Answer any one of the following questions in 120 – 150 words :

(a) Describe the burglary that took place at Mr. Bunting’s house. (The Invisible Man)

(b) How did Griffin move about in the village of Iping?

(c) Why does Silas return to Lantern Yard after having lived and prospered at Raveloe? How does his visit prove useful to him?

(d) How was Silas transformed completely with the arrival of a child?

(a) Griffin was in need of money to clear Mrs. Hall’s bills. He had been living in the inn for a long while and always asked Mrs. Hall to add expenses to his bills and would clear them regularly. But he had not cleared his dues for long and Mrs. Hall had been bothering him for a while so he decided to rob the Vicar’s house. He planned the robbery early in the morning on Whit Monday. He removed all his clothes and bandages. He became invisible and could move easily without being noticed. Mrs. Bunting was aware of someone’s presence in the house and woke her husband up but could not see anyone or trace any movement except a few noises of the bedroom door being opened and closed and the sound of bare feet. He looked for his study, opened the drawer and stole the money he found. While unlocking the door in a hurry he made some sound of the bolts. Mr. and Mrs. Bunting put efforts to get hold of the thief but his invisibility gave him an advantage and he escaped from the back door in their kitchen. They couldn’t help but to see that their money was stolen from the drawer without there being anyone around.

(b) Griffin moved about in the village of Iping only after it was dark. He even entered Iping fully covered with a long coat, mufflers, gloves, hat and bandages. It was a way to hide his identity. He would cover any visible body parts with mufflers and gloves. He would always walk on lonely paths and didn’t interact with anyone he encountered on his way. He walked on paths that were overshadowed by trees and mounds. As soon as he got an inn to stay at he ordered Mrs. Hall to send for his books that were still on the station. He didn’t prefer anyone’s interference while he was in his room. And against all the damages he made at the Coaches and Horses, he promised to clear the bills and did so. He was too self-consumed and overconfident which eventually led to his downfall. Whenever anyone suspected him for doing something suspicious he would make excuses and change the topic of conversation.

(c) Silas Marner spends years in isolation just to gather gold when one day he faces such an event that changed his life. All the gold that he had accumulated was stolen by Dunsey Cass, the wretched son of the town’s squire. On facing such a situation Silas went into a fit that concerned everyone in town, as he loses it so bad that he enters the Rainbow in a complete shock, and collapses there. He faced such a situation because his life was like a formula where his only formula was to collect gold, keep it to himself, and gratify his physical needs. He did all this to suppress the deep depression he carried with him followed by his disgrace at Lantern Yard. On returning to Lantern Yard he finds that his name was cleared. But yet he wanted to regain the trust of the people. When he reached there, he saw many changes in the old manufacturing town. But he finds that he was not known by anyone. The town was now covered with tall buildings and dirt filled streets. He is filled with the realisation that Raveloe was the right place for him and leaves hope of getting answers to his questions. He started believing in himself after his visit to Lantern Yard.

(d) Silas Marner spends years in isolation just to gather gold when one day he faces such an event that changed his life. All the gold that he had accumulated was stolen by Dunsey Cass, the wretched son of the town’s squire. This was followed by the coming of baby Eppie, the child of Godfrey Cass and an opium fiend who dies on her way to Raveloe to confront Eppie’s father. While Silas was not at home, baby Eppie was left there for refuge. Her gold hair, her innocent ways, and the way she shows up out of nowhere in the middle of winter seem to strike the proverbial nerve in Silas once, he sees her. We see how his entire personality changes at the site of the baby who is unknown to him where on the contrary a person would be anxious to where where the child came from and what to do with her. This proves as a turning point for Silas as he finally comes out as who he really is a true, loving creature who needs to be loved back, like once he was. This encounter changes him entirely and proves that in the war between love and luxury, love has priority. He changes from the odd eye-balled enigmatic weaver, to a loving and kind adoptive father who is entirely enchanted by this baby girl who grows up into a beautiful young lady and completes Silas’s life for good. This is how love triumphs over luxury.