The Invisible Man Science Meets Human Nature Essay

H.G. Wells is known as the father of science fiction. During his life time he wrote many science fiction novels seeming to predict the future. At the time most of his ideas seemed obscure but now readers can see how similar his stories are to their lives. With each passing moment technology becomes more and more advanced and causes changes in society. Abortion and genetic mutation have become prime issues. Do humans have the right to â€Å"play God†? Is technology more hurtful than beneficial? How does the inventions science create affect human nature? H.G. Wells answers those questions in his novel, The Invisible Man. The main character Griffin or â€Å"the stranger† (Wells 1) discovers a new creation (invisibility) that gives him tremendous†¦show more content†¦In the early section of the book, readers see many examples of how he keeps to himself. Once bitten by a dog that rips his sleeve and pants he runs back into the inn to get a new set of clothes (Well s 15). He tries his best to hide his secret. Readers get the impression he does not like being invisible and is wishing to find an antidote. Griffin mysteriously sits in the inn while villagers hypothesize about the strange appearance of this man. Unfortunately, â€Å"in the absence of any facts, however, their hypotheses fail to reveal anything concrete about him† (Sirabian 389). Rumors range from a horrific accident, a fugitive, a piebald, or just a harmless lunatic. As of now no one thinks the stranger will be a harmful threat to the society which is very wrong. Griffin’s character is more complex than that just as â€Å"Invisible Man has a greater depth of content and seriousness of purpose† (Cantor 91) than just a story about an invisible man. Readers soon see the change of Griffin from a quiet, reserved man to a more violent man causing harm among the town. As the novel progresses, Griffin reveals more and more of his identity. In chapter four, the local g eneral practitioner, Cuss, comes running out of the room after a meeting with the stranger. He confesses to the vicar â€Å"there was nothing in it [his sleeve] †¦ Nothing down it, right down to the joint. I could see right down it to the elbow† (Wells 25). Griffin scares Cuss out of his mind andShow MoreRelatedThe Emerald Forest Essays1391 Words   |  6 PagesBrazilian Rainforest. The film is a about Tommy, a young boy, quickly and silently taken away by a tribe in the Amazon called, The Invisible People. His dad then, spends 10 years searching for him and eventually succeeds after running into a war party with another tribe called, The Fierce People -enemies of the invisible people- who pursue him. They finally meet by chance, but the boy refuses to go back to his original family and civilization and explains that he belongs to the forest now. TheRead MoreSelf-Education in Mary Shelleys Frankenstein Essay1117 Words   |  5 Pagesstory about the creation and the destruction of a man considered by society to be a â€Å"monster†. In the novel, there is profound meaning to be found in the monster’s self-education. Patterned after the evolution of human learning, the monster’s spontaneous learning proceeds through major stages. First, is the accidental discovery of fire, this is followed by a realization by the monster that knowledge yields power.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Similar with human history, the finding of fire is the first step ofRead MoreIdeas Of Good And Evil Follow From The Earliest Of Days.847 Words   |  4 Pages Jekyll s engages unconventional science to relieve his corrupted mind, and designs the potion as a desperate last stand to find relief from his inner confliction. Science can only keep man away from his true self to a certain extent. As Nicole Smith puts it, â€Å"There are limits, then, to the ability of science to separate man from his true nature†(Smith). Using science or drugs to distance oneself from reality can only work to a certain extent. Although science covers feelings for the meantime,   theyRead MoreEssay about Rene Descartes1730 Words   |  7 PagesRene Descartes was born on March 31, 1596 in La Haye Touraine, France. Descartes was considered a jack of all trades, making major contributions to the areas of anatomy, cognitive science, optics, mathematics and philosophy. He has been referred to as the father of modern rationalism, soldier of fortune, scholar, pilgrim, traveler, and a firm adherent of the Roman Catholic faith. He was educated at the Jesuit college of La Fleche in Anjou. He entered the college at the age of eight years, justRead MoreUsing Psychoanalysis to Understand Human Behavior Essay4081 Words   |  17 PagesUsing Psychoanalysis to Understand Human Behavior According to Goethe, We do not have to visit a madhouse to find disordered minds; our planet is the mental institution of the universe. Despite the hyperbolic nature of Goethe’s statement, it holds some truth. Because of this element of truth, society looks to psychoanalysis as an important tool for understanding human nature. Furthermore, psychoanalytic criticism of authors, characters, and readers has a place in literary criticism that isRead MoreInvisible Man11097 Words   |  45 Pagesmental institution of the universe. Despite the hyperbolic nature of Goethe s statement, it holds some truth. Because of this element of truth, society looks to psychoanalysis as an important tool for understanding human nature. Furthermore, psychoanalytic criticism of authors, characters, and readers has a place in literary criticism that is as important as the place of psychoanalysis in society. This is because of the mimetic nature of much of modern literature. In fact, the psychoanalyst JacquesRead More Comparing Power and Freedom in Invisible Man and Notes From Underground3295 Words   |  14 Pagesand Freedom in Invisible Man and Notes From Underground      Ã‚  Ã‚   The quest for power is an endless one for humanity.   Countless tales of greed, strife, and triumph stem from this common ambition.   Similarly, men universally seek freedom, a privilege entitling an individual to make independent decisions and express personal opinion.   Exploration of the connection between these two abstract concepts remains a topic of interest, especially in the works of Ralph Ellisons Invisible Man and Fyodor DostoevskysRead MoreThe Issue Of Same Sex Marriage And Homosexuality1082 Words   |  5 Pagesproblems emerge from other sources. These sources are philosophical in nature; they are ideas that govern learning, thinking, and doing. Those affected by these ideas may not even understand them; nonetheless, these ideas motivate and direct the reasoning of tens of millions of people. Presuppositions always work this way, and these presumptive ideas have been working throughout culture for some time. But such ideas are almost invisible as t hey do their work, like the air people breath. They are theRead MoreBy Definition Miracles Do Not Occur Essay1398 Words   |  6 Pagesproving it, it is a matter of faith and interpretation. Lastly a miracle can be defined as a Religiously Significant Supernatural Event (RSSE) which is the view that a miracle is something caused by God that goes against the laws of nature. It is with this definition of miracles that the majority of arguments occur, with some claiming them to be obvious signs of God’s reality and active presence within the world, with some such miracles being incorporated in argumentsRead MoreEssay about Biography of Adam Smith3516 Words   |  15 Pagesevolutionary approach which has progressively displaced the stationary Aristotelian view Invisible Hand:-  § Every individual necessarily labors to render the annual revenue of the society as great as he can. He generally indeed neither intends to promote the public interest, nor knows how much he is promoting it. He intends only his own gain, and he is in this, as in many other cases, led by an invisible hand to promote an end which was no part of his intention. By pursuing his own interest he