Analysis of The Theme Through The Protagonist in Herbert George Wells' 'The Invisible Man'.
ABSTRACT
Di dalam Tugas Akhir ini, saya menganalisis novel yang berjudul The
Invisible Man, karya H. G. Wells. Novel ini termasuk dalam kategori sains-fiksi
yang merupakan ciri khas dari H. G. Wells. Saya menemukan salah satu
kekuatan novel ini adalah penokohan tokoh utamanya. Banyak sifat dari tokoh
utama yang sangat kuat. Oleh karena itu saya tertarik untuk menganalisis novel
ini untuk mendapatkan tema melalui tokoh utamanya.
Griffin sebagai tokoh utama dalam novel ini mempengaruhi isi cerita
secara keseluruhan. Penokohan Griffin sangat kuat, dalam hal ini berkaitan
dengan ambisinya yang sangat berlebihan. Griffin mempunyai ambisi yang
berlebihan untuk dapat dikenal dan diakui orang. Hal ini ia wujudkan melalui
experimennya untuk menjadi invisible. Dia berusaha untuk mewujudkan
ambisinya tanpa memperhatikan orang lain dan menggunakan berbagai cara
walaupun hal itu salah dan memberikan kerugian untuk dirinya sendiri maupun
orang lain.
Pada akhirnya Griffin tidak mendapatkan apa-apa dan hidupnya berakhir
secara ironis. Usaha Griffin untuk memenuhi ambisinya dengan melibatkan dan
merugikan banyak orang membuat saya menyimpulkan tema dari novel ini
melalui tokoh Griffin bahwa ambisi seseorang yang sangat berlebihan hanya
akan membawa bencana untuk orang itu sendiri.
iii
Maranatha Christian University
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS………………………………………………….…i
TABLE OF CONTENTS……………………………………………………….ii
ABSTRACT……………….……………………………………………………iii
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study...………………………………………….……1
Statement of the Problem……………………………………………...…3
Purpose of the Study………………………………………………….…..3
Method of Research………………………………………………………3
Organization of the Thesis………….…………………………………….4
CHAPTER TWO: ANALYSIS OF THEME IN H. G. WELLS’ THE
INVISIBLE MAN…….………………..………………………………………..5
CHAPTER THREE: CONCLUSION ……………………………………….15
BIBLIOGRAPHY…………………………………….………………………..18
APPENDICES:
Synopsis of The Invisible Man….............................................................19
Biography of the author…………………………………………………20
ii
Maranatha Christian University
APPENDICES
SYNOPSIS OF THE INVISIBLE MAN
Griffin is a provincial professor who is a genius. He is not satisfied with
his life and finds that people are not aware of his existence. He plans to discover
invisibility scientifically, which he thinks could make him memorable. He makes
mistakes which are disadvantages for his own father and people around him
because he is a very ambitious person and he does anything, whether it is good or
bad, to accomplish his ambition. He formulates the invisibility of his body, and
he succeeds. Still, he has to reverse his discovery in order to establish it, or else it
is wasted. Realizing that people have already become aware of an invisible man,
he plans to terrorize them with his advantages of being invisible. Besides, he
wants Kemp, a friend of his, to cooperate with him in fulfilling his ambition.
Griffin is so selfish that he is not concerned about his friend’s plan to stop his
reign of terror and put him in jail. Having known that Kemp is a traitor, he
becomes more furious and he begins to hurt people. In fact, he has killed some
men whom he suspects will disturb his plans. The people who chase him finally
catch him and assault him until he dies. His ambition fails and so does his life.
He dies without any pride, with unfulfilled dreams.
19
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
H. G Wells is one of the greatest writers in his era. Moreover, I think he
is the best writer of science fiction because his works have influenced many
experts to make inventions. For instance, his short story entitled The Land
Ironclads has influenced the invention of the tank in WW II (Benford ix).
Although it is a short story, he succeeded in making people think of the future.
As another example, his novel entitled The First Men in the Moon might
encourage people to think that they can fly to the moon. A critic said, “By the
year he wrote The Invisible Man (1897), Wells was already a major figure in
literature and a great writer of what was then called science fiction” (Benford x).
Science became more popular, and people were more interested about the future,
partly because of the influence of his works.
