Footprints Without Feet Extra Questions and Answers
Footprints Without Feet Extra Questions and Answers
1. Why was Mrs. Hall angry with Griffin, the strange scientist?
Answer: Griffin had attacked Mr. and Mrs. Hall and even threw her mother’s chair at her.
Moreover, Griffin had not paid the rent for a long time. This made Mrs. Hall angry.
6. Why were the landlord and his wife surprised to see the scientist’s door open?
Answer: They were surprised because typically the door to the scientist’s room was shut and
locked, and he would be very angry if anyone entered it.
Answer: Griffin went into a shop in Drury Lane, the heart of the theatre world, with the aim
of finding something to wear, and becoming visible. He emerged from the shop wearing
bandages round his forehead, dark glasses, a false nose, bushy sideburns and a large hat.
10. Why were the two boys surprised when they saw the imprints of a pair of bare feet?
Answer: The two boys could see muddy footprints on the steps of a house in central London,
descending towards the street. It was surprising to see the footprints without seeing anybody
making them.
11. How did he save himself from the chasing staff of the store?
Answer: When Griffin saw that the salesmen of the store were coming near him, he took off
all his clothes and became invisible. He did not have any other choice to save himself.
Answer: When Mrs. Hall went to see the invisible man in his room, she found the bedroom
chair became alive, springing into the air, it charged straight into her. Then the chair pushed
both husband and wife out of the room. She felt that spirits have entered into her furniture
and she became hysterical.
Answer: Inside the London store, Griffin wore woolen clothes. He wore shoes, an overcoat
and a hat. He ate cold meat and drank coffee. He enjoyed sweets and wine also. Then he slept
on a pile of quilts.
Answer: Griffin entered a big London store. There he slept on a pile of quilts. The next
morning he did not wake up in time. The shop assistants opened the door. They found Griffin
sleeping.
Answer: Griffin got up and tried to escape. The assistants ran after him. But Griffin took off
his clothes one by one. He became invisible and escaped.
Answer: Griffin entered the shop of a theatrical company. He wore bandages round his
forehead. Then he wore dark glasses, a false nose and a big hat. He put side whiskers also.
Then he attacked the shopkeeper. He robbed him of his money and came out.
17. Why were the landlord and his wife surprised to see the scientist’s door wide open?
Answer: The scientist always kept his room locked. He got angry if anybody tried to enter
his room. So, the landlord and his wife were surprised when they found his door wide open. It
was an unusual thing.
18. What did the scientist do when he became furious? Why were the people in the bar
horrified?
Answer: The scientist became angry. He took off his bandages, false nose and side whiskers.
But he was still wearing his clothes. The people in the bar were horrified when they saw a
headless man.
Answer: The policeman tried to catch Griffin. But he looked a headless man. Griffin hit the
constable. Then Griffin took off his clothes and became totally invisible. The constable was
hit by unseen blows. Griffin knocked him unconscious.
20. Why did Griffin set the house of the landlord on fire?
Answer: Griffin was a lawless man. His landlord disliked him. He tried to eject him from his
house. Griffin became angry. He wanted to take revenge upon him. So, he set fire to his
house.
21. What reason did Griffin give Mrs. Hall for coming to Iping?
Answer: Griffin told Mrs. The hall that he had come to Iping for having rest. He said that he
did not want to be disturbed in his work. He told her that his face had been affected in an
accident.
Answer: Griffin ran short of money. He decided to steal it from the clergyman’s house. He
entered the house invisibly and stole money from his desk.
Answer: Griffin was a lawless scientist. He wanted to take revenge on his landlord. He set
his house on fire. Then he took some rare drugs. He became invisible. He took off his clothes
and came out. Thus, he became a homeless wanderer without clothes.
24. Why was the time bad for Griffin, the scientist, to become invisible?
Answer: Griffin removed his clothes and became invisible. It was the month of January. The
air was very cold. He started shivering with cold. Thus, the time was bad for Griffin to
become invisible.
