The Invisible Man

Essay by PaperNerd ContributorHigh School, 11th grade February 2002

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The Invisible Man, by H. G. Wells, is a novel centered around the visions of a mad scientist. The main character, Griffin, is a man thrust into villainy by his own scientific discoveries. The villainous tactics shown by Griffin enhances the meaning of the work a great deal. Griffin's villainous ways come about by necessity, revenge, and discontentment of his state of being invisible.

Griffin's invisibility creates a necessity to become a villain because of a lack of self-sufficiency. He cannot provide himself with the products needed for a human to live. In order to obtain clothing and food, Griffin must resort to common thievery. Although the crimes are petty and short lived, the author uses the necessity of the invisible man to show that in order the live Griffin must be villainous. Moreover, the crimes start out random and unorganized to show Griffin's lack of coordination to his newly acquired form.

This accentuates the plot by creating a desire in the reader to know more of what is to come of the invisible man's villainous ways.

Revenge is what drives Griffin to even more villainous tactics than necessity does. His anger towards people who do not allow him to have his way results in physical harm of the person who tries to stop him. Such as the aggression shown to the constable who is trying to arrest Griffin for his burglary. Deception is the ultimate wrong in Griffin's eyes and he must seek revenge upon the person who deceives him. The only way that revenge is to be taken out is by the death of the person who has deceived Griffin at his own hands. This being the more focused of his anger the consequences are more villainous everytime deception of him occurs. The author shows that the more the invisible man is pushed into anger the more he in enveloped by evil. Griffin's murderous ways enhances the novel by giving the reader a more in depth look at the mind a mad man. It also encourages the reader to have more emotion, either good or bad, towards the characters and their actions.

Above all discontentment is what really causes Griffin to finally become the compete villain. Griffin believes that there are two reasons that invisibility is good; for escaping and for approaching unsuspecting people. Before Griffin expresses complete discontentment the villainous ways are not yet entirely visible and shows hope that Griffin can turn from his villainous ways. Griffin, haunted by the fact that he is a wanted man, kills at the drop of a hat with no remorse or motive. When before his discontentment and complete abandonment of the human race he is still somewhat human and not entirely invisible terror. The author use the terror and dehumanization of the invisible man by no longer calling him by the name Griffin.

Griffin, the mad scientist, uses villainous ways to get what he wants. His crimes begin petty and purely for necessity. Soon they grow into the revenge against those who cross him, developing even more his role as a villain. Becoming the ultimate villainous terror with his dehumanization and discontentment of his form of invisibility.