For
Tuesday: H.G. Wells, The Invisible Man,
Chs.1-11 (pp.4-55/Penguin edition)
Answer
TWO of the following in a short paragraph, at least a few sentences but with
sufficient detail so I can see you thinking.
Avoid one sentence and/or vague responses that are simply answers. I don’t want you just to say “yes or no,” but
to really think about the question since each one has a range of possible
responses.
1. Describe
Wells’ style of narration: many have called it “journalistic” or even “impersonal.” Why is this style well-matched to the story
being told, which is quite fantastic in nature?
Discuss a specific passage in your response.
2. What
do you feel makes the Invisible Man “snap” and become what we might call today
a super villain? While he doesn’t seem
necessarily evil or malicious at the beginning of the novel, he clearly becomes
so by Chapter 5. Does Wells let us see
the psychology of a super villain in these opening chapters? Or is his personality, like his appearance, a mystery?
3. Much
of the effect of this novel is lessened for 21st century readers, as
we’ve read about every magical and technological marvel imaginable. But in 1897, this was almost completely
original and undoubtedly shocking for its readers. What elements of the story would read like
real “science fiction” for 19th century readers? Where do we see Wells trying to bridge the
gap between reality and fantasy for an audience unaccustomed to science
fiction?
Rocky Moore
ReplyDelete1. I would definitely agree that his writing style seems to be written in a "journalistic" way regarding to how Wells introduces scenes and characters. His writing feels almost like a diary account of someone watching everything unfolding from afar. We as an audience don't really get inside the minds of the Invisible Man or even the other characters, though we are told little things like Mrs. Hall didn't really like him or someone was frightened at one point or another but we don't get to experience with any character on an intimate level therefore it comes off as not personable. I think this establishes the story even more as I am continuing to want to know about why the invisible man acts a certain way and why he seems to be mad a lot and this writing style keeps me on the edge of my seat, so maybe that is the reasoning behind the "journalistic" approach? For example, Wells introduces us to a scene with the invisible man and Mr. Marvel and how Mr. Marvel goes to Iping to do a job for him, but in the next chapter Wells reverts back to what the scene was actually like inside of the Coach and Horses before Mr. Marvel walks out with the invisible mans possessions that were being investigated.
2. His personality seems to be a mystery throughout and up to the point we have recently got up to. Yes he does come off as distant and occupied with his thinking and polite at the same time. Then it seems that he is agitated by something but we cant really figure it out. This in turn makes the citizens mad who are surrounded by him and his odd ways, then the invisible man starts to become more rude to the people and this seems to escalate even further. Then the invisible man meets Mr. Marvel and his mood changes again to a more mild manner yet he still is being somewhat rude. Its all very hard to catch on to what kind of man he is. I mean he does threaten to kill two men when trying to possess back his belongings but still he doesn't come off as someone evil for no reason, I feel as though the man just wants to be normal and cant, therefore he is lashing out.
1. I would definitely agree with Rocky on this one. We never truly get to see the thoughts or emotions of any of the characters. It is extremely impersonal in the sense that it seems we are being told the story from the perspective of some third party outside of the action. This style works for me because we are not tied to any one character. It isn't from the Invisible Man's perspective, so it isn't biased and making him look like a hero, but it also isn't tied to any of the other "lesser" characters, which allows us to "see" things that no one other than the Invisible Man should know about. For example, just before the Invisible Man exposes himself, the narrator runs through a list of where every other character that has been introduced so far is, and what he or she is doing. Even with third person narration, a lot of novels would stay more closely tied to one character or a group of characters and we would never get that kind of information.
ReplyDelete4. I love the fact that he doesn't really try to fit in when he is an "ordinary person". I got the impression that he has been invisible for so long (his whole life perhaps?) that he goes out of his way to make himself noticeable when he does interact with other people. Admittedly, finding ways to hide that you are invisible wouldn't be easy, but he could have undoubtedly done a better job of blending in had he wanted to. This ties in the idea of a super villain by giving him a motive to be "evil." He has been invisible, ignored, and/or an outcast for the majority of his life. This has made him desperate to be noticed. Which explains his flashy alter ego, and gives him a reason to not be all the way good.
