Answer any one of the following questions in about 120-150 words

What are Godfrey‟s arguments for adopting Eppie? Compare these arguments

with those of Silas and Eppie.

OR

Discuss the major themes in the novel “The Invisible Man”.

In Silas Mariner, Silas plays the role of a weaver who keeps to himself. The people of Raveloe consider him a strange man and avoid him.

During the New Year's Ball, Godfrey spent time with Nancy, the woman he was supposed to marry. This angered his wife, who decided to go to the ball with their child to confront him. On the way, she overdoses on opium and dies. Her child goes into the house of Silas who has recently lost his gold to a thief. He immediately goes to the Cass’ House with the child, and when unclaimed, he decides to raise her as his own.

He named her Hepzibah, nicknamed Eppie. She grows into a beautiful young woman under the care of Silas and his neighbour Dolly Winthrop.

The guilt of not claiming his child causes Godfrey to ask Nancy to adopt Eppie. Unaware of the back story, Nancy is against this as it is a child not claimed by anyone. Moreover, Nancy and Godfrey had been childless for about 16 years. He always wanted to have children and this increased his desire to finally claim Eppie as his own.

When Dunstan’s body is found, Godfrey decides to come clean and tells his wife that Eppie is his child. She then supports him in his decision to adopt Eppie.

However, Eppie refuses because her bond with Silas was that of a father and daughter. She knew no family but him, and did not intend to leave him or her intended marriage. This shows that Eppie was very content with her life.

OR

H. G. Well’s ‘The Invisible Man’ is a story of various aspects of social and scientific ideas in a society. Various themes of the novel are as follows:

A) Isolation: The complete withdrawal of The Invisible Man from society shows his stark isolation. He has no social interactions: neither friends nor family. To further imprint the idea of his isolation, the author has shown every type of relationships and communities: villages, cities, marriages, friendship.

B) Science: the story revolves around Griffin experimenting with his formula to become invisible and using this to further his evil intentions.

C) Corruption: The usage of the formula, and metaphorically knowledge, gives an immense power as it gives the person who holds it the ability to use it for good or evil. And human nature tends to evil as seen in this novel. Hence, it shows that power and knowledge corrupt easily.