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

(a) Describe Nancy Lammeter’s personality and approach to life.

(Silas Marner)

(b) Write a character sketch of Godfrey Cass. (Silas Marner)

(c) Marvel is the only character in ‘The Invisible Man’ who interacts with Griffin and gains something. Elaborate.

(d) How did Dr. Kemp use the information given to him by Griffin himself to get him arrested? Was he successful in doing so?

(a) Nancy is the pretty, caring, and stubborn young lady whom Godfrey pursues and then marries. As per the Raveloe standards, Nancy belonged to a wealthy family. However, her father, unlike Squire Cass, is a man who values moral rectitude, thrift, and hard work. Nancy has inherited these strict values and looks disapprovingly on what she sees as Godfrey’s weakness of character. She is, however, exhilarated by Godfrey’s attention, in part because of the status he embodies. Nancy lives her life according to an inflexible code of behavior and belief. She seems to have already decided how she feels about every question that might come up in her life. When she was a young girl, according to her code she believed that her sister and she should wear similar clothes. When she is older, Nancy’s code forbids her to adopt a child, as in her mind such an action represents a defiance of God’s plan. Nancy is, however, a genuinely kind and caring person, as evidenced by her forgiveness of Godfrey after his confession.

(b) Squire Cass had two sons namely Godfrey and Dunstan Cass. Dunstan and Cass were two different poles. Godfrey was the elder son though weak but honest person on the contrary Dunstan is an arrogant and evil person. He does not prefer to hold others responsible for his own actions. At the same time he was not capable of taking decisions for himself and depended on others to do so. Even though he belonged to a good family, he chooses to marry a lowly woman named Molly Farren. His wife died but yet he never acknowledged her. He felt that now he had the opportunity to marry his love Nancy Lammeter. His weakness was the major reason behind his failures. Molly threatened to reveal the secret of their marriage and opium addiction so that she could get his support. Only at the end of the story he realizes his mistakes but it is useless for him at that point. Dunstan had easily used him by blackmailing him that he would reveal his secret marriage to their father.

(c) Marvel is the only character in ‘The Invisible Man’ who interacts with Griffin and gains something. Everyone else who got to know about Griffin’s original identity had to suffer. Marvel was an outcast and Griffin thought that it would be easy for him to get his work done by him because he was jobless and no one would listen to him. So Griffin asked him to get his books by terrifying him with his invisible presence. He brought Griffin’s books from Iping even after being caught. He escaped the town police. Griffin trusted him with his money but he ran away with it. He understood that the books must be valuable. He also took advantage of knowing the invisible man and thought of telling his stories to others. He did not handover the books to Griffin or anyone else. After making profits from all sources, he became the owner of a tavern at Port Stowe.

(d) Dr. Kemp was the only person to whom Griffin opened his life story and also shared his future intentions of spreading a reign of terror. But Dr.Kemp did not support him in his intentions. He waited for the right moment to get Griffin arrested. He locked him up in the room from where he escaped. Dr. Kemp had already informed Colonel Adye about Griffin’s intentions and asked him to arrest him. Dr. Kemp knew about his weaknesses and used it against him. He asked all neighbours to lock their houses, set out dogs and spread powdered glasses on the roads. Dr. Kemp used the information but yet his plan was not executed as he wanted it to. Colonel Adye was shot by Griffin before he died. He had also attacked the housekeeper. But after all the attempts, the invisible man escaped before being finally caught.