character sketch- The Invisible Man

Dr. Griffin:

Dr. Griffin is a fictional character, also known as ‘The Invisible Man’, who appears as the so-called protagonist in H.G. Wells' 1897 science fiction novella ‘The Invisible Man’. He is a scientist whose research in optics and experiments into changing the human body's refractive index to that of air results in his becoming invisible.

The novel opens with his arrival at the inn 'Coach and Horses', muffled up entirely in white bandage from head to toe. His pink nose was the only thing that was visible. He was dressed in a long black coat and a black brimmed hat concealing almost his entire face. There we know him as a stranger who is a cool, mysterious and isolated guy. He could never feel belongingness to a larger community. During his time at the inn, he tries his best to conceal his identity. He hated audience of any kind, and curtly cut short anyone who tried to talk to him. This way, Griffin had created an atmosphere of mystery, doubt and deceit not only in the inn but also in the mind of the readers. His strange behaviour further gave in to rumours of him being associated with anarchy, theft and insanity. 

Then, we meet him as an invisible man who tries to keep calm and secretive. But he fails to do so when villagers started questioning, gossiping and Mrs Hall, the innkeeper, demands explanations from him. Getting into trouble over an unpaid bill, he reveals his identity and resolves at starting a reign of terror.

Until, half way through the novel we don’t know his real name. It is when he was wounded he flees to a former acquaintance’s (Dr Kemp’s) room. There we come to know him as a gifted scientist who discovers a formula for making a human being invisible. But he was an extremely ambitious person who, just to ensure he gets sole credit for the discovery leaves university and moves to a dingy apartment to continue his experiments alone.

There he reveals that, to get money for his experiments in invisibility, he robbed his father of money belonging to someone else; as a result his father committed suicide. So, he was not just an ambitious person but a self-centred son too who cared for nothing but his name and fame. He had lost all his sense of conscience and didn’t feel sorry even after his father’s death.

But he takes people easily into confidence. So, he was betrayed twice. First, by his assistant Marvel and later his friend Dr Kemp betrays him.  This made him think of avenging his former friend. So, he sends a note announcing that he plans to kill a man each day; his friend is to be the first victim. After a grotesque struggle, the Invisible Man is held by two men and struck with a spade by another man. As he is dying, his body slowly becomes visible.

Though he was the protagonist of the story, all his deeds were more like that of an antagonist. If we just see protagonist as a person who is responsible for driving the story forward. He can be considered as protagonist of the novel. But his actions were such that we find an antagonist in him then a protagonist. Unlike a traditional hero who is a universal deliverer he was the chief destroyer in the novel. He created chaos and disturbed peaceful environment of Iping. In Port Stowe we see extreme violence in his character. He had a plan to kill people and create ‘a reign of terror’. Though he had ample knowledge, his mind was sinister one. He devised an experiment to become invisible and then started looting and murdering whoever came in his way. Here, we can compare his character to Dr Kemp, a simple yet equally knowledgeable scientist who wanted to use his knowledge for the welfare of people.

Lastly, Griffin was very short-tempered and impatient. He lost his temper over pretty things and started hurting others. Maybe isolation from the society and his frustration of not being able to reverse the process of invisiblity made him so.

Dr Arthur Kemp:

Dr. Kemp was a physician. Griffin knew him when both were university students. To Kemp, Griffin reveals his story. Later, he says that he plans to use Kemp’s house as a base for his reign of terror, and he threatens Kemp’s life. Kemp goes to the police, with whose aid he finally succeeds in destroying Griffin.

Like Griffin, Dr Kemp was also a talented scientist who lived in Burdock. Actually, they both had gone to the same college. He was a tall and slender young man with flaxen hair and a moustache almost white.

He was ambitious which was clear from the fact that he wanted recognition of his achievements. But then he was also a speculative philosopher. The night that Griffin came to his house Dr Kemp was working on a remote speculation of social conditions of the future.

Kemp is referred to as “the doctor,” but his degree seems to be an academic one rather than a medical one. He continues his own study in hopes of being admitted to “The Royal Fellows”. His own experiments and fascination with science enable him to listen sensibly to Griffin, but in spite of being rather disrespectful of his fellow citizens, his common sense and politeness prevent him from being a part of Griffin’s schemes.

Unlike Griffin he was a calm and sensible man. He didn’t lose his mind even at the direst moment. He was cool even when the murder threat arrived. He laid his own life on the line to get Griffin arrested which showed that he was also very brave.