Footprints Without Feet – Chapter 5: Footprints Without Feet

About the Author: H.G. Wells was a famous English writer known for his science fiction novels, including "The Invisible Man" and "The War of the Worlds".

Summary: The story is about a scientist named Griffin who discovers a drug that can make a person invisible. He is a brilliant but lawless scientist who misuses his discovery for personal gain and mischief. He sets his landlord's house on fire, steals money from a clergyman, and robs a shopkeeper. He wears bandages and dark glasses to hide his invisibility, but when he removes them, he is completely invisible. He escapes from the police by removing his clothes and becoming invisible. He runs to a London store to warm himself, where he sleeps and is later chased by employees. He escapes by shedding his clothes again and becomes invisible. The story ends with him hiding in the London streets, leaving his footprints behind as the only clue of his presence.

Griffin: Griffin is a brilliant scientist who discovers a drug that can make a person invisible. However, he is also lawless, dishonest, and selfish. He misuses his discovery for personal gain and mischief. He sets his landlord's house on fire, steals money from a clergyman, and robs a shopkeeper. He does not care about the consequences of his actions on others. He is a person who has no moral compass and uses his scientific genius for evil purposes. He is also quick-tempered and violent, as seen when he hits the shopkeeper.

Answer: Griffin was considered a lawless person because he misused his scientific discovery for personal gain and mischief. He set his landlord's house on fire, stole money from a clergyman, and robbed a shopkeeper. He did not care about the law or the well-being of others.

Answer: Griffin discovered a drug that could make a person invisible. He swallowed the drug, and his body became transparent and invisible. He could only be detected by his footprints.

Answer: After escaping from the London store, Griffin went to a big London store to warm himself. There, he put on warm clothes, ate cold meat and sweets, and drank coffee. He then slept on a pile of quilts.

Answer: Griffin entered the shop of a clergyman in Iping village. He stole the clergyman's money by breaking open the drawer. He also stole food and clothes from the shop.

Answer: When the store employees saw furniture moving mysteriously, they became frightened and called the police. To escape, Griffin removed all his clothes and became completely invisible. He then slipped past the employees and escaped into the streets of London.

Answer: Griffin set his landlord's house on fire because his landlord disliked him and tried to evict him. In revenge, Griffin wanted to teach him a lesson and show his anger. He set the house on fire to destroy the property and escape the landlord's demands.

Answer: After escaping from the police, Griffin entered a London store to warm himself. He broke into the store, put on warm clothes, ate cold meat and sweets, and drank coffee. He then slept on a pile of quilts. When the store employees arrived in the morning, they saw furniture moving mysteriously. They called the police. Griffin escaped by removing all his clothes and becoming completely invisible.

Answer: In Iping village, Griffin booked a room at an inn. He kept himself covered with bandages and dark glasses to hide his invisibility. He was ill-tempered and stayed in his room most of the time. The people thought he was a strange scientist because of his odd appearance and behaviour. He did not socialize and was always wrapped in bandages.

Answer: (Students should discuss in groups. Points: helping people in need, stopping crimes, learning new things without being noticed, etc., versus using it for personal gain, cheating, or mischief.)

Answer: The story conveys that scientific discoveries should be used for the betterment of humanity, not for personal gain or mischief. Griffin misused his discovery of invisibility to commit crimes, steal, and harm others. The story shows that without a moral compass, scientific genius can lead to destruction and chaos. It warns us that scientific progress must be accompanied by ethical responsibility.

Invisible: unable to be seen
Lawless: not obeying the law; disorderly
Mischief: playful misbehaviour or trouble
Evict: to force someone to leave a property
Clergyman: a male religious leader (priest, pastor)
Bandages: strips of cloth used to cover wounds
Dark glasses: sunglasses used to hide the eyes
Quilts: warm bed covers
Iping: a fictional village in the story
Revenge: the act of inflicting harm in return for an injury
Brilliant: exceptionally clever or talented
Drugged: under the influence of a drug

Answer:
(i) Griffin, the invisible scientist, is being described.
(ii) The landlord disliked Griffin because he was a lawless and troublesome tenant.
(iii) In revenge, Griffin set fire to the landlord's house.

Answer:
(i) Griffin needed to escape because he had committed crimes (robbing shopkeepers, stealing money) and was being chased.
(ii) He escaped by taking off his clothes, which made him completely invisible.
(iii) After escaping, he went into a big London store to warm himself.

Answer: Griffin is considered brilliant because he discovered a drug that could make a person invisible — a remarkable scientific achievement. However, he is also lawless because he misuses his discovery. Instead of using it for the benefit of humanity, he uses it to commit crimes, steal money, set houses on fire, and cause mischief. He has no respect for the law or the rights of others. His actions show that he is selfish, dishonest, and immoral.

Answer: Griffin faced several problems due to his invisibility. He could not be seen, but his footprints were visible. He had to wear bandages and dark glasses to hide his appearance, which made people suspicious. He could not live normally in society. He had to steal food, clothes, and money to survive. He was constantly on the run from the police. His invisibility, which should have been a gift, became a curse because he used it for evil purposes.

Answer: The moral of the story is that scientific discoveries must be used responsibly. Griffin's invisibility, a great scientific achievement, became dangerous because he used it for selfish and criminal purposes. The story warns that without ethics and morality, even the greatest discoveries can harm society. It teaches that power (in this case, the power of invisibility) must be used with responsibility and for the greater good, not for personal gain or revenge.