The Invisible Man is science fiction because it would make people
wonder whether invisibility can be proved or not. Logically, in real life there are
things that are really invisible or transparent, such as air and clear water. If
something is a fantasy, then it would not be likely to happen and it would be
1
Maranatha Christian University
absolutely unrealistic. In this case, I think the story in The Invisible Man is quite
realistic and so people may think of it as being possible. “Visibility depends on
the action of the visible bodies on light. Either a body absorbs light, or it reflects
or refracts it, or does all these things. If it neither reflects nor refracts nor absorbs
light, it can not of itself be visible” (Wells 100). He simplifies the theory by
showing some examples which can be done at home. “You make the glass
invisible by putting it into a liquid of nearly the same refractive index; a
transparent thing becomes invisible if it is put in any medium or almost the same
refractive index” (Wells 101). Thus, the fact that such an experiment is possible
makes me interested to read The Invisible Man.
“The central figure of The Invisible Man is typical of a type of character
which always attracted and disturbed H. G. Wells—the exceptional human”
(Benford 175). This brings me to think that the protagonist in this story must
have been remarkably interesting as well as important since the title of the book
shows a direct reference to the protagonist. As a result, this has triggered me to
further analyze the protagonist to find out Wells’ intention in writing The
Invisible Man. I believe that H. G. Wells wants to describe Griffin as the
Invisible Man in both implicit and explicit ways. The major problem is how
power could change a person, either to become good or bad. A critic says, in The
Invisible Man, H. G. Wells both demonstrates and criticizes man’s tendency to
become moral or immoral with the acquirement of power. He shows how science
can accomplish great things and also how it can cause great harm. The harm that
the Invisible Man’s exploitation of power causes does not go unpunished (“H. G.
Wells’ Immoral Invisible Man”).
2
Maranatha Christian University
I believe that an in-depth analysis of the protagonist in The Invisible Man
would help me reveal the theme as well as answering some intriguing questions I
have in mind. In a story, the portrayal of a specific person or character will have
something to say about life, whether it sounds sarcastic or appreciative. It also
connects with people around him/her, so it will help me to find out the central
meaning of this book. Perrine said, “Whatever central generalization about life
arises from the specific of the story constitutes theme” (Perrine 106).
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
Through the analysis of The Invisible Man, I would like to try to analyze
two problems:
1. What is the theme of the book entitled The Invisible Man?
2. How does the protagonist help to reveal the theme?
PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
My purposes in analyzing the problems are:
1. To know what the theme of the book entitled The Invisible Man is.
2. To know how the protagonist helps to reveal the theme.
METHOD OF RESEARCH
In doing the study, I use library research. Having read the novel, which is
the primary text, I then read several books/references on literary criticism related
to the topic being analyzed in order to support my understanding of the novel. I
also browse some Internet websites to look for more information.
3
Maranatha Christian University
THE ORGANIZATION OF THE THESIS
The thesis is organized into three chapters, which are preceded by
Acknowledgement and Abstract. Chapter One, the Introduction, expresses the
reason for choosing the topic. This chapter contains the Background of the
Study, the Statement of the Problem, the Purpose of the Study, Methods of
Research, and the Organization of the Thesis. Chapter Two is the Analysis of
Theme through Protagonist in The Invisible Man. Chapter Three, which is also
the last chapter, provides the Conclusion of the Analysis. The thesis ends with
the Bibliography and the Appendices, including the Synopsis of the work chosen
and the Biography of the writer.
4
Maranatha Christian University
CHAPTER THREE
CONCLUSION
Having analyzed the novel, I am of the opinion that Griffin’s ambition in
achieving the greatest scientific invention in order the get people’s appraisal is
the most essential part of the story. It is a story about man's strange desire to be
“something” and it has driven him completely insane. It is all because of his
“invisibility”. As a person, Griffin has always been ignored by other people.
Being an albino is definitely unfortunate for Griffin, or at least he thought it was.
He is an albino scientist who describes himself as “invisible” to most people
even when he is a normal man. Growing up as an outcast is the thing Griffin has
to deal with regularly in his daily life because he thinks that no one ever notices
him. That is why he feels that he should be “someone” to make himself “visible”
to other people. Griffin’s intention is to get people’s attention as well as
recognition by having the appearance of a man who looks to gain notoriety and
fame as the first scientist to figure out how to discover invisibility scientifically.
His ego needs to be fulfilled and he would do it in his way, whether it is right or
wrong.
15
Maranatha Christian University
It is quite understandable, although Griffin is an unattractive weird
albino, that he still has some ability. He is a genius and is really passionate for
science. It is really naïve of him to think that being a genius, he could be admired
by others. Things do not go his way: as soon as he has found the invention of the
ability to be invisible, he suddenly wants more. It is his human nature, and
Griffin is a man who is never satisfied. Being invisible literally is the way to
make him “visible” and he is as if being seen on the map, next ruling the world
of science later on fame and fortune and at last ruling the world.
