barnes & Noble, 1979. Describes the sense of excitement that greeted the first publication of The Invisible Man, its circumstantial and realistic setting, the sharp observation of social details, and the economical and dramatic structure of the narrative.
‗‗‗‗‗‗‗. A Preface to H. G. Wells. New York: Longman, 2001. Provides information on Wells’s life, cultural background, important people and places in his life, critical commentary on his works, and a discussion of his literary reputation.
McConnell, Frank. The Science Fiction of H. G. Wells. New York: Oxford University Press, 1981. Emphasizes the novel’s grim realism. Considers nineteenth century works that may have influenced Wells’s unique sense of the apocalyptic and his powerful descriptions of society in disorder. Analyzes Griffin’s character and his proneness to violence, Wells’s depiction of middle-class society and how it organizes itself to capture Griffin, and the role of Marvel as a comic character and victim.
Mackenzie, Norman, and Jeanne Mackenzie. The Time Traveller: The Life of H. G. Wells. Rev. ed. London: Hogarth Press, 1987. Compares Griffin to Wells’s other mad scientists and discusses Wells’s ambivalence about science, his choice of characters, and the place of the characters in his thinking about science and nature.
McLean, Steven, ed. H. G. Wells: Interdisciplinary Essays. Newcastle, England: Cambridge Scholars, 2008. The ten essays analyze individual novels and discuss general characteristics of Wells’s work, including Wells and the discussion novel, dwellings and the natural environment in his futuristic vision, and a comparison of Wells and Henry James.
Wagar, W. Warren. H. G. Wells: Traversing Time. Middletown, Conn.: Wesleyan University Press, 2004. Analyzes all of Wells’s work, focusing on its preoccupation with the unfolding of public time and the history and future of humankind. Demonstrates how Wells’s writings remain relevant in the twenty-first century.
Williamson, Jack. H. G. Wells: Critic of Progress. Baltimore: Mirage Press, 1973. Discusses Griffin’s inhuman qualities and the role of the intellect as a theme in the novel. Explores the precise evocation of setting, Wells’s handling of point of view, and his tendency to overlook inconsistencies in order to build his narrative.