CBSE Class 12 English The Invisible Man H G Wells Assignment Set A

CBSE Class 12 English The Invisible Man H G Wells Assignment Set A. Students are advised to refer to the attached assignments and practice them regularly. This will help them to identify their weak areas and will help them to score better in examination. Parents should download and give the assignments to their children for practice.

Chapter 11: In the Coach & Horses: Summary: The narrator backtracks to explain what happened inside the Coach& Horses. Mr. Cuss and Mr. Bunting were in the parlor going through the belongings of the Invisible Man. Three large books labeled “Diary” are written in a cipher or code they do not understand. Suddenly the inn door opens and Mr. Marvel enters. They disregard him and begin studying the books again when an unseen force grabs each of them by the neck and begins pounding their heads on the table between questions about what they are doing with his things. The man demands his belongings, saying he wants his books and some clothes.
Notes: Griffin is on the verge of insanity. He is probably terrified on two counts. One would be lest someone tampers with his notes or other belongings related to his experiments. The other would be lest someone should actually be able to decipher his records.

Question. How did Cuss and Bunting react to Marvel’s intrusion when Marvel went into the guest parlour ostensibly looking for the Tap? What did they tell him and to what effect?
Answer: On reaching Iping, Marvel headed straight for the ‘Coach and Horses’ with the Invisible Man’s help. Pretending to be looking for the bar, he entered the guest parlour. He found Cuss and Bunting excitedly pouring over the three hand-written books of the Invisible man trying to decode the unfamiliar script. Marvel’s barging into the room irritated Cuss but relieved Bunting.
Actually Cuss hoped that Bunting, who supposedly knew Greek, could decipher the meaning of the text in the books. But Bunting was not confident of his ability and wished to get over the ordeal of interpreting the ‘diary’ as early as possible. Marvel’s entry, therefore, evoked different reactions from Cuss and Bunting. However, they both immediately directed him to the bar and asked him to shut the door while going. Marvel’s purpose of letting the Invisible Man in the parlour had already been served. Now he didn’t mind being asked to leave the room and he did so without showing any resentment.

Question. Why could neither Cuss nor Bunting make any head or tail out of the three handwritten books left behind by the Invisible Man?
Answer: Both Cuss and Bunting sought Hall’s permission to go through the Invisible Man’s belongings with a great sense of excitement. They were keen to find some clues about the strange guest.
When Cuss came upon the hand-written books with the label ‘diary’ on them, he felt confident that they were on the verge of making some big discovery about the Invisible Man. However, the moment Cuss started flipping through its pages, he was greatly disappointed because the diary either had some mathematical calculation or had been written in a coded language. He felt it was written here and there in Russian and Greek. Thus, he could not make any sense out of it.
Though Bunting knew Greek, he was not confident because he might have learnt the language long back. Not wishing to be exposed, he remained non-committal about his familiarity with Greek. But the fact remained that he too, could. Not make out any better conclusion than Cuss, about these diaries. However, the Greek script gave him some amount of hope as Bunting was supposed to have known to be familiar with the language. Cuss asked him to translate the Greek passages. Bunting somehow was not at all confident of his ability as he must have studied this language long time back and hardly retained it. So he remained no committal about his familiarity with Greek. But the fact remained that he too, could not make out any better conclusions than Cuss, about these diaries.

Question. Describe the events behind the closed doors of the parlour after Cuss and Bunting directed Marvel to the Tap.
Answer: Engrossed in finding some clue about the Invisible Man, Dr Cuss and Vicar Bunting were startled when Marvel rudely pushed open the door of the guest parlour. They immediately directed Marvel to the ‘Tap’ asking him to close the door behind him. Little did they realize that a greater shock awaited them in the closed room. As soon as they turned back to the books and tried to decipher the coded language, they found a great pressure on their necks. Before they could understand anything, they heard someone whisper ‘Don’t move, little men’. The voice that chided them for prying into someone’s private papers threatened to kill them and asked where his clothes were. The twosome had no choice but to agree not to ‘try any nonsense’. This was the Invisible Man who told them that he would like to take away the three hand-written books labelled ‘Diary’. He also made it clear that it was very urgent for him to get some clothes to protect himself from the chilly evenings in the month of June. Both Cuss and Bunting, uncertain of their fate, started awaiting the worst.

Chapter 12: The invisible man loses his temper: Summary: Mr. Hall and Teddy Henfrey are involved in a discussion behind the hotel bar when they hear a thump on the parlor door. They hear strange sounds as of things being thrown against the door and some bizarre conversation.
Doors open and shut and they see Marvel taking off with Huxter trying to follow him. Suddenly Huxter executes a complicated leap in the air. Seconds later, Hall lands on the ground as if he had been attacked by a football player. Several other individuals are shoved aside or sent sprawling in the streets. Mr. Cuss calls for help, telling people that the “Man” has all of the vicar’s clothes. After breaking all the windows in the Coach & Horses and thrusting a chair through the parlor window of another citizen’s house, the Invisible Man disappears from Iping.
Notes: Marvel has taken advantage of the situation, and rather than carrying Griffin’s material for him, has run off with it. The intervention of Huxter and the other individuals almost enables Marvel to get away with the precious books. Cuss quickly catches on to the fact that Griffin will be visible so long as he is carrying the bundle, but he is unaware of the existence of Marvel. The narrator tells us that “perhaps” the Invisible Man only intended to use the vicar’s clothes to cover his retreat, but that at some chance blow he has “gone completely over the edge.” He throws or upends benches, chairs and boards, along with breaking windows. Eventually he catches up with Marvel and they head for the next town.

