Question

Griffin failed not only as a son and a scientist, but also as a human being. Comment. (The Invisible Man) 

Answer 1

Griffin was a very intelligent and hard working scientist who put in all heart and soul into his research. He  worked with a focused mind and stopped at nothing short in pursuit of his scientific goal to achieve  invisibility.Unfortunately his passion warped into an obsession and he stooped to pits of depravity.Griffin  was a student of medicine at the University College where he won a medal for excellence in chemistry.He  was almost an albino, six feet high and broad with a pink and white face and red eyes. Hiskeen interest in  light drew him to physics. Fascinated by optical density, he moved to Chesilstowe after leaving London. At  that time he was twenty two years old and full of enthusiasm. He worked as a lecturer in a provincial college  with his superiors and his peers, he worked stealthily so that he wouldn’t have to share the credit of his work  with anybody. He cut himself off from normal social life and withdrew into the dark interiors of selfishness. His poverty drove him to the extent of robbing his own father, creating such a situation that that the old man  had to commit suicide in order to escape humiliation. The lack of remorse at the death of his father was a  firm point when this otherwise brilliant scientist turned into a self-centred, selfish and callous man. Throwing  to winds all ethics and morality, Griffin grew short tempered, intolerant and vindictive. He finally succeeded in his ambition but the unforeseen problems that were generated because of his invisible condition compelled  him to move to Iping, a remote village.Embittered by his pseudo success Griffin continued to fall morally. He  made life miserable forthe people of Iping, especially that of the Hall couple. He resorted to theft robbery,  and terror to proclaim a false sense of superiority. The absence of humane sensitivity in Griffin became clear  when he forced a vulnerable Marvel to be his accomplice. The brutal manner in which he killed Wicksteed  and chased Kemp to avenge treachery marked the eventual destruction of goodness, mercy and kindness  that are trademark of an intelligent scientist.Therefore Griffin’s character comes out more as a wicked, crazy  and heinous criminal than a responsible scientist.