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

(i) “I do not agree to this. Why dream of playing a game against the race. How can you hope to gain happiness? Do not be a lone wolf. Publish your results, take the world-take the nation at least-into your confidence”, said Dr. Kemp. These words sum up, to a large extent, the downfall of a genius like Griffin. Elucidate from the novel “The Invisible Man”.

(ii) Mr. Hall is a carefree man as he has a typical working life-partner in Mrs. Hall. Such persons are found in every society. Give a peep into both their characters. (The Invisible Man)

(iii) How are the weavers treated differently from the farmers by the locals of Raveloe? (Silas Marner)

(iv) Describe in your own words, the village of Raveloe. List some of the differences between Raveloe and Lanter Yard.

(i) Griffin’s downfall was due to a combination of over confidence, impulsiveness and selfishness. Griffin was a genius whose diligent work had led him to invent a formula for becoming invisible. But after becoming invisible, Griffin went wild and let loose a reign of terror. Seclusion blunted his intellect and he became selfish and a sadist as well. Unfortunately, instead of sharing his invention with the rest of the world so it could be used for some benefit, Griffin proceeded to use it for personal gain or revenge. He ended up hurting and killing many people; stealing, robbing and swindling became a way of life for him. His extraordinary mind was reduced to plotting and executing his evil intentions against people who refused to support his anti-social activities. Dr. Kemp tried to persuade Griffin to mend his ways but his efforts were in vain. He pursues research in a responsible manner, believes in sharing research with the world and wants to use it to serve humanity. Griffin destroyed himself and eventually, Griffin met with a tragic end.

(ii) Mr. Hall is a carefree man as he has a typical working life-partner in Mrs. Hall. Such persons are found in every society. Mr. Hall is a second fiddle to his wife and the co-owner of ‘Coaches and horses’. He is lethargic and lazy but does extend help to his wife from time to time. He is fond of alcohol. He is a good natured person who does not boast and praises his wife for management skills. He does not mind his wife’s domination. He had good social relations with the people of Iping. Mrs. Hall was accommodating, well behaved lady with good management skills. She is a hard task master for her maid servant Millie. She was hospitable with Griffin and a smart businesswoman as she tolerated Griffin only because he cleared his bills regularly. She was a dominating wife and quite friendly with the villagers.

(iii) The people of Raveloe view the linen weavers with distrust. The villagers are a provincial people, “honest folk”, but “mostly not otherwise or clever”. Isolated from advances in the major cities of the time, they are suspicious of things they do not understand. The linen weavers emigrants from the town into the country appear to be pallid and undersized in contrast to the brawny country-folk and they rarely stirred abroad without a heavy bag. Even though the people of Raveloe suspect that the bags contain nothing more threatening than flax or perhaps linen already woven, they do not know this for sure; “superstition clings easily round every person or thing that at all for these simple folk. Another reason the villagers look upon the linen weavers with mistrust is because no one knew where these wandering men had their homes or their origins. They were also suspected because they were more skilled and able than local peasantry. Silas Mariner was a weaver and he was treated with suspicion and scorn by the villagers of Raveloe who had never seen a weaver’s loom before and therefore thought of it as an object of some wicked magic.

(iv) Raveloe is a town that has a culture of being set in its ways, perhaps old-fashioned and for that reason maybe even prone to backward thinking. Raveloe is not an isolated village. It has a very central location in “Merry England” and provides plenty of opportunities to make a good living from the farms it had. The village is “nestled in a snug well-wooded hollow” which suggests that even though it is not a faraway place, the exact location of the village renders it isolated enough to not be reached by the vibrations of public opinion. This emphasizes that the place is set in its traditional ways. Raveloe is said to look important which means that it offers all the staples of a city, from the cathedrals to the important buildings. It also says that raveloe has its focal families that essentially hold the control and ranking of the city, offering their financial support through sponsoring community events. The Lammeter and the Cass families are examples of that type of community “royalty”. Therefore, Raveloe is a village healthy enough to hold a good social life and hard-working community. It also has the basics of the typical provincial town, complete with the small-town mentality that tends to accompany such places.