Footprints without Feet
Chapter Sketch
This story is about a scientist who discovers how to make himself invisible. As he was afraid of being discovered in London, where he had committed some crimes, he runs away to a remote village. However, he runs out of money and resorts to robbery, using his advantage of invisibility About the Characters.
“Griffin” He is the eccentric scientist who makes himself invisible. He does not hesitate to resort to criminal activities to remain a mystery.
“Mrs Hall” She is the resolute but superstitious owner of the inn at iping where Griffin stays.
“Mr Jaffers” He is a dutiful policeman who fails to arrest the ‘invisible’
scientist.
OVERVIEW OF THE CHAPTER
Boys see Footprints in Street:
Two boys on a street in London were surprised to see fresh muddy footprints of bare feet on the steps of a house without finding who was making them. Further on, the footprints disappeared. These footprints had been made by Griffin, an eccentric scientist who had discovered how to make his body transparent. He could only be seen by the clothes he was wearing.
Griffin: A Lawless Person :
Griffin was having a criminal bent of mind and was a Lawless person. He set fire to his landlord’s house to take revenge against him for trying to evict him. To get away. he had to remove his clothes so that he became invisible. He was a homeless wanderer in London without clothes or money, during winter.
Escape by Griffin :
Griffin managed to escape from the two keen boys’ observation and entered unseen into a big store to get warm. After the store was closed at night, Griffin put on some new clothes, consumed meat and coffee from the restaurant in the store and went to sleep on a pile of quilts. He overslept and only woke up when the shop had opened and the assistants had arrived. On being seen and chased by them, he again took off his clothes so that they could not see him.
Griffin at a Theatrical Company :
Then Griffin entered a theatrical company giving items used in plays. There he wore bandages to outline his face, dark glasses, a false nose and bushy side-whiskers. He robbed the shopkeeper of his money and escaped to a village away from London to avoid being caught.
Griffin Arrives at Iping Village :
Griffin booked two rooms at an inn belonging to Mrs Hall in the village Iping. He explained to her that he had an accident and did not want to be disturbed, as Mrs Hall tried to be social with him. Soon his money was finished and so he robbed a clergyman’s house by using his invisibility.
Mrs Hall Enters Griffin’s Room :
That same day, when Mrs Hall found Griffin’s room open, with his bandages and clothes lying around, she and her husband entered the room. Suddenly both of them were attacked by the furniture being flung at them, but they could not see who was doing this. Mrs Hall felt that the furniture was haunted by spirits, as she could not see Griffin.
Griffin becomes Invisible and Escapes from Iping :
When the clergyman reported the burglary to the police, most people in the village felt that the strange scientist had a hand in it, because he paid his due rent, whereas earlier he was not able to do so. So Mr Jaffers, the village police constable, was called to arrest Griffin on suspicion. Meanwhile, Mrs Hall asked Griffin to explain all the unusual happenings. Griffin lost his temper and decided to tell all. He started removing his clothes and even Jaffers could not catch someone whom he could not see. He was knocked unconscious by the invisible man, who escaped.
Chapter Highlights
- Two boys on a London street were surprised to see fresh muddy footprints of bare feet without finding who was making them.
- These footprints had been made by Griffin, an eccentric scientist who had discovered how to make his body transparent.
- To get away after he had burnt his landlord’s house down, he had to remove his clothes so that he became invisible.
- Griffin entered unseen into a big store to get warm. When the store closed at night, he put on new clothes, consumed meat and coffee from the restaurant and went to sleep on a pile of quilts.
- He overslept and was seen by the shop assistants in the morning. He again took off his clothes to escape them.
- Then he entered a theatrical company, and wore bandages on his face, dark glasses, a false nose and bushy side-whiskers. He robbed the shopkeeper of his money and escaped to Iping village by train to avoid being caught.
- He rented two rooms at an inn in the village. He explained to Mrs Hall, its owner, that he had an accident and did not want to be disturbed. Soon his money finished and so he robbed a clergyman’s house by using his invisibility.
- That same day, when Mrs Hall entered his room, she and her husband were ‘attacked’ by the furniture. This made Mrs Hall think that it was haunted by spirits.
- When the clergyman reported the burglary to the police, Griffin was suspected of having a hand in it. So the village constable, Jaffers came to arrest him on suspicion.
- Meanwhile, Mrs Hall asked Griffin to explain all the unusual happenings. Griffin lost his temper and took off all his clothes (thus becoming invisible), knocked Jaffers unconscious and ran away.
WORD MEANINGS
started →jumped with surprise
imprints →marks due to pressure
progressing →moving
impressions →footmarks
altogether →totally
bewildered →puzzled
transparent →invisible
rare drugs →chemicals / medicines not easily made
eject →remove
by no means →not yet
warmth →keeping warm
pile →heap lying one on top of another
panicked →got alarmed
stock →items
callously →without caring
set all tongues wagging →started people gossiping
eccentric →strange
ready cash →money
clergyman →Christian priest
chink →high pitched ringing sound
poker →metal rod
flung open →suddenly opened
sniff →sound made by nose drawing in air
bedpost →upright support of bed
dashed →struck
springing →jumping
foremost →in front
slam →quickly close
hysterics →wildly emotional reaction
witchcraft →practice of magic
quick-tempered →losing temper quickly
warrant →official authorization
blows →powerful hits with the hands
knocked →forced to fall