1) Personally, I think Wells narrates as a little bit of both. As I read further into the novel, I kind of relate it to having a dream you see yourself watching. It's like your human self is there watching it, but your dream self is playing a role in it. This style of writing is extremely easy for me to read, which's why I think I've enjoyed this book so much thus far. The way Wells describes the stranger in chapter 1 entails such imagery and depiction--- it's almost like he was standing right in front of me as I read. Also, skipping a few chapters down, the way Wells describes things is amazing. He says everything, yet without saying too much. In chapter 7, when the stranger gets upset and reveals himself to everyone, Wells describes his face as being a "black cavity." Wells narrates the story perfectly fitting to the image he's giving off. I think the impersonality comes from simply not being able to develop a relationship with any of the characters. It's kind of like their emotions are somewhat hidden. In short, I'd say so far this story is both impersonal and journalistic, but I'm open to other suggestions!
ReplyDelete4) I feel like him being called "The Invisible Man" is just a play on words. Normal/ordinary people ARE invisible. It's always the eccentric people who make the news. Same concept applies here. His alter ego is depicted to be someone so normal, yet he's a freaken superhero on the side! Maybe I'm not reading deep enough into it, but from my understanding--- the reason his alter ego is just a "plain ole guy" is self explanatory.
2. Okay to be completely honest, I don't think we have enough information to determine why he snaps, but I think we should put ourselves in his shoes. Imagine being completely invisible. No one talks to you or notices you, you cant really have a conversation with anyone, and if you want to interact with people you have to completely wrap yourself in a ridiculous way. Another thing that would be terrible is having to be completely naked if you didn't have the ridiculous outfit on. However, I think there is more to the story. He could be enraged because the "science experiments" might be in order for him to become visible and he keeps miserably failing. There is definitely a lot of mystery behind this character but at the same time his morals aren't too high. I mean come on, he obviously robbed people, so he can't be an upstanding citizen. With that kind of power comes great responsibility.
ReplyDelete3. I really think the whole tone of the book is drenched in mystery. The fact the audience of the book knows close to nothing about the "non-invisible" man makes the mind race. I also think the introduction of the Invisible man's superpower really sets off the science fiction element within the work. What I found entertaining and I am sure the 19th century readers found entertaining, was the part when the lady was so upset about her chair being possessed. By having these ordinary people interact with the Invisible man is where bridging the gap between reality and fantasy takes place. When the men are trying to arrest the invisible man, the ordinary characters describe what they see and what is going on. The audience is connecting with these ordinary people and becomes just as intrigued and also just as involved as these fictional characters. I think it is fair to say that everyone at one point in time has wished they could be invisible. Personally, I thought it was amazing when the invisible man was fighting the other guys. Maybe this is kind of a jerk thing to say, but it would be pretty awesome to sucker punch the people you don't like and never get caught doing it.
1. It took me a few chapters to get into this book and the way it’s written. I feel like impersonal is the best way to describe it. It’s all information, and not a word more than what we NEED to know. At first I was put off by this, but now that I’m starting to understand the characters a little better, I think this style of narration is really just a reflection of the Invisible Man. Something interesting in these first few chapters was when the dog attacks the Invisible Man. His reaction is to quickly run upstairs. He was so worried about his torn clothes. When confronted, he brushes it off claiming that the dog didn’t break his skin. But this is where I started to guess that something was going on.
ReplyDelete2. I’m not sure I’m entirely convinced that the Invisible Man is a villain. I don’t know enough about him yet. He’s not a murder, and he doesn’t have a super hero he’s working against. He’s so mysterious. What is he working on? Why is he so grumpy? I can understand why he might be short with people because most of them were not genuinely curious about him, but rather his condition. I can’t wait to learn more about him and his past. What would make someone want to become invisible?
Aimee Elmore
ReplyDelete1.) Wells’ style is very impersonal. You don’t really get to see the emotions and thought of any specific characters. I felt like I was getting pieces of the characters but not the whole idea of who they are. In “The Invisible Man” you only get glimpse of what or who he is. When he first arrives, even though he is the main character, you don’t get to know what he thinks. You get to know Mrs. Hall thinks. And later on you get to know what Mr. Cuss thought of the stranger. The way he portrays these thoughts are as if they are fact, very impersonal.