25. How did Griffin save himself from the cold of January?
Answer: Griffin was shivering with cold. He entered a big store. After some time, the store
was closed. Griffin Wore warm clothes. Then he slept on a pile of quilts. Thus, he saved
himself from the cold.
26. Why was there an empty space above the shoulders even when Griffin was fully
clothed?
Answer: Griffin’s body had become totally invisible. He became fully clothed. But the space
over his shoulders remained uncovered. Therefore, there was an empty space above his
shoulders.
Answer: Griffin was a brilliant scientist. He made some experiments to show that the human
body could be made transparent. At last, he discovered a rare drug. He took this drug and his
body became as transparent as a sheet of glass.
Answer: The two boys were highly surprised. They saw fresh muddy imprints of a pair of
bare feet. They wondered what a barefooted man doing on the steps of a house in the middle
of London. They saw only the footsteps but didn’t see the man whose marks they were. As
they gazed, a fresh foot mark appeared from nowhere. The boys followed them fascinated.
The marks became fainter and disappeared altogether.
28. What was the explanation of the mystery of the footmarks? Who was responsible for
them?
Answer: The explanation of the mystery of the footmarks was really simple enough. Those
footmarks were of a scientist. He was Griffin. Griffin carried out many experiments. He
succeeded in proving that the human body could become invisible. Those were the footmarks
of the invisible scientist Griffin.
29. How did Griffin succeed in becoming invisible? What was the result of his
experiments?
Answer: Griffin was a brilliant scientist. He had carried out an experiment after experiment.
He wanted to prove that the human body could become invisible. His experiments succeeded.
He swallowed certain rare drugs. His body became as transparent as a sheet of glass. Its status
didn’t undergo any change. It remained solid as glass.
30. How and why did a brilliant scientist like Griffin degenerate into a lawless and
homeless wanderer?
Answer: There can’t be any doubt that Griffin was a brilliant scientist. After all, the man who
discovered invisibility of the human body couldn’t be an ordinary person. But he misused the
discovery. He utilised it for his petty interests. He indulged in petty thefts, burglaries and
beatings of innocent persons. He made illegal and unlawful entries in stores and shops only to
feed and dress without paying anything. All these illegal activities made him a lawless person
and an anarchist.
31. How did Griffin become a homeless wanderer without clothes and money?
Or
Who set his landlord’s house on fire and why?
Answer: Invisibility made Griffin a lawless person. He was living in a rented house in
London. His landlord disliked him. He tried to eject Griffin. The scientist was determined to
take revenge. In revenge, Griffin set fire to the house. Now he became a homeless wanderer
without money. To become invisible, he had to remove his clothes completely.
Answer: Griffin was a homeless wanderer without money. He had to be without clothes to
remain invisible. It was a bad time of the year for such a person in London. It was mid-
winter. The air was bitterly cold. He couldn’t do without clothes. So, he decided to slip into a
big London store for warmth.
Answer: First of all, a cloth less wanderer in mid-winter needed some warmth. As the doors
of a big London store were shut, Griffin first looked for clothes. He broke open boxes and
fitted himself out with warm clothes. He became fully dressed in shoes, an overcoat and a
hat. Then he fed himself on cold meat, coffee, sweets and wine taken from the grocery store.
Finally, he lay down to sleep on a pile of quilts.
34. What mistake did Griffin make while he was in a big London store? What should
have he done?
Or
Why did Griffin find himself invisible and naked in chill January again after running
from the big London store?
Answer: No doubt, Griffin got what he was searching for in the big London store. He dressed
fully and fed himself on cold meat, wine etc. He lay down comfortably and slept on a pile of
quilts. Had he woken up early before the coming of the employees in the morning, all might
have been well. Fully dressed, he was easily seen now. He panicked and began to run. He
was able to escape only by throwing all his clothes away. So, once more, Griffin found
himself invisible but naked in the chilly January air.
