Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Invisible Man Discussion 2
Griffin was an outcast because of his albinism and invisibility. Thinking outside of the box, and reading between the lines, what message(s) does Wells deliver (intentional or otherwise) in The Invisible Man? Remember that posts must be thorough, complete thoughts written in full sentences. Don't forget to reply to someone else's post as well.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
84 comments:
I Think he is say ing that you should not be afraid or ashamed of what you are
I believe that one message that Wells puts into the novel is “Power has its price.” Griffin appears to me to have felt small and insignificant in the world and wanted to become invisible to show that he was better than everyone else because he was invisible. By becoming invisible, Griffin turned everyone against him. In the eye of the general public he was nothing more than some whacked out freak show. The power that Griffin thought would give him the supreme advantage over all others only served to cast him in exile and cause him to be hunted down like some marauding beast. I also believe that Wells wanted to illustrate that individuals who want to do something way out of the ordinary should really consider the consequences of their plan. Griffin clearly did not think about the consequences of his decision to become invisible because only after becoming invisible did he begin to realize all the problems his new power was going to cause him.
i belive that the story held to messages. that bieng ivisable(ie no social life) can cause you to become cold and unloving. and the second is that being part of the world isnt any better.
I belive that Griffins invisablitiy, and the fact that he was an albino caused his problems for him. To not be accepted by those around you is a very hard thing to deal with for some people. Even before he made himself invisable he had a cold heart. that in my opion, was a result of already being invisable to the public eye,but he didnt realize that being visable to the public could be so hard...it drove him insane and caused him to hate those around him and turn on those who he let close to himself. Many people are like that they break when they feel threatend by others, when they feel betrayed they tend to snap on those who once treated them with kindness.
I think H.G. Wells is basically trying to tell us to not be ashamed of who we are. The book tells of how Griffin wanted power and knowledge, and I think it was because of his insecurities and lack of self worth. In gaining the knowledge of how to make himself invisible, Griffin ended up being hated and despised. If he would have just stayed the way he was he would have not had to go through what he did. So basically, be proud of yourself and don't let others put you down.
Even though The Invisible Man was published way back in 1897 in London, the messages in the book still hold true to how life is now. Griffin was a man who was picked on because he was albino then, when he turned invisible it seemed like he felt like he had more power, like no one could belittle him anymore. When he was invisible he didn't treat people with kindness like a lot of people do. He treated them like people treated him when he was visible. The golden rule says "treat people as you would want to be treated", which is very true. Maybe he was just treating everyone badly because that's all he knew.
I believe that Wells was implying that people who feel outcast or invisible will do things to get attention. Griffin was an albino, which made him an outcast, and may have worked so hard on making things invisible because he wanted to get noticed. He wanted to be powerful, and thought that being invisible would make people respect him. Once he was invisible, he was still an outcast because people couldn’t see him. Griffin still wanted to get attention, so he did things to get noticed, only this time he turned to thievery, terror, and eventually murder.
I think Wells wanted people to learn that you shouldn't take advantage of a good situation. Griffin had the ability to be invisible, which is an advantage for most things, it allows you to learn things and be places without anyone else knowing your there. He abused his power and got too out of control. And he being the only invisible man in the world made him really special, but instead of putting it to good use he did evil things and hurt innocent people.
Response to Brit DeNeen's post
I agree that Wells was trying to show that individuals who are given great power should not abuse it. Wells showed through Griffin's abuse of power that by taking advantage of one's superiority for acts of evil will lead to their utter demise.
I think that H.G Wells was basically don't be ashamed of who you are or what you look like. In the book it says Griffin was an outcast for being albino which then made him feel unimportant in the world. He just wanted some way of feeling like he belonged and not ashamed. Then when he got the knowledge of becoming invisible it made him have the feeling of being important. With this Griffin had the idea that others would think high of him because no one else had this knowledge. Then the world would finally excepted him. Instead he became hated for all of the bad things he had done while invisible,while he was trying to be someone different. Basically I think Wells just wanted to get the point across that trying to be something you are not can only lead to a mess.