4.) The invisible man’s disguise makes him more noticeable. He can’t walk down the street without someone seeing him. I think his disguise is so noticeable is because after being invisible most of the time sometimes you just want to be seen. He is trying to appear normal but he doesn’t seem to accomplish it. I feel as if he likes the attention he gets as his alter ego.
1. After getting into the story a bit, the narration does seem journalistic, and it made me think of the way Stephen King wrote Carrie- as if it were someone reflecting on events after they’d already occurred. It fits though in a way because in a scientific report, it would be impersonal and just a telling of an experiment. Part of the journalistic feel is from switching between the views of the characters such as how Thomas Marvel’s walking into town is noticed by Mr. Huxter on pg. 50 who is very suspicious of the man’s behavior then the next chapter gives the perspective of Marvel and the Invisible Man as he tries to get his more important things from the Coach and Horses.
ReplyDelete3. Appearing in town in such a mysterious manner with his entire body completely wrapped up and calling himself an ‘experimental investigator’ causes some of the local to think some sort of accident happened that made him deformed. Then their curiosity is astir when all of his numerous crates and luggage arrive, and they are filled with a variety of bottles that Wells took pains to describe along with other scientific things like scales and the journals written in foreign languages with mathematical and other undetermined figures. With all of the smells his experiments exude, his situation certainly seems plausible even though we haven’t discovered the source of his invisibility yet. One thing that hasn’t changed even though we are more used to science fiction stories is that an invisible man is still very creepy and alarming.
Ashley Bean
ReplyDelete1. I can see it being described as impersonal, but that's not the first thing that comes to my mind. It feels that ways because we don't follow one character enough, especially the one that gets our interest: the Invisible Man. The narration to me is very detailed and almost feels like someone taking down notes or a record, and in that sense it does feel journalistic. This type of style records everything that happened regarding the Invisible Man, but seems to know what will happen. This third person narrator doesn't reveal the secrets, instead he waits to reveal them as they occur. While it all seems like a simple mystery at first, it turns out to be something fantastical. In the opening scene in the inn, each character is described even when they aren't important. But immediately the focus shifts to the mysterious man in bandages. I love the style and think it definitely fits because it lets the story itself amaze the readers rather than the writing itself.
2. I believe that the Invisible Man just wanted to be left alone to his work, but instead everyone tried to get in his business just to satisfy their own curiosity. The townspeople's constant poking and probing sends him over the edge. It seems to me that this type of thing has happened to him before, and his invisibility issue becomes more and more troublesome. He just wants to work in peace and find the antidote but no one is letting him. Though he is surrounded by people he is always alone with his problems, and finally it makes him snap. Most supervillians finally snap because of society or those around them, it's never really a random decision.
1. Well’s style of narration could be called “journalistic.” When I first began reading this book, I found that I was torn because I was unsure if the narrator would be considered 3rd person omniscient or simply 3rd person. I still don’t feel that I have enough information to say for sure because at times the narrator seems to have some insight regarding events that are not directly described in the text. For instance, at the beginning of chapter 4, the narrator states that he describes certain circumstances in detail leading readers to believe that there are some circumstances which could add to the story but have been omitted. This omission creates an air of mystery and leads readers to conclude that they are seeing only parts of the larger picture. This style of narration makes me feel as though there are clues being withheld from me. If I had ALL the clues, perhaps I could solve the mystery behind the Invisible Man.
ReplyDelete4. The costume adds to the tension because initially the stranger comes in a colder season where it is acceptable to wear a coat, hat, gloves, etc. However, the mystery is heightened when this is the only clothing that the stranger wears. The fact that his face is covered entirely reveals to the people of Iping and to readers that he is most certainly hiding something, which turns out to be much worse than the townspeople expected. I think there could have been more contrast between the two personalities had the man been completely silent in his affairs with the townspeople and only whispered to himself or laughed and paced behind closed doors. Wells does a great job of keeping the man’s interaction with the townspeople to a minimum though as he must interact with them to some degree. I especially liked the emphasis placed on his movement and noise behind closed doors though because it is representative of the invisible personality. None of what is being reported is being observed through vision but through other senses, as is necessary in the case of the invisible man regardless of whether the door is open or closed.