35. Why did Griffin hurry to Drury Lane, the center of the theatre world?
Answer: The invisible but naked Griffin decided to try the stock of a theatrical company in
London. He hoped of not only finding clothes for himself but also something that would hide
the empty space above his shoulder. He hurried to Drury Lane, the center of the theatre
world. He made his way, invisible, upstairs. He came out a little later. He was wearing
bandages around his forehead, dark glasses, a false nose, big bushy side-whiskers, and a large
hat.
36. Why did Griffin decided to leave London and come to the village of Iping?
Answer: Griffin wanted to get away from crowded London. He wanted to live alone in
isolation away from the searching eyes of the people. So he took a train to the village of
Iping. He wanted to lead a peaceful and undisturbed life in the village. He booked two rooms
at the local inn.
37. How did the arrival of Griffin at the Iping inn was taken by the people and the
landlady Mrs. Hall?
Answer: Griffin arrived at an inn in the village of Iping in winter. It was quite an unusual
event in that season. Moreover, the stranger was of an unusual appearance. It set all tongues
wagging in the village. Mrs. Hall, the landlord’s wife, tried to be friendly with him but was
snubbed. She was prepared to excuse Griffin’s strange habits and irritable temper because the
eccentric scientist had paid her in advance.
38. Why did the landlady Mrs. Hall try to be friendly and prepared to excuse Griffin’s
irritable habits?
Answer: It was winter. It was quite unusual to visit Iping in winter. So, Mrs. Hall, the
landlady felt obliged to get a guest in such a season. So, she tried to be friendly with him.
Griffin snubbed her and asked her not to disturb him for nothing. Mrs. Hall was prepared to
excuse the strange guest because he had paid her in advance. She thought him an eccentric
scientist. She tolerated the strange habits and irritable manner of the eccentric scientist.
Answer: All the stolen money didn’t last long. He had no more ready cash. He pretended to
Mrs. Hall that he was expecting a cheque to arrive at any moment. He needed money
immediately. The burglary committed by Griffin in a clergyman’s house very early in the
morning was a desperate attempt to steal some cash.
40. Describe the burglary committed very early in the morning at a clergyman’s house
in ping.
Answer: A clergyman and his wife were awakened by the noises in the study. When they
came downstairs, they heard the chink of money being taken from the clergyman’s desk. He
flung open the door and cried, “Surrender!” They were surprised to realise that the room was
empty. The desk was open and money missing. They looked under the desk, behind the
curtains and even up the chimney. They found nobody anywhere. The poor couple couldn’t
realise that the invisible man, Griffin, decamped unseen with the money.
41. What did Mr. and Mrs. Hall do when they found Griffin’s room wide open? Why
were they surprised?
Answer: The landlord and his wife woke up early. They were surprised to see the scientist’s
door wide open. Usually, it was shut and locked. He was furious if anyone entered his room.
They peeked around but found nobody. The bedclothes were cold. It meant that the scientist
must have woken up long ago. The bandages and clothes that the stranger always wore were
lying about in the room.
42. Describe the strange behavior of Mrs. Hall’s furniture. How did the chair start
moving, and push Mr. and Mrs. Hall out of the room?
Answer: All of a sudden, Mrs. Hall heard a sniff close to her ear. A moment the hat on the
bed-post of Griffin’s room leapt up. It dashed itself into her face. Then, the bedroom chair
started moving. Mrs. Hall and her husband turned away in terror. The chair pushed them both
out of the room. The door was locked after them. All these strange activities were done by the
invisible man.
43. Why did Mrs. Hall think that the room was haunted by ghosts? What did the
neighbours think about the strange incident, the movement of furniture in the
stranger’s room?
Answer: Mrs. Hall was highly surprised and terrified to see the furniture in her guest’s room
moving and dancing. She saw how out chair the prior, should an uh der the dd ohoerr whuss
bsahnudt and locked. She thought that the room was haunted by spirits and ghosts. The
stranger had somehow caused those spirits to enter into her furniture. The neighbors thought
that the trouble was caused by witchcraft.
44. What and why did Griffin show himself to Mrs. Hall and why were the people in the
bar horrified?