I think the message H.G. Wells is trying to get across is that even the greatest advantage such as invisibility should be handled repsonsibly. If you don't use your gift wisely you dont deserve that gift. Also, if you do terrible things and excpect not to pay the price for it because you have a great advantage, your wrong. Selfishness gets you no where great in life.
I agree with Brit DeNeen's comment. I think that using invisibility for bad things is wrong. Also being the only invisible man, Griffin should have used it for good. But instead he did not look at being invisible as a chance to to good deeds.
I agree with Kirsten's post. I think if you have a great gift use it wisely or don't use it at all. Using it for the wrong reason is irresponsible and just shows that you don't really deserve to have such a gift. Also I agree that selfishness gets you no where great in life. Griffin thought of only himself and ended up dead in the end.
I think that Wells is trying to point out that some people are really afraid of new and different.
I agree with Kirsten's comment becasue if you have an amazing gift and you don't use it wisely then someone could take it away from you.
In response to Brit. I agree. This comment is very true. I think that if someone is given something amazing like Griffin they should be careful with it, and realize how blessed they are. We should never take something so special for granted.
The point " Nothing is gained without corresponding loss" is very powerful and true to the story. To become invisible was an amazing gain to Griffen (at first.) After becoming invisible he then lost his identity in a way. He was battered and bruised by people because they didn't even know he was there. He couldn't have a normal life, when thats all he wanted to begin with. People would be very judgemental and scared of his invisibility so he had to keep to himself. Yet again, I bring up the point that he had to have been an extremely lonely dude. People can go crazy being so lonesome. Griffen would have never mad the amazing scientific discovery of invisibility if he had not thought that it would be an easier life for him to be invisible. Griffen didn't know that the consequences of this great gain would be go devastating.
gee willies i meant made* and so*
im not such a good typer.
To leah's post.
Whoah, I never even looked at it that way. But every word you posted seems to make sence (sense?)
He did want everything to be handed to him and all that power and knowledge. I never even related it to him being insecure about himself. That seems so simple but really true.
yeah maybe i never looked at it that way becuase i got really confused and put the wrong response to the wrong prompt so forget everything i just said above thing... i can't figure out how to delete it.
Like everything just forget it...
What I actually meant to say is that Wells may be trying to send the message of compassion. Every person is valuable in his or her own way. It's unnacceptable for the public to outcast a human being just because they are slightly different. I think Meels might be trying to show that " everyone is fighting some kind of battle, so be kind (and understanding) to everyone you meet. If people aren't compassionate of others the consequences may be that the outcasted person acts out. In the Invisible Man people did not accept Griffen because he was albino, so that lead him to go wild wit hthe idea of being invisible. He thought that being invisible would make his life easier b/c no one would be able to see him and judge him. When people didn't accept his invisibility either he was enraged! Griffen acted out severely, and he caused other people the pain that he had been going through. If everyone listens to the message Wells is presenting in The Invisible Man, then our world would be a safer friendlier place.
My reply to Candace's post.
If being invisible makes a person cold and unloving and being visible isnt much better then what is one to be? I do agree that Griffen's mental stability was questionable. I also agree about that when he let some one close and they turned on him it just fueled the fire towards him being so hostile to visible people.
If your going to be powerful, people are going to be out to get you most likely. They might be jealous or just scared, but either way sooner or later someone is going to want to take power from you. Griffin became invisible and that is scary, exciting, and amazing all in one... but the way a lot of people are today.. if they dont understand it, they arent going to like it. That was Griffin's downfall.
I believe that one of many messages throughout this book is that things arent always what they are cracked up to be. Griffin though that being invisible would be so great and that it would give him every advantage in the world, but by turning himself invisible he was viewed as strange, an outcast, and he was also hated. So inturn it was the complete opposite of what he thought it would be. He would have been much better off to just have remained who he was and share his discoveries with the world.
I think a main message H.G. Wells delivers is one can push off natural urges for power and greed, but at one point, the urges can overcome one. Griffin was probably picked on by other children while growing up in that particular time period. IMHO, today people would see an albino as a marvel and gravitate to him. He was never the coolest, or strongest, but probably the smartest. He subconsciously put his past behind him, and set out to be a great scientist. Then, with the discovery of his invisibility, he became as powerful as he wanted. Griffin got addicted to power, and any addiction can’t be good.
