Character sketch of invisible man

 Griffin

Griffin was the lead character in the novel. He was an albino. Though he had many great qualities, yet he had many flaws in his character. Griffin was a man who had no conscience, was callous towards other people and simply self-centered. He appeared to be at war with the entire mankind. All his actions stemmed from his desire to save himself, with not a thought of care and sympathy for others. He did many mean acts in the novel. When he was short of money he continued his experiments, without any thoughts of the consequences, he robed his own father, who committed suicide because the money was not his. He attended his father’s funeral without feeling sorry for his own act; instead he blamed his father for being a sentimental fool. He experimented on a cat, with no concern for the poor creature’s cries of pain. He threw it out and never tried to find whether it was alive or dead. He burnt down the house at Great Portland Street when the landlord and his sons found about his experiments and were horrified. He was only worried about covering his trail.

Even after becoming invisible he committed one brutal act after another, not because they were necessary for his survival, but simply because he enjoyed doing them. The way he looted his owner of a small costume shop, and left after striking the old man on his head, spoke volumes about his inhumanity. He terrorized Marvel when he was on the run, fought with the policemen. His plan to spread reign of terror among people using his powers of invisibility really shocked Dr. Kemp. He even tried to kill him for betraying him. In his final run from the people hunting him, he killed an old man with a rod because he bumped into him.

 Dr. Kemp

Dr. Kemp was a man of principles and understood his responsibilities to his fellow men and women. Not only he helped Griffin in his hour of need but also dared to risk his life for saving his fellow men and women from the cruel plans of Griffin.

He was quite observant and self-confident scientist. He examined the first traces of the Invisible man’s presence in his house objectively. On coming face with him, Kemp did not at all get started. Without losing his composure, he heard Griffin’s entire story with patience and assured to provide all the help he could. However, after he read all the reports about the invisible man as printed in the newspapers, he sent a word to the police chief, Colonel Adye to come and arrest this criminal.

After he became sure Griffin was a danger mankind, he took decisions in the larger interest of the welfare of the society. The manner in which he got Griffin arrested – by making himself bait, shows he was capable of putting his life in danger for the larger interests of society. Griffin was selfish; but Kemp could sacrifice his own life, this was the main difference between them.

Therefore, Kemp earns the admiration of the readers for the positive qualities for grit and determination.

Marvel

Marvel was an easy-going low-wit man who liked being alone and reclusive. His life before meeting Griffin was quite peaceful, though he had his own challenges to face. He had to be Griffin’s accomplice against his wish as the latter threatened him. He often expressed his wish to be free of the responsibilities Griffin had assigned him, but to no avail. He also tried to give him a slip; but Griffin caught him. Marvel was trapped in Griffin’s schemes. He was to too weak and clever to outsmart the strong and shrewd invisible man.

However, Marvel succeeded in dodging Griffin with his stolen money in his pockets and diaries in which he had written the process of becoming invisible in cipher. He hid the books somewhere as he could not run with them. Fortunately, at Jolly Cricketers he was helped by fortune. After that he took shelter in police custody. He told the police everything he knew about Griffin; but he did not tell anything about the stolen money and his research diaries. After Griffin’s tragic end, he used the stolen money to open an inn and settled in life. He never told anyone that he had Griffin’s diaries that he read every evening to understand the secret information that Griffin had jotted in them. He took advantage of Griffin’s stolen money and secretly kept his research work.

Mrs. Hall

Mrs. Hall is quite an important character in the beginning of the novel. She is the owner of the inn, Coach and Horses. She is an astute business woman, dominating wife, and practical woman. She does her job quite well. She does not mind Griffin’s strange and eccentric appearance and behavior for the business’s sake. However, she is quite quick in observing the abnormality of Griffin’s behavoiur.

She is quite meticulous with the keeping of her inn. She provides satisfactory services to her customers. When Griffin spoils the fender, walls, and the floor in the room, she points it to him. She is a woman of ethics and right behavior