Answer: Mrs. Hall wanted to know how the stranger came out of an empty room and how he
entered a locked room. And what he had been doing to her chair upstairs. This made Griffin
furious and he cried, “Very well—I’ll show you.” Suddenly he threw off bandages, whiskers,
spectacles and even nose. Mrs. Hall was shocked and the people in the bar were horrified and
found themselves staring at a headless man!
45. Why did no one know where to lay hands on Griffin during the encounter of the
invisible man with the constable, Mr. Jaffers?
Answer: Mr. Jaffers was informed and he arrived to arrest Griffin. He was quite surprised to
find that he had to arrest a man without a head. The policeman ran to get hold of a man who
was throwing off one garment after another. At last, Griffin became invisible when he threw
off his shirt finally in the air. The constable was struggling to arrest him. Those who came to
Jaffer’s help were hit by blows that came from nowhere. Jaffers was knocked down
unconscious. Griffin had shaken himself free and no one knew where to lay hands on him.
1. How would you assess Griffin as a scientist and a human being? What qualities or
values would you suggest will make him a better person?
Answer: Griffin was an eccentric scientist who had discovered a rare drug which could make
him invisible. Griffin became invisible not for. The welfare of the society but to satisfy his
own ego and carry out satanic deeds. He was a brilliant scientist but not a law-abiding person.
He was a criminal scientist who had no respect for humanity. He stole money from the
clergyman’s house, set the landlord’s house on fire and even killed his father for his own
benefit. He was also not a good human being. He was rude to everyone. When everyone
asked about his secret, he hit them and escaped becoming invisible. I would like to suggest
him to imbibe empathy, kindness, helpfulness, honesty, generosity, social responsibility, etc.
These values will make him a better person. He should have used his discovery for the
benefit of society and his country.
2. Mrs. Hall found the scientist rather eccentric. How can he be helped to lead a normal
life? Highlight the values that can help him become a better person.
Answer: Griffin was an eccentric scientist who had come to Ping in a desire for solitude. He
did not wish to be disturbed and moreover, he had come to the town at that time of winter
when no one comes. Mrs. Hall found him eccentric also because of his looks. He was
overdressed with all parts of his body covered. He was wearing dark glasses, big bushy side-
whiskers and a large hat all the time, even at night. He could be helped to lead a normal life
by guiding him patiently. He should be counseled to work for the welfare of society. The
values of empathy, social responsibility, kindness, helpfulness, honesty to his profession,
generosity can help Griffin to become a better person.
3. Griffin was his own enemy. What typical traits of his character led to his downfall?
Mention some of the values he should have possessed.
Answer: Griffin was truly his own enemy. He was short-tempered, violent and lawless.
Being a person prone to anger, and a scientist, proved to be a dangerous combination. He
would attack without provocation, as he did the Drury Lane shopkeeper. Despite being
invisible, he was careless enough to be ‘discovered’ stealing at the clergyman’s house.
Thus, all these character flaws, i.e., inexplicable anger, aggression, hostility, restlessness,
vexation and uncontrolled behavior led to his downfall.
4. Griffin’s unlawful activities devalue his scientific discovery. What are some of the
qualities that he should develop?
Answer: Griffin was a scientist who had actually made a major discovery, that of invisibility.
However, his illegal activities greatly undermined his discovery. People were afraid of him
and did not recognize his achievement due to his anger and violent nature. Griffin ought to
have been more tolerant and patient. Instead of terrorizing people with his discovery, he
should have exercised discretion, and gradually revealed himself to the world. Patience would
have been an asset for him, as would have common sense!
5. How did Griffin steal money from the clergyman’s house? How did he escape arrest?
Answer: Griffin came to live at village Aping. One day, he ran short of money. He had to
pay rent to the innkeeper. He made himself invisible. He entered the clergyman’s house. He
took money from the desk. When he was taking away the money, the clergyman and his wife
heard the sound. They came downstairs to look into the matter. They opened the door and
looked into the room. But nobody was there. Griffin came back to his room and paid the dues
to the landlady. But the neighbors suspected Griffin. Mrs. Hall called a policeman. He tried to
arrest Griffin. But Griffin made himself invisible and escaped arrest.
