Footprints without Feet

The invisible man, Griffin, first became visible when he stepped into mud, and his footprints were all over the steps of a house in the middle of London. His footprints were noticed by two boys who followed them. Later, to escape the cold, he slipped into a big London store. There, he dressed in an overcoat, shoes, and a wide-brimmed hat, which made him visible to the shop assistants when the shop opened in the morning. He then had to shed all his clothes to escape and became invisible again.

Although Griffin was a brilliant scientist, he was a lawless person. His landlord disliked him and tried to evict him. In revenge, Griffin set fire to the house. To escape without being caught, he had to remove his clothes and become invisible. Thus, he became a homeless wanderer without clothes or money, roaming the streets of London in mid-winter.

The arrival of a stranger with an uncommon appearance at an inn in mid-winter was an unusual event. Mrs Hall tried to be friendly with Griffin, but he rebuffed her by saying that he had come there for solitude and did not wish to be disturbed in his work. He also mentioned that an accident had affected his face. Considering all these strange behaviors and his appearance, Mrs Hall found him to be eccentric.

In the early hours of the morning, the clergyman and his wife woke up to noises in their study. Creeping downstairs, they heard the chink of money being taken from the desk. When they entered, to their amazement, the room was empty. They looked everywhere—under the desk, behind curtains, and up the chimney—but no one was there. Yet, the desk was open and the housekeeping money was missing.

When Mrs Hall and her husband entered the scientist’s room, they found the door wide open, which was usually locked. The scientist was missing, and his clothes and bandages were lying about. Suddenly, Mrs Hall heard a sniff close to her ear. Then, the hat on the bedpost leapt up and dashed into her face. The bedroom chair then sprang into the air and pushed both of them out of the room. The door slammed and locked automatically. Mrs Hall believed the room was haunted by spirits caused by the stranger.

Griffin was indeed a lawless person who harmed others for his selfish interests.

• He set his landlord’s house on fire in revenge.
• He robbed clothes and food from shops without paying.
• He stole money from the clergyman’s house.
• He attacked Mrs Hall with a chair and threw her husband out of the room.
• Finally, he knocked down the constable, Mr. Jaffers, to escape arrest.

He was vengeful, self-obsessed, and did not care about the safety or well-being of society.

Griffin was undoubtedly a brilliant scientist because he discovered the formula to make the human body transparent and invisible. This was a massive scientific achievement. However, he was not a noble scientist. Instead of using his discovery for the benefit of society, he misused it to commit crimes, hurt people, and satisfy his own petty needs. Therefore, while his intellect was high, his ethics were non-existent.

It would be an exciting idea for most people to become invisible, but it has two sides:

• Advantages: It could be very useful for military personnel or police to track criminals, spies, or terrorists without being seen, helping to maintain law and order. A child might enjoy playing pranks without getting caught.
• Disadvantages: It would lead to isolation. An invisible person would have no friends or family to share joys and sorrows with. One might become eccentric and lonely like Griffin, cut off from normal human interaction.

Yes, electrostatic and magnetic forces are examples of invisible forces. We cannot see them, but we can see their effects. Similarly, atoms and molecules are so tiny they are invisible to the naked eye. Sound and heat energy are also transparent. If these invisible things became visible, it might create chaos or irritation for our senses, obstructing our view of the world.

Glass and water are transparent because light can pass through them without being reflected or absorbed significantly. When light rays fall on an object, the reflection makes it visible. If an object (or human body, in science fiction) is made such that it does not reflect light but allows it to pass through, it becomes invisible.