As I read the novel I feel really connected to Griffin’s character and feel
his pain. In our day and age, a man like this would be labeled a threat to society
such as a terrorist. Being invisible, Griffin finds power in his invention. Yet, he
does not find that power comes at a great cost which is the inability to live his
life with any sense of normalcy. Everyday activities such as eating and dressing
in clothes become immediate markers of his existence, for these items are visible
to everyone and they cause panic among people seeing unassimilated food
floating in air. I find the protagonist, Griffin as the invisible man, to be a selfish
individual for he does not think of the effects of his great ambition as being a
disadvantage for people around him.
Unfortunately, Griffin is unable to find the remedy to his new physical
condition. The longer Griffin remains invisible, the more lonely and isolated he
becomes and the more violent and enraged he becomes too. From mischief to
murder, the irony that follows the Invisible Man is how in his attempts to match
his invention with his life personally. He becomes more “visible” to the outside
world even though they can no longer see him, making it impossible for him to
16
Maranatha Christian University
exist quietly and comfortably. People’s fear of his invisibility eventually drives
him mad and makes him embark on a new mission to use his invisibility to seek
revenge through a reign of terror over those who would try to stop or deceive
him. Griffin confides all of this to a former schoolmate, whose deception
ultimately ends in Griffin's end. He is not a victim or handicapped by an
accident. Still, he is a self-made monster, not only in appearance or shadow, but
also in speech and deed.
Having analyzed the novel, I have learned so much especially from the
theme and also from the protagonist. As far as I know, being an ambitious person
and having an ambition can be good because it means we think a few steps
ahead. But if we become excessively ambitious, it will be no good for us because
we may cause disadvantage to people around us and sooner or later it will be to
our own disadvantage. In studying the protagonist himself, I find that Griffin is
an interesting character. He is not only described as a genius scientist, but he is
also an outcast. Besides, I believe that in the real world, we can find other
“Griffins” who sacrifice their life for their ambition.
17
Maranatha Christian University
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Primary text:
Wells. H. G. The Invisible Man. New York: TOR Classic, 1992.
References:
Perrine, Laurence. Story and Structure. New York: Hartcourt Brace
Jovanovich, Inc, 1974.
Internet Source:
"H.G. Wells' Immoral Invisible Man" 123HelpMe.com. 14 Feb. 2009.
.
18
Maranatha Christian University
Di dalam Tugas Akhir ini, saya menganalisis novel yang berjudul The
Invisible Man, karya H. G. Wells. Novel ini termasuk dalam kategori sains-fiksi
yang merupakan ciri khas dari H. G. Wells. Saya menemukan salah satu
kekuatan novel ini adalah penokohan tokoh utamanya. Banyak sifat dari tokoh
utama yang sangat kuat. Oleh karena itu saya tertarik untuk menganalisis novel
ini untuk mendapatkan tema melalui tokoh utamanya.
Griffin sebagai tokoh utama dalam novel ini mempengaruhi isi cerita
secara keseluruhan. Penokohan Griffin sangat kuat, dalam hal ini berkaitan
dengan ambisinya yang sangat berlebihan. Griffin mempunyai ambisi yang
berlebihan untuk dapat dikenal dan diakui orang. Hal ini ia wujudkan melalui
experimennya untuk menjadi invisible. Dia berusaha untuk mewujudkan
ambisinya tanpa memperhatikan orang lain dan menggunakan berbagai cara
walaupun hal itu salah dan memberikan kerugian untuk dirinya sendiri maupun
orang lain.
Pada akhirnya Griffin tidak mendapatkan apa-apa dan hidupnya berakhir
secara ironis. Usaha Griffin untuk memenuhi ambisinya dengan melibatkan dan
merugikan banyak orang membuat saya menyimpulkan tema dari novel ini
melalui tokoh Griffin bahwa ambisi seseorang yang sangat berlebihan hanya
akan membawa bencana untuk orang itu sendiri.