Cora-lee Snow
ReplyDelete1. I think that the way that this story is told seems very impersonal and journalistic. For example, Wells takes into account the actions and placement of many different characters. He does not focus on only the actions of the invisible man. While reading the story, we learn little details about many characters that may not even seem as important as the invisible man. The author could very well be a journalist writing out events exactly as he sees them or hears them. For example, at the very beginning of chapter five Wells writes, "The facts of the burglary at the vicarage came to us chiefly through medium of the vicar and his wife." He's the narrator of the story, why does he need to say this? However, I think it is working for the story.
2. I think that the invisible man "snaps" when people start aiming so many questions at him. I'm not sure how one would hide being invisible, but he makes an obvious attempt throughout the beginning chapters. He has made it perfectly clear in these chapters also, that he does not wish to be disturbed, yet the people that he is staying with simply do not respect this. They are too curious and prying, not that I wouldn't be with such a mysterious stranger. I think that he completely snaps when they attempt to arrest him. Why would you simply be arrested when you could disappear so easily? After this, he becomes even more of a villain when he decides to manipulate Mr. Marvel into doing exactly what he needs him to do. However, I'm not sure that at this point, we have learned enough about him to call him a super villain. We do not know his back story at all. I still can't determine if he wants to be invisible or not.
Bria Gambrell
ReplyDelete2. Throughout the beginning of the novel, Wells allows us to paint our own picture of the invisible man. By doing this, we (the reader) can create our own modified version of a super villain, using the traits given to us in the text. However, by using this style of writing, it leaves A LOT of leeway as far as understanding his personality. Early on, I noticed that he hates when he feels judged, and when people try to ask questions about his appearance, he just snaps to a different subject or avoids the comment all together. When Mrs. Hall tries to explain that she knows how to work well with bandages, he shuts her up by telling her she can leave. He does this quite frequently throughout the text, so it is safe to assume that he hates judgments and obviously Mrs. Hall (she angers him the most). Wells intro to the Invisible Man gives an understandable view of the ways to become a super villain: scrutiny leading to mass insanity/anger.
4.First off, let’s all agree that the costume the invisible man wears is far from inconspicuous. What makes this “costume” so unique from other super villains (besides there being no cape) is the fact that his costume is supposed to allow him to blend in with the rest of society, whereas other malicious villains cloak themselves with more obvious clothing to signify that they are indeed evil. By doing this, Wells makes it hard to decipher if the invisible man actually is a villain. The visible man “looks” more vicious than the invisible man, and that frightens readers, because it gives the idea that villains can cloak themselves just as well as a superhero can; this hints at the notion that villains, much like superheroes, can have alter egos.
Shelby Pletcher
ReplyDelete1) As somebody who's second major is Mass Media, I've taken multiple classes in Media Writing and Journalism. These classes teach you exactly how to drain every ounce of emotion out of your writing and say everything you need to say in as little words as possible. With that said, I struggle to see how one could describe Wells style of writing as "impersonal". However, depending on your definition of "journalistic", I could definitely see that. I think just because Wells doesn't get caught up in impressing us with some sort of canvas he's painted in his head and his great literary and poetic forte, doesn't mean that his style of writing doesn't tell just as rich of a story as somebody like William Chaucer. I think the impersonal way we are introduced to all of these characters and how very little "POV" we get out of each of them is probably the strongest suit of this book. It makes it all the more chilling and thrilling and mysterious to me as the reader. For instance, in the first chapter of The Invisible Man, we are introduced to each character as if we already knew them before. But I don't know these people. I especially don't know this "Invisible Man". But Wells style of writing begs me to ask the question, do I want to? And perhaps, I already do.
4) I think the Invisible Man's "costume" tells us that he wants to induce fear in the heart of his company. His suit makes him appear normal, but he so clearly is not. He wants you to question what you were going to question anyway, but in an inconspicuous and frightful way that makes him unapproachable to the average person.