CBSE Class 10 English Footprints without Feet Assignment Set 04

Short Answer Type Questions
 

Question. Did Griffin reciprocate when Mrs. Hall wanted to be friendly with him ?
Answer: No, Griffin was not keen to mix with people in the village of Iping. He told Mrs. Hall that his reason for coming to Iping was a desire for solitude. He even told her that he did not want to be disturbed in his work.

Question. Why was “the strange scientist strongly suspected of having had a hand” in the burglary at the clergyman’s home ?
Answer: The news of the burglary at the clergyman’s home had become known throughout the village. The people of the village strongly suspected the strange scientist Griffin of having a hand in it. Moreover, he had suddenly produced some ready cash, when he had admitted not long before that he had no money anymore.

Question. What did Griffin do in the shop of a theatrical company ?
Answer: Griffin wanted to conceal his identity and move away from London. So he entered the shop of a theatrical company, invisibly and wore bandages around his forehead. He even wore dark glasses, a false nose, big bushy side whiskers and a large brimmed hat to hide his appearance. After getting ready, he attacked the shopkeeper and ran away after taking all of his money.

Question. How did he save himself from the chasing staff of the store?
Answer: Griffin took advantage of his being invisible and took shelter in a store at night. When Griffin saw that the salesmen of the store were coming near him, he took off all his clothes and became invisible. He did not have any other choice to save himself.

Question. Why was Mrs Hall hysterical and fell down the stairs?
Answer: When Mrs. Hall went to see the invisible man in his room, she found the bedroom chair had alive, springing into the air, it charged straight into her. Then the chair pushed both the husband and the wife out of the room. She felt that the spirits had entered into her furniture and she became hysterical.

Question. What happened when Griffin didn’t wake up in time?
Answer: Griffin did not wake up in time and when he saw the assistants at the shop approaching the next morning, he just panicked and ran. They gave him a chase and he could escape only after he took off his clothes. So, he was once again out in the open without clothes in the chilly air of January.

Question. Why did Mrs. Hall ignore Griffin’s strange habits?
Answer: Mrs. Hall ignored Griffin’s strange habits because she was satisfied that her guest was an eccentric scientist and above all he had paid her in advance. Arrival of a stranger at an inn in winter was in any case an unusual even in Iping.

Question. Mr. Griffin entered the shop of the theatrical company. What did he do there?
Answer: Mr. Griffin entered the shop to find clothes. He covered himself above his shoulders with bandages. He then wore dark glasses, a false nose and a large hat. He hit the shopkeeper and robbed him.
 

Long Answer Type Questions

Question. What happened to the landlord and his wife in Griffin’s bedroom ?
Answer: One morning, the landlord and his wife woke up very early. They were surprised to see the scientist’s door wide open. Usually it was shut and locked. They became curious. They looked into the room but found nobody. The clothes and bandages of Griffin were lying about the room. Griffin was furious. He first hit Mrs. Hall on the face with a hat. Then he flung the bedroom chair at her.
They panicked and turned away in terror. They were pushed out of the room by the flying chair. The landlord’s wife almost fell down the stairs. She was convinced that the room was haunted by spirits.

Question. Griffin’s great discovery did not make him a popular and a respectable person. Explain with instances from the text.
Answer: Griffin was not a true scientist as he misused his scientific discovery. Once he had a quarrel with his landlord. He tried to eject Griffin. In revenge, Griffin set fire to his house. To get away-without being seen, he had to remove his clothes. Thus it was that he became a homeless wanderer, without clothes, without money and quite invisible.
Then he hired two rooms at the village of Iping. He decided to steal money from the clergyman’s home. One night, he made himself invisible and entered his study. The clergyman and his wife woke up when they heard a noise in their study. They went downstairs. They heard the chink of money being stolen from the desk. They opened the door with a poker but there was no trace of the burglar.
In this way, Griffin misused his scientific discovery without making benefit to the mankind.