iii
Maranatha Christian University
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS………………………………………………….…i
TABLE OF CONTENTS……………………………………………………….ii
ABSTRACT……………….……………………………………………………iii
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study...………………………………………….……1
Statement of the Problem……………………………………………...…3
Purpose of the Study………………………………………………….…..3
Method of Research………………………………………………………3
Organization of the Thesis………….…………………………………….4
CHAPTER TWO: ANALYSIS OF THEME IN H. G. WELLS’ THE
INVISIBLE MAN…….………………..………………………………………..5
CHAPTER THREE: CONCLUSION ……………………………………….15
BIBLIOGRAPHY…………………………………….………………………..18
APPENDICES:
Synopsis of The Invisible Man….............................................................19
Biography of the author…………………………………………………20
ii
Maranatha Christian University
APPENDICES
SYNOPSIS OF THE INVISIBLE MAN
Griffin is a provincial professor who is a genius. He is not satisfied with
his life and finds that people are not aware of his existence. He plans to discover
invisibility scientifically, which he thinks could make him memorable. He makes
mistakes which are disadvantages for his own father and people around him
because he is a very ambitious person and he does anything, whether it is good or
bad, to accomplish his ambition. He formulates the invisibility of his body, and
he succeeds. Still, he has to reverse his discovery in order to establish it, or else it
is wasted. Realizing that people have already become aware of an invisible man,
he plans to terrorize them with his advantages of being invisible. Besides, he
wants Kemp, a friend of his, to cooperate with him in fulfilling his ambition.
Griffin is so selfish that he is not concerned about his friend’s plan to stop his
reign of terror and put him in jail. Having known that Kemp is a traitor, he
becomes more furious and he begins to hurt people. In fact, he has killed some
men whom he suspects will disturb his plans. The people who chase him finally
catch him and assault him until he dies. His ambition fails and so does his life.
He dies without any pride, with unfulfilled dreams.
19
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
H. G Wells is one of the greatest writers in his era. Moreover, I think he
is the best writer of science fiction because his works have influenced many
experts to make inventions. For instance, his short story entitled The Land
Ironclads has influenced the invention of the tank in WW II (Benford ix).
Although it is a short story, he succeeded in making people think of the future.
As another example, his novel entitled The First Men in the Moon might
encourage people to think that they can fly to the moon. A critic said, “By the
year he wrote The Invisible Man (1897), Wells was already a major figure in
literature and a great writer of what was then called science fiction” (Benford x).
Science became more popular, and people were more interested about the future,
partly because of the influence of his works.
The Invisible Man is science fiction because it would make people
wonder whether invisibility can be proved or not. Logically, in real life there are
things that are really invisible or transparent, such as air and clear water. If
something is a fantasy, then it would not be likely to happen and it would be
1
Maranatha Christian University
absolutely unrealistic. In this case, I think the story in The Invisible Man is quite
realistic and so people may think of it as being possible. “Visibility depends on
the action of the visible bodies on light. Either a body absorbs light, or it reflects
or refracts it, or does all these things. If it neither reflects nor refracts nor absorbs
light, it can not of itself be visible” (Wells 100). He simplifies the theory by
showing some examples which can be done at home. “You make the glass
invisible by putting it into a liquid of nearly the same refractive index; a
transparent thing becomes invisible if it is put in any medium or almost the same
refractive index” (Wells 101). Thus, the fact that such an experiment is possible
makes me interested to read The Invisible Man.
“The central figure of The Invisible Man is typical of a type of character
which always attracted and disturbed H. G. Wells—the exceptional human”
(Benford 175). This brings me to think that the protagonist in this story must
have been remarkably interesting as well as important since the title of the book
shows a direct reference to the protagonist. As a result, this has triggered me to
further analyze the protagonist to find out Wells’ intention in writing The
Invisible Man. I believe that H. G. Wells wants to describe Griffin as the
Invisible Man in both implicit and explicit ways. The major problem is how
power could change a person, either to become good or bad. A critic says, in The
Invisible Man, H. G. Wells both demonstrates and criticizes man’s tendency to
become moral or immoral with the acquirement of power. He shows how science
can accomplish great things and also how it can cause great harm. The harm that
the Invisible Man’s exploitation of power causes does not go unpunished (“H. G.
Wells’ Immoral Invisible Man”).
2
Maranatha Christian University
I believe that an in-depth analysis of the protagonist in The Invisible Man
would help me reveal the theme as well as answering some intriguing questions I
have in mind. In a story, the portrayal of a specific person or character will have
something to say about life, whether it sounds sarcastic or appreciative. It also
connects with people around him/her, so it will help me to find out the central
meaning of this book. Perrine said, “Whatever central generalization about life
arises from the specific of the story constitutes theme” (Perrine 106).
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
Through the analysis of The Invisible Man, I would like to try to analyze
two problems:
1. What is the theme of the book entitled The Invisible Man?
2. How does the protagonist help to reveal the theme?
PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
My purposes in analyzing the problems are:
1. To know what the theme of the book entitled The Invisible Man is.
2. To know how the protagonist helps to reveal the theme.
METHOD OF RESEARCH
In doing the study, I use library research. Having read the novel, which is
the primary text, I then read several books/references on literary criticism related
to the topic being analyzed in order to support my understanding of the novel. I
also browse some Internet websites to look for more information.
