~Summary~
-by H G Wells
Boys See Footprints in Street
Two boys on a street in London were surprised to see fresh muddy footprints of bare feet on the steps of a house without finding who was making them. Further on, the footprints disappeared. These footprints had been made by Griffin, an eccentric scientist who had discovered how to make his body transparent. He could only be seen with the clothes he was wearing.
Griffin : A Lawless Person
Griffin was having a criminal bent of mind and was a lawless person. He set fire to his landlord's house to take revenge against him for trying to evict (throw out) him. To get away, he had to remove his clothes so that he became invisible. He was a homeless wanderer in London without clothes or money during winter.
Escape of Griffin
Griffin managed to escape from the two keen boys' observation and entered unseen into a big store to get warm. After the store was closed at night, Griffin put on some new clothes, consumed meat and coffee from the restaurant in the store and went to sleep on a pile of quilts. He overslept and only woke up when the shop had opened and the assistants had arrived. On being seen and chased by them, he again took off his clothes so that they could not see him.
Griffin at a Theatrical Company
Then Griffin entered a theatrical company which gave items used in plays. There he wore bandages to outline his face, dark glasses, a false nose and bushy side-whiskers. He robbed the shopkeeper of his money and escaped to a village away from London to avoid being caught.
Griffin Arrives at Iping Village
Griffin booked two rooms at an inn belonging to Mrs Hall in the village Iping. He explained to her that he had an accident and did not want to be disturbed, as Mrs Hall tried to be social with him. Soon his money was finished and so he robbed a clergyman's house by using his invisibility.
Mrs Hall Enters Griffin's Room
That same day, when Mrs Hall found Griffin's room open, with his bandages and clothes lying around, she and her husband entered the room. Suddenly both of them were attacked by the furniture being flung at them, but they could not see who was doing this. Mrs Hall felt that the furniture was haunted by spirits, as she could not see Griffin.
Griffin becomes Invisible and Escapes from Iping
When the clergyman reported the burglary to the police, most people in the village felt that the strange scientist had a hand in it, because he paid his due rent, whereas earlier he was not able to do so. So Mr Jaffers, the village police constable, was called to arrest Griffin on suspicion. Meanwhile, Mrs Hall asked Griffin to explain all the unusual happenings. Griffin lost his temper and decided to tell everything. He started removing his clothes and even Jaffers could not catch someone whom he could not see. He was knocked unconscious by the invisible man, who escaped.
Conclusion of Footprints without Feet
In the chapter – Footprints without Feet describes the tendency of human nature to misuse creative discoveries meant for common good but end up creating menace by misappropriating it.