The Invisible Man

Fiction | Novella | Adult | Published in 1897

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Summary

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapters 1-6

Chapters 7-10

Chapters 11-15

Chapters 16-20

Chapter 21-Epilogue

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

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Discussion Questions

Chapters 11-15Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapter 11 Summary: “In the Coach and Horses”

Chapter 11 reveals what happened inside the Coach and Horses Inn while Marvel stood smoking a pipe outside. The Invisible Man enters his room to gather his belongings but is surprised to discover Mr. Cuss and Mr. Bunting inside, poring over his diaries (but unable to decipher the Greek script). He shocks them, grabbing their necks from behind and demanding cooperation lest he kill them both with the fire poker.

Chapter 12 Summary: “The Invisible Man Loses His Temper”

From outside the room, Mr. Hall and Mr. Henfrey hear the strange sounds of the Invisible Man and his captives. They ask if everything is all right, and Mr. Bunting squeaks out a yes and tells them not to interrupt. Mr. Hall thinks it odd, but his wife is upset with him for not working at the bar on such a busy day. Just as she begins scolding him, they hear the parlor window open and, shortly after, see Marvel running through the street with a parcel. Mr. Cuss and Mr. Bunting emerge from the room and shout for everyone to stop the thief, for he has stolen their clothes. A humorous chase ensues, wherein men pursue Marvel and the Invisible Man preemptively topples them. Soon there is a scuffle as someone hits the Invisible Man, throwing him into a rage. He begins smashing everything in sight, including the holiday items. The villagers flee to their homes as the Invisible Man wreaks more havoc. Finally, he relents and disappears.

Chapter 13 Summary: “Mr. Marvel Discusses His Resignation”

The Invisible Man and a dejected Marvel walk along the country road. The Invisible Man warns Marvel that he will kill him if he ever tries to escape again. Marvel expresses remorse and promises to obey, but entreats him to choose a more worthy aid; He complains that he is weak and has a bad heart, and is therefore unsuited to the job. The Invisible Man dismisses him. As they approach another village, he tells Marvel that he will walk alongside him with a hand on his shoulder—if Marvel should try any “foolery” (57) there will be grave consequences.

Chapter 14 Summary: “At Port Stowe”

Marvel sits outside in the town of Port Stowe. A mariner sits beside him, hearing the clink of coins but seeing no sign of them. He shows Marvel the newspaper, which tells the full story of the Invisible Man. The press has tracked him right to Port Stowe, mostly through witness accounts and the trail of stolen money. Believing the Invisible Man is out of earshot, Marvel begins to tell the mariner that he knows something about this story. Before he has the chance to share any details, however, the Invisible Man bodily forces him to get up and leave. As he is pulled away, Marvel tells the mariner that it is all a hoax. The mariner is angry to be tricked, and he watches Marvel leave, not realizing that the Invisible Man is behind Marvel, shoving him forward every few feet. Ten days pass before the mariner connects the clues and realizes “how near he had been to the wonderful Invisible Man” (63).

Chapter 15 Summary: “The Man Who Was Running”

Dr. Kemp works in his study, overlooking a hillside. He is confident that his research will earn him “fellowship of the Royal Society” (64). Suddenly, he sees the figure of a man in a strange top hat running for his life: Marvel is making his escape. Kemp assumes it is another fool who believes in the preposterous Invisible Man. Some villagers are close enough to the running man to see the “abject terror” on his face, and they know that a sinister being chases him: “The Invisible Man is coming! The Invisible Man!” (65).

Chapters 11-15 Analysis

This section of the novel moves quickly, chronicling the Invisible Man’s trials and iniquities. Contemporary audiences would have understood the themes of Victorian morality, which was rooted in Christianity and lasted through the 19th century. The culture insisted upon the right, or Christian bearing in all matters. Personal responsibility and good moral action toward society were paramount, and much of the upper class professed charity in hopes of evincing their virtue. However, authors like Charles Dickens lampooned the façade of the upright English citizen. Dickens’ writing often exposed the disparities between the English aristocracy and the poor, exposing that Victorian morality was a farcical ideal, not a true practice.

Rather than satirize the English as Dickens does, Wells plays with the idea of morality. The Invisible Man’s character shows that anyone can forego morality if it suits them, even if they are London-born and well-educated. In Chapter 12, the Invisible Man “loses his temper” (51), and because he is invisible, he has no fear of being held accountable for his misdeeds. The novel next details his rapid descent into total moral indifference, and he now symbolizes a pervasive fear in 19th century England: moral decay. The West’s industrial and scientific progress seemed to threaten both tradition and traditional values, and society’s spiritual identity was radically shaken. Human intellect began to eclipse the divine as the supreme source of personal transcendence.

The Invisible Man’s clandestine movement through the countryside stirs chaos everywhere he goes, and his invisible figure instills fear among the country people. A man cut loose from the constraints of the social contract symbolizes the danger of a forsaken morality: “People screamed [...] it passed in shouts, it passed by instinct down the hill [...] fear came striding by [...] and in a moment had seized the town. ‘The Invisible Man is coming!’” (65). The villagers’ terror echoes a collective fear of the spiritual threat of unbridled progress, i.e., a departure from the moral edifice of Christianity.