Question. What attracted the attention of Hall and Henfrey as they waited for Cuss and Bunting outside the parlour? Why didn’t they go inside the room to rescue Bunting and Cuss?
Answer: While Bunting and Cuss poured over the Invisible Man’s books, Henfrey and Hall stood in the bar, a short distance away from the guest parlour, discussing the episodes of the day. Suddenly they heard a violent thud against the door at the parlour which was followed by a sharp cry and then absolute silence. The gentlemen called out to the Vicar and the Doctor to ask if everything was fine. They were assured by Bunting that all was well and further they were warned not to interrupt. In spite of their efforts to stay close to the door to overhear the conversation inside, the muffled sounds and the hissing whispers remained unintelligible. Around this time Mrs Hall spotted them and chided Hall for wasting his time. Dominating as she was, she discouraged them from going inside to help Bunting and Cuss. In the meantime, Huxler’s cry ‘Stop thief’ diverted their attention out in the street and they left Cuss and Bunting to their fate.

Question. What created a commotion in the street when a great rush of people poured out from the ‘Coaches and Horses’ on Whit Monday? How did it help Marvel in escaping?
Answer: Many people came to the Tap to enjoy drinks on Whit Monday when they heard Huxter’s cry to stop the thief. Driven by curiosity, everybody came out to the street to help Huxter catch the culprit. People already down the street stood astonished and some of them came running to join the group that was chasing the thief. A terrible commotion was created and there was utter chaos.
Amidst this, people tumbled, tripped and fell over each other. Most of them were obstructed by some invisible force. They ran helter- skelter in confusion. It was clear that the thief had to be over-powered but in absence of a clear chase-plan things went haywire. This commotion proved to be advantageous for Marvel who found enough time to escape while the mob following him jostled each other. As the people tried to comprehend the invisible hands hitting them, Marvel moved very fast through the lanes going as far as possible from the crowd. The internal maze of the villagers thus helped him to dodge those who were chasing him.

Question. What embarrassment did Cuss and Bunting face due to the Invisible Man’s indecency?
How did the two of them try to handle the situation?
Answer: Bunting and Cuss remained confined to the guest parlour when everybody poured into the street following Huxter’s plea to stop the thief. Actually the Invisible Man had lost his temper when he saw the two gentlemen pouring over his ‘private memorandum’. In addition he was infuriated to the point of craziness when he saw his clothes missing from the room, for they had been removed by Mrs Hall when she tidied up the place. He stripped both the men in a fit of rage and took away with him Cuss’s trousers and all of Bunting’s clothes.
It was only after the Invisible Man left that Cuss came out funnily dressed in a kill (pleated skirt). Bunting, however, stuck to the guest parlour wondering what he should do with his naked state. A while later, Cuss returned to inform Bunting that the Invisible Man was awfully infuriated and was back at the inn. Now Bunting weighed which evil was greater- exposing himself to the wrath of the Invisible Man or running out in the open in a disrobed state. Hearing a frightful struggle in the passage of the inn, he decided in a minute and jumped out of the window with a rug and newspaper precariously wrapped around his body. Inadequately covered, he ran for his life as fast as possible, this embarrassing flight of the vicar was remembered in Iping for a long time to come.

Chapter13. Mr. Marvel discusses his resignation: Summary: Mr. Marvel, propelled by the unrelenting shoulder grip and vocal threats of the Invisible Man, arrives in Bramblehurst. Marvel tries to reason his way out of the situation to no avail. The Invisible man needs a normal person to carry his books and is determined to make use of the fat, red-faced little man.
Notes: This brief chapter serves to track Griffin’s movement to the next location and to show his crude behavior toward Marvel. Marvel tries reasoning, whining, and even suggesting that he may in the long run be a failure and thus “mess up” Griffin’s plans. Nothing works. For the moment, Griffin needs Marvel. If Marvel should drop in accordance with his professed heart condition, it would mean nothing to Griffin.

Question. Why was Marvel in deep despair as he moved towards Bramblehurst?
Answer: Marvel was in deep despair as he moved towards Bramblehurst because he had been forced against his will to be an accomplice in stealthily removing three books and another bundle from the parlour of the ‘Coach and Horses’by the Invisible Man.
On his way, he inadvertently took a wrong turn giving the Invisible Man the impression that he was trying to give him a slip. Hence, a constant close watch was kept on him. He was goaded to walk faster and warned not to act smart. All pleadings of Marvel were unheeded and he was continuously threatened. No relief or respite was given to the poor man. Hence, Marvel pitied himself and complained that the misery he was being subjected to was beyond endurance.
Finding the Invisible Man insensitive to his plight, Marvel was deeply pained, depressed and upset.

Question. What traits of the Invisible Man’s personality surface as he leads Marvel to Bramblehurst?
Answer: The episode when Marvel is led to Bramblehurst lays bare the utter selfishness of the Invisible Man. His constant threats to Marvel and his insensitivity towards his suffering show that he was an absolutely self-centered, callous and thoughtless being. In spite of calling Marvel ‘a poor tool’, this manipulating man was not ready to release him. He wanted to misuse him to an optimum in future also. Instead of feeling grateful to him for having helped retrieve his things from ‘Coaches and Horses’ he knocked him about and showed utter in difference towards him.
He was more worried that the ruckus he had created in Iping would be reported in the press which would draw people’s attention towards his existence. He was not concerned with anything else besides his own interests. He was oblivious to the inconvenience that marvel was suffering and he didn’t bother to lend him a helping hand to carry what was heavy. This revealed his apathy and heartlessness as well. Thus, this episode clearly established the evil character of the Invisible Man.