6. What was the curious episode that took place in the clergyman’s study?
Answer: One day, early in the morning some sounds came from the study. The clergyman
and his wife were awakened. They came downstairs. They heard the chink of money from the
study. It was clear that someone was taking away money from the clergyman’s desk. The
clergyman took a poker in his hand. He carefully opened the door. He expected to find a thief
in the room. So he shouted and asked the man to give in. But he found the room empty. They
were surprised. He and his wife looked under the desk. They looked behind the curtains.
They even checked the chimney. But they did not find anybody. However, the desk had been
opened. They found that money was missing from the desk. This was really a curious
episode.
7. Why did Griffin enter the big London store? What did he do there? How he was
finally obliged to leave it?
Or
Describe Griffin’s adventures in a London store?
Answer: Griffin set fire to his landlord’s house. Then he took a drug and became invisible.
But he had to remove his clothes. It was the middle of winter. The air was very cold. He
reached a London store. Before the closing time, he entered the store. After some time, the
store was closed. Now he was free. He broke open boxes and wrappers. He took out some
clothes and wore them. He was feeling hungry. So he went into the kitchen. He ate cold meat
and drank coffee. Then he lay on a pile of quilts. The next morning, he did not get up in time.
The shop assistants reached. They found Griffin sleeping on quilts. He woke up and tried to
run away. The servants ran after him. Griffin again took off his clothes one by one. He
became invisible once again. Thus, he was able to save himself.
8. Why was the arrival of the stranger in a village in an unusual event? Give two
reasons.
Answer: Griffin was a scientist. He reached the village inn in winter. He was a stranger in
that village. It was not a proper time to visit the village. People did not come here in winter.
So the event was unusual. Secondly, Griffin looked very strange. He was wearing dark
glasses, a false nose and a big hat. His forehead was covered with bandages. He did not talk
to anyone in the village. He said that he wanted to live alone. He asked Mrs. Hall not to
disturb him. The people of the village were attracted towards his strange appearance and
habits. Thus, his coming to the village was an unusual event.
Or
Describe the scene when Mr. Jaffers tries to arrest “a man without ahead”?
Answer: One day. Griffin stole money from the clergyman’s house. The people of the village
suspected Griffin. They thought that he had stolen the money. Mrs. Hall called a policeman.
When the policeman reached there, he was surprised. Griffin had removed his spectacles,
false nose and side-whiskers. Now, he looked headless. The policeman was surprised as he
had to arrest a headless man. He tried to catch Griffin. But Griffin started taking off his
clothes one by one. He was becoming more and more invisible. In the end, he became totally
invisible. The constable tried to fight with him. Some villagers also tried to help the
policeman. But they received blows from nowhere. Then Griffin hit the policeman. He fell
unconscious. Then Griffin became free and walked out.
10. How did Griffin steal money from the clergyman’s house? How did he escape
arrest?
Answer: Griffin came to live at village Aping. One day, he ran short of money. He had to
pay rent to the innkeeper. He made himself invisible. He entered the clergyman’s house. He
took money from the desk. When he was taking away the money, the clergyman and his wife
heard the sound. They came downstairs to look into the matter. They opened the door and
looked into the room. But nobody was there. Griffin came back to his room and paid the dues
to the landlady. But the neighbors suspected Griffin. Mrs. Hall called a policeman. He tried to
arrest Griffin. But Griffin made himself invisible and escaped arrest.
11. Give a character-sketch of Griffin. Why did his discovery of invisibility make the
brilliant scientist a lawless person who brought sufferings to himself and the people
around him?
Or
Was Griffin a true scientist in spite of his great discovery? Didn’t he misuse his
discovery for his petty gains and thefts rather than for the welfare of humanity?
Or
Griffin’s great discovery did not make him a popular and respectable person. Explain
with examples from the text. Was he a disaster for himself and for society?