Question. Give a character-sketch of Griffin.
Answer: Griffin was a brilliant scientist. He had carried out a number of experiments to develop a technique of turning human body transparent and making it invisible. It was really a great discovery. Griffin did not use it for the benefit of mankind. He misused it. He was not a true scientist. As a matter of fact, he was a lawless person. He set fire to the landlord’s house, entered a London store where he broke open the boxes and put on warm clothes. In Iping village, he stole the clergyman’s money and hit Mrs. Hall first with a hat and then with a chair. He hit the policeman and the people who tried to help the policeman.

Question. Griffin was a brilliant scientist but not a true one. What made him a bad scientist ? What does it show about his character ? How is the value of ‘welfare for all’ important in the life of a scientist ?
Answer: Griffin was a brilliant scientist but not a true one. He discovered how human body could be made transparent. It was an amazing discovery that could be used the welfare of society. But Griffin misused it. He used it to puzzle others. He disturbed the peace of others. He robbed the innocent people. He took revenge upon his landlady. It shows he was not a man of good character. He lacked the value of kindness, cooperation and humility. He was an eccentric dishonest and lawless scientist who brought bad name to science. He did not understand the value of welfare for all. If he had used his invention for good cause, he would have become immortal and remembered forever.

Question. “A lawless scientist is a curse to the society.” Discuss with reference to the story ‘Footprints without Feet’.
Answer: A true scientist is always dedicated and concerned about the welfare and well-being of the society as a whole. A scientist should never be selfish but use his inventions and discoveries for the benefit of the entire mankind. His goal should be to see the people of the world happy, prosperous and leading their lives comfortably.
But a scientist, if he is lawless, is a curse to the society. For instance, Griffin in the story ‘Footprints without Feet’ was a brilliant scientist, who made a rare discovery of making the human body invisible. But he was selfish, lawless and concerned more about his own petty gains. He was a lawless scientist who misused his discovery by setting his landlord’s house on fire, stealing from the London store, attacking a shopkeeper and robbing him of his money, while he was in London. At Iping also, he stole the clergyman’s money, hit Mrs. Hall by hurling a chair at her and knocked down the constable after becoming invisible. This shows that a scientist like him is a curse to society and rather than causing benefit, he causes more harm to the people around him.

Question. Science is a good servant but a bad master. How is this applicable to Griffin’s scientific discovery? Give examples from the text.
Answer: Griffin’s scientific discovery was misused by him. Being a lawless person he used his discovery to trouble other people. When his landlord in London tried to eject him he set fire to the landlord’s house in revenge and then he became invisible so that he could get away without being seen. He never used his discovery for a constructive purpose but always misused it to escape after committing an unlawful act. He troubled and harassed people after becoming invisible. He evades arrest, after knocking down the village constable Jaffers by becoming invisible. So the saying - ‘Science is a good servant but a bad master’ is truly applicable to Griffin’s scientific discovery.

Question. Griffin was his own enemy. What typical traits of his character led to his downfall? Mention some of the values he should have possessed.
Answer: A man who doesn’t know how to manage his temper is the worst enemy of himself. This way, Griffin was truly his own enemy. He was short-tempered, violent and lawless. Being a person prone to anger, and a scientist, proved to be a dangerous combination. He would attack without provocation, as he attacked the Drury Lane shopkeeper. Despite being invisible, he was careless enough to be ‘discovered’ stealing at the clergyman’s house. Thus, all these character flaws, i.e., uncontrolled anger, aggression, impatience, restlessness, vexation and uncontrolled behaviour led to his downfall. He was an intelligent scientist who could earn good money by adopting good ways. He could have helped the people of his community and earn a good name for himself.

Question. Griffin’s unlawful activities devalue his scientific discovery. What are some of the qualities that he should. develop?
Answer: Griffin was a scientist who had actually made a major discovery. He had discovered a medicine and if a person drank that medicine, he would easily go invisible. However, his unlawful activities greatly undermined his discovery. People were afraid of him and did not recognize his achievement due to his anger and violent nature. Griffin ought to have been more tolerant and patient. Instead of terrorizing people with his discovery, he should have exercised patience, and gradually revealed himself to the world. Patience would have been an asset for him, as he would have waited for the right time and right opportunities to make his discovery public and enjoy his fame and riches brought by the discovery.

