Class 10 English — Footprints Without Feet · Chapter 5 NotesFootprints without Feet

Griffin was a brilliant scientist who carried out many experiments to prove that the human body could become invisible. After repeated trials, he finally swallowed certain rare drugs, and his body became as transparent as a sheet of glass — though it remained as solid as glass too. This was a remarkable scientific achievement. However, Griffin was not a law-abiding person. His landlord disliked him and tried to force him out of the house. In revenge, Griffin set fire to the house. To escape without being seen, he had to remove all his clothes. So he became a homeless wanderer — without clothes, without money, and completely invisible. The only reason people knew he existed was that he happened to step in some mud and left footprints as he walked.

• Griffin swallowed rare drugs to make his body transparent
• His body became transparent but remained solid like glass
• He set fire to his landlord's house in revenge
• He had to remove his clothes to escape unseen
• He became a homeless, moneyless, invisible wanderer

The chapter opens with two boys who are startled to see fresh muddy imprints of bare feet on the steps of a house in the middle of London. As they watched, a fresh footmark appeared from nowhere, and more footprints followed one after another, going down the steps and along the street. The boys followed the prints, fascinated, until the muddy impressions became fainter and fainter and finally disappeared. The mystery was simple: they had been following Griffin, the invisible scientist. This opening scene immediately creates a sense of wonder and mystery, drawing the reader into the strange world of an invisible man walking through a busy city without anyone being able to see him.

• Two boys saw fresh muddy footprints on a house's steps in London
• New footprints appeared from nowhere as they watched
• The boys followed the prints until they faded away
• The footprints belonged to the invisible Griffin

Griffin escaped easily from the boys, but his troubles were far from over. It was mid-winter, and the air was bitterly cold. He could not survive without clothes. So he decided to slip into a big London store for warmth. After closing time, when the doors were shut, Griffin helped himself to warm clothes, shoes, an overcoat, and a wide-brimmed hat. He also ate cold meat, coffee, sweets, and wine from the restaurant and grocery store. Finally, he settled down to sleep on a pile of quilts. Unfortunately, he did not wake up until the assistants were already arriving the next morning. When he saw them approaching, he panicked and ran. They chased him, and he escaped only by quickly taking off his newly-found clothes. Once again, he found himself invisible but naked in the chill January air.

• Griffin entered a London store to escape the cold
• He took warm clothes, food, and wine after closing time
• He overslept and was seen by the store assistants
• He escaped by removing his clothes and becoming invisible again

After escaping from the store, Griffin decided to try the stock of a theatrical company. He hoped to find not only clothes but also something to hide the empty space above his shoulders. Shivering with cold, he hurried to Drury Lane, the centre of the theatre world. He found a suitable shop, went upstairs invisibly, and came out wearing bandages around his forehead, dark glasses, a false nose, big bushy side-whiskers, and a large hat. To escape without being seen, he callously attacked the shopkeeper from behind and robbed him of all the money he could find. This shows how Griffin's actions were becoming increasingly violent and criminal. He was no longer just a scientist who had made a discovery — he was now a dangerous man willing to hurt others for his own benefit.

• Griffin went to Drury Lane to find clothes and disguise
• He wore bandages, dark glasses, false nose, whiskers, and a hat
• He attacked the shopkeeper from behind and robbed him
• His actions became more violent and criminal

Eager to get away from crowded London, Griffin took a train to the village of Iping and booked two rooms at the local inn. The arrival of a stranger at an inn in winter was unusual, and Griffin's strange appearance set all tongues wagging. Mrs Hall, the landlord's wife, tried to be friendly, but Griffin told her he wanted solitude and that an accident had affected his face. Mrs Hall thought he was an eccentric scientist and excused his strange habits and irritable temper because he had paid her in advance. However, the stolen money did not last long, and Griffin had to admit he had no more ready cash. He pretended he was expecting a cheque. Shortly afterwards, a clergyman and his wife were awakened by noises in their study and heard the chink of money being taken from the desk. When the clergyman flung open the door and shouted 'Surrender!', the room appeared to be empty — yet the desk had been opened and the housekeeping money was missing.

• Griffin booked two rooms at an inn in Iping village
• Mrs Hall found him eccentric but excused his behaviour
• Griffin ran out of money and pretended to expect a cheque
• A clergyman's house was burgled by someone invisible

The landlord and his wife were surprised to see the scientist's door wide open one morning. Usually it was shut and locked, and he was furious if anyone entered. They peeped in, saw nobody, and decided to investigate. The bedclothes were cold, and the clothes and bandages that Griffin always wore were lying about the room. Suddenly, Mrs Hall heard a sniff close to her ear. The hat on the bedpost leapt up and dashed itself into her face. Then the bedroom chair became alive, springing into the air and charging straight at her. As she and her husband turned away in terror, the chair pushed them both out of the room and appeared to slam and lock the door. Mrs Hall almost fell down the stairs in hysterics. She was convinced the room was haunted by spirits. The neighbours thought it was witchcraft. When news of the clergyman's burglary became known, the strange scientist was strongly suspected. Suspicion grew stronger when he suddenly produced ready cash. The village constable was secretly sent for.

• Mrs Hall found Griffin's door open and his clothes lying about
• A hat and chair seemed to come alive and attack Mrs Hall
• Mrs Hall believed the room was haunted by spirits
• Neighbours suspected witchcraft
• Griffin became the main suspect in the burglary

Mrs Hall went to the scientist and demanded to know what he had done to her chair and how he had entered a locked room. Griffin became furious and shouted, 'You don't understand who or what I am! Very well — I'll show you.' Suddenly he threw off his bandages, whiskers, spectacles, and even his nose. The horrified people in the bar found themselves staring at a headless man. Mr Jaffers, the constable, arrived and was surprised to find he had to arrest a man without a head. But Jaffers was determined to do his duty. A remarkable scene followed as the policeman tried to get hold of a man who was becoming more and more invisible as he threw off one garment after another. Finally, a shirt flew into the air, and the constable found himself struggling with someone he could not see at all. People tried to help but were hit by blows that seemed to come from nowhere. In the end, Jaffers was knocked unconscious as he made a last attempt to hold on to the unseen scientist. Griffin shook himself free, and no one knew where to lay hands on him.

• Griffin revealed his invisibility by removing his disguise
• The people saw a headless man
• Constable Jaffers tried to arrest the invisible man
• Griffin knocked Jaffers unconscious and escaped
• No one could catch the invisible scientist