Answer: No doubt, Griffin was a brilliant and competent scientist. He discovered that the
human body could become invisible and transparent as a sheet of glass. It was the result of
his long and constant experimentation. However, he misused his discovery only for his
personal gains, committing theft and burglaries and beating and robbing innocent persons. He
could have earned fame and respect had he utilised his great discovery for the welfare of
humanity. But activities made him a lawless person and an anarchist.
Griffin proved how the misuse of science and its great discoveries can be misused. An
eccentric scientist can degenerate himself into a lawless anarchist. He can become devilish
and a disaster for himself and society. Lawlessness and anarchist behavior make him a
homeless wanderer, without clothes and money. He has to remain without clothes even in the
chilly weather of mid-winter to remain invisible. He has to make illegal entries and burglaries
in a clergyman’s house, a big store in London and a shop in Drury Lane. This brings him to
disrepute and dishonour instead of fame and respect.
12.Why did Griffin have to resort to a burglary at the house of a clergyman in the
village of Iping?
Answer: Griffin had booked two rooms at the local inn in the village of Iping. The landlady
Mrs. Hall tolerated the strange habits and irritable temper of her strange guest because he had
paid her in advance. But the stolen money didn’t last long. Griffin had no more ready cash.
He pretended to Mrs. Hall that he was expecting a cheque to arrive at any moment. Griffin
had to find ready cash. So, the result was the burglary at a clergyman’s house.
Very early in the morning, the clergyman and his wife were awakened by the noises in the
study. When they came downstairs, they heard the chink of money being taken from the
clergyman’s desk. Without making any noise, the clergyman flung open the door shouting,
“Surrender!” But he was amazed to find the room empty. He and his wife looked under the
desk and behind the curtains. They even looked up the chimney. There was no sign of
anybody. Yet, the desk had been opened and the money was missing. The clergyman could
only utter, “Extraordinary affair!” The invisible man had already decamped with the cash.
13.When and how did the landlady Mrs. Hall and her husband see their furniture
moving and behaving strangely in the stranger’s room? What was the result?
Answer: The landlord and his wife were up very early. They were surprised to see the
scientist’s room widely open. Usually, it was shut and locked. They decided to investigate.
They peeped round the door but found nobody. In the room, the bedclothes were cold. That
proved that Griffin had woken up quite early. They found the clothes and bandages that he
always wore lying about the room. All of a sudden, Mrs. Hall heard a sniff very close to her
ear. A moment later the hat leaped up from the bedpost. It dashed itself into Mrs. Hall’s face.
Then the bedroom chair started moving. She and her husband turned away in terror. The
`extraordinary chair’ pushed both of them out of the room. Then the door was shut and
locked after them. Mrs. Hall almost fell down the stairs. She was very nervous and confused.
She was convinced that the room was haunted by spirits. The stranger, Griffin had caused
those spirits to enter into her furniture. Her mother used to sit in the chair which rose up
against her. The feeling among the neighbours was that the trouble was caused by witchcraft.
14.Describe Griffin’s encounter with the village constable Jaffers. Why did nobody lay
his hands on Griffin?
Answer: The village constable Jaffers had been informed about the wrongdoings of the
stranger staying at the inn. And he appeared on the scene. He was completely surprised to
find that he had to arrest a man without a head. But Jaffers was a determined person. He
couldn’t be easily prevented from doing his duty. There followed a wonderful scene. The
policeman tried to get hold of Griffin. As he came near, Griffin started throwing off his
clothes one after another. As Griffin threw off his clothes more invisible he became. Finally,
a shirt flew into the air and Griffin became absolutely invisible. The constable was trying to
catch hold of a person whom he couldn’t see at all. Some people tried to help Jaffers. They
were beaten back by the invisible man. In the end, Jaffers made the last attempt to hold on to
the unseen scientist, Griffin. Jaffers was knocked down unconscious. The people were
nervous and excited. They were crying, “Hold him!” Griffin had shaken himself free. No one
knew where to lay hands on Griffin.