Question. Why did Griffin decide to slip into a big London store? What was the outcome ?
Answer: Griffin’s landlord wanted him to leave the house, so, in revenge, he set fire to the house. But he had no clothes to wear as he had left all his clothes to escape from his crime. Therefore, now he was invisible and without clothes. But the air was bitterly cold outside and he could not do without clothes, so he decided to slip into a big London store. When the doors of the shop were shut, he broke open some boxes and wrappers and fitted himself with warm clothes. He wore shoes, an overcoat and a wide-brimmed hat, and became a fully dressed and visible man. Later, he had cold meat and coffee followed with sweets and wine and slept on a pile of quilts in that very store. In the morning, he did not wake up in time. Therefore, the assistants chased him and he could escape only by removing his new-found clothes. In the end, he once again became invisible and cold.
 

Extract Based Questions

1. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follows :
Brilliant scientist though he was, Griffin was rather a lawless person. His landlord disliked him and tried to eject him. In revenge Griffin set fire to the house, to get away without being seen he had to remove his clothes. Thus, it was that he became a homeless wanderer, without clothes, without money and quite invisible-until he happened to step in some mud and left footprints as he walked!

Question. The writer says that Griffin was a brilliant scientist. Elaborate in about 40 words with evidence.
Answer: It can be said that Griffin was a brilliant scientist because he carried on various experiments to prove that human body could become invisible.

Question. State TRUE or FALSE. None of the terms (a)-(d) can be applied to the statement - His landlord disliked him and tried to eject him.
(a) A hypothesis - a proposed explanation for a phenomenon
(b) An assumption - something that is taken for granted or assumed to be true
(c) A hyperbole - exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally
(d) A premise - a proposition that forms the basis of an argument
Answer: True

Question. State the reason he was wandering on the streets.
Answer: He was wandering on the streets because he had set fire to his landlord’s house.

Question. Which phrase would correctly substitute ‘a lawless’ in the given sentence from the extract? Brilliant scientist though he was, Griffin was rather a lawless person.
Answer: An anarchic

2. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follows :
He broke open boxes and wrappers and fitted himself out with warm clothes. Soon, with shoes, an overcoat and a wide-brimmed hat, he became a fully dressed and visible person.

Question. Why does the author state “he became a fully dressed and a visible person”?
Answer: The author state “he became a fully dressed and a visible person” because the protagonist was invisible.

Question. Where was he?
Answer: He was at the London Store.

Question. Why did ‘he’ come to the place where he was in?
Answer: ‘he’ (Griffin) decided to ship into a big London store because it was mid-winter season. Due to this it became difficult to wander around without clothes in London.

Question. Which word would correctly substitute ‘completely’, in the given sentence from the extract? The PM was completely aware of the shortcomings of his government.
Answer: fully

3. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follows :
He pretended, however, that he was expecting a cheque to arrive at any moment. Shortly afterwards a curious episode occured. Very early in the morning a clergyman and his wife were awakened by noises in the study. Creeping downstairs, they heard the chink of money being taken from the clergyman’s desk.

Question. What is the ‘curious episode’ referred to in the extract?
Answer: The curious episode referred to in the extract is a theft by an unknown force at the clergyman’s house.

Question. Why did they creep downstairs?
Answer: They crept downstairs because they heard some noises coming from their study.

Question. To whom did Griffin pretend that he was expecting a cheque soon? Why?
Answer: Griffin pretended to Mrs. Hall that he was expecting a cheque soon. He did this because all his stolen money had been spent and now he did not have any money to pay rent to Mrs. Griffin.

Question. Which word would correctly substitute the phrase ‘looking forward’, in the given sentence from the extract? Shamshu looking forward to meeting his old friends at the reunion.
Answer: expecting