3
Maranatha Christian University
THE ORGANIZATION OF THE THESIS
The thesis is organized into three chapters, which are preceded by
Acknowledgement and Abstract. Chapter One, the Introduction, expresses the
reason for choosing the topic. This chapter contains the Background of the
Study, the Statement of the Problem, the Purpose of the Study, Methods of
Research, and the Organization of the Thesis. Chapter Two is the Analysis of
Theme through Protagonist in The Invisible Man. Chapter Three, which is also
the last chapter, provides the Conclusion of the Analysis. The thesis ends with
the Bibliography and the Appendices, including the Synopsis of the work chosen
and the Biography of the writer.
4
Maranatha Christian University
CHAPTER THREE
CONCLUSION
Having analyzed the novel, I am of the opinion that Griffin’s ambition in
achieving the greatest scientific invention in order the get people’s appraisal is
the most essential part of the story. It is a story about man's strange desire to be
“something” and it has driven him completely insane. It is all because of his
“invisibility”. As a person, Griffin has always been ignored by other people.
Being an albino is definitely unfortunate for Griffin, or at least he thought it was.
He is an albino scientist who describes himself as “invisible” to most people
even when he is a normal man. Growing up as an outcast is the thing Griffin has
to deal with regularly in his daily life because he thinks that no one ever notices
him. That is why he feels that he should be “someone” to make himself “visible”
to other people. Griffin’s intention is to get people’s attention as well as
recognition by having the appearance of a man who looks to gain notoriety and
fame as the first scientist to figure out how to discover invisibility scientifically.
His ego needs to be fulfilled and he would do it in his way, whether it is right or
wrong.
15
Maranatha Christian University
It is quite understandable, although Griffin is an unattractive weird
albino, that he still has some ability. He is a genius and is really passionate for
science. It is really naïve of him to think that being a genius, he could be admired
by others. Things do not go his way: as soon as he has found the invention of the
ability to be invisible, he suddenly wants more. It is his human nature, and
Griffin is a man who is never satisfied. Being invisible literally is the way to
make him “visible” and he is as if being seen on the map, next ruling the world
of science later on fame and fortune and at last ruling the world.
As I read the novel I feel really connected to Griffin’s character and feel
his pain. In our day and age, a man like this would be labeled a threat to society
such as a terrorist. Being invisible, Griffin finds power in his invention. Yet, he
does not find that power comes at a great cost which is the inability to live his
life with any sense of normalcy. Everyday activities such as eating and dressing
in clothes become immediate markers of his existence, for these items are visible
to everyone and they cause panic among people seeing unassimilated food
floating in air. I find the protagonist, Griffin as the invisible man, to be a selfish
individual for he does not think of the effects of his great ambition as being a
disadvantage for people around him.
Unfortunately, Griffin is unable to find the remedy to his new physical
condition. The longer Griffin remains invisible, the more lonely and isolated he
becomes and the more violent and enraged he becomes too. From mischief to
murder, the irony that follows the Invisible Man is how in his attempts to match
his invention with his life personally. He becomes more “visible” to the outside
world even though they can no longer see him, making it impossible for him to
16
Maranatha Christian University
exist quietly and comfortably. People’s fear of his invisibility eventually drives
him mad and makes him embark on a new mission to use his invisibility to seek
revenge through a reign of terror over those who would try to stop or deceive
him. Griffin confides all of this to a former schoolmate, whose deception
ultimately ends in Griffin's end. He is not a victim or handicapped by an
accident. Still, he is a self-made monster, not only in appearance or shadow, but
also in speech and deed.
Having analyzed the novel, I have learned so much especially from the
theme and also from the protagonist. As far as I know, being an ambitious person
and having an ambition can be good because it means we think a few steps
ahead. But if we become excessively ambitious, it will be no good for us because
we may cause disadvantage to people around us and sooner or later it will be to
our own disadvantage. In studying the protagonist himself, I find that Griffin is
an interesting character. He is not only described as a genius scientist, but he is
also an outcast. Besides, I believe that in the real world, we can find other
“Griffins” who sacrifice their life for their ambition.
17
Maranatha Christian University
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Primary text:
Wells. H. G. The Invisible Man. New York: TOR Classic, 1992.
References:
Perrine, Laurence. Story and Structure. New York: Hartcourt Brace
Jovanovich, Inc, 1974.
Internet Source:
"H.G. Wells' Immoral Invisible Man" 123HelpMe.com. 14 Feb. 2009.
.
18
Maranatha Christian University