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Characterization In The Invisible Man

1055 Words5 Pages

Fiction and Poetry Essay From hearing the words “invisible man,” a series of remarkable images may come to mind; such as floating objects, or a trail of footprints that have appeared out of thin air. The words also have interesting connotations, suggesting a kind of creepy superpower. These images, catch the attention of those reading the novel, The Invisible Man. Readers are also provided with a greater understanding of the novel by examining the past of the invisible man. Through the use of plot and structure, conflict, and characterization, Wells is able to guide his audience to better understand the main character and the reasoning behind many of his actions. From examining specific elements of plot in H.G. Wells’ scientific fantasy The …show more content…

Wells’ The Invisible Man, the use of characterization offers an explanation to the question: are people only acting in a good manner because society is forcing them to do so? As said in the afterward, “Without the eyes of others on us, and given a perfect ability to escape any punishment, we would live in a very different world” (Westerfield 178) it seems that people find themselves acting differently when they do not have any repercussions. Before Griffin had become invisible, he could easily be described as a very studious chemist who was very interested in his work, but after taking on his invisible state this description changed. The shift in characterization seemed to have been driven by the new power that was offered with invisibility. With the use of indirect characterization, Wells is able to successfully able to show the change in Griffin’s state of mind through his actions. This is shown as Griffin begins to make decisions that he would not have made when he was physically visible: “The invisible man seems to have rushed out of Kemp’s house in a state of blind fury. A little child was violently caught up and thrown aside, so that it’s ankle was broken,”(Wells 94). When visible, Griffin would not have hurt the child as he did when he was invisible. Griffin found himself causing this trouble because of his ability to “pass out of human perceptions,”(Wells 94). If this anonymity had been taken away, it would not have been likely that Griffin would have made the same decisions, for there would actually be a consequence for his

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