I definatly agree with leah all the way. He should have just stayed the way he was and been proud of what he had achieved. Instead he was selfish with his knowledge and it ultimatly distroyed him.
In the story The Invisible man Griffin thought only about the gains of becoming invisible when he decided to change himself. His choice may have been different if he had realized the consequences of his action. Because of his invisibility Griffin became even more outcast and alienated from society than he already was as because of being an albino. Griffin gained the freedom but loss the ability to enjoy life. This demonstrates the message of the story “Nothing is gained without a corresponding loss.” This theme is also shown in the end of the story when Griffin is developing his rein of terror. In contrast to the first example, Griffin was mostly aware of the sacrifice he would have to make in order to impose his rein of terror. In this example the sacrifices were both personal and inflicted upon others. Griffin was aware that the rein of terror would only be brought about at the cost of many lives. The corresponding loss that he may not have realized was the farther corruption of his character. In the story Griffin believed himself to be superior to the rest of humanity because of his invisibility and therefore not bound by normal moral standards and human consequences. By the end of the novel Griffin has sunk so far as to believe that he can terrorize and murder without consequence.
I believe that there are two meanings (which I could grasp outside of don't be ashamed of who you are and be yourself). One of them is an out look on real life. I think H.G. Wells showed in writing that life is hard, and nothing can help you, and that sometimes no matter how hard you try, you don't always come out on top. Griffin was smart, a teacher and a doctor, but that didn't him with his problems. Things still ended badly for him. He might have been smart, but not smart enough to think of his consiquences. The other message was more straight forward, and relates back to my last one, every action has a consiquence. Griffin became invisible, but he had to go without clothes, food, and sleep because he feared he would be caught and sent to a freak show. That is only one example of many throught the writing.
Jamee, your post was really good. I totally agree on all that you said! "Treat others the way you want to be treated." Perfect! It's what we've been learning since childhood, and yet people forget it so easily!
I agree with Caleb, everything he said is completely true in my opinion. Griffin wanted people to feeel how he felt when he was visible but in the end it only made him seem like more of a freak. I think everyone should make plans before they go ahead and do something. Maybe make a pro and con list. Anyone in their right mind would stop and think and be like, "Do I really want to do this?" Maybe that's the whole point, Griffin was beyond his own help, he needed someone else.
I think that by making him an outcast and refusing to accept him, made him turn in a sense "evil". But he didnt really want to hurt and kill, he just wanted to be better then everyone else. It backfired though when everyone thought of him as an outcast and a freak. I think what Wells is saying is that are society is so strict that we can't accept something different or new. Take for example the slavery of the African american race just because someone looks different we couldn't really accept that an feel as though they were one of us, just like the the charcters in the book couldn't accpet an invisble man.
I agree with Sean in that he wanted to be great and be thought of as someone who was better than average human. but he his plan went askew and failed. He inturn became an outcast and unacceptable to human society.
I think that H. G. Wells is trying to tell his readers that you should be you and be proud of it or you could end up like Griffin, an outcast, who was lonely, unhappy, selfish, and power hungry. If you don't like yourself, how can others? He made himself a monster by choosing isolation because he believed he was always to be an outcast. Another message i think H. G. Wells is trying to get across is to be careful with your power and knoledge and use it wisely. He is saying they are dangerous and deserve caution, which Griffin didn't do.
I think cole has an interesting idea, he says Wells is takling about society more than the characters. I think that is partly true. We don't accept certain people and we create monsters in a sense. We almost force them to become isolated and lonely.
The Invisible Man, like most stories, has a moral to it. Griffin was eventually killed by his own doings in my opinion. He wanted people to fear him and they did so. But what happened was they were so afraid and frightened that they killed him. The people killed him not only because they were afraid of him, but because of his difference.
In the society that we live in if you are different and have traits that are not normally seen, you are to the people a monster. Judged on the color of our skin, the clothes we wear, the religion we practice, and even the music we listen to, people are always searching for ways to look down upon other human beings. Wells is trying to provide the point that no matter how hard we try everybody is different from one another.
I think The Invisible Man really shows that you have to be care how you treat people. Sometimes people don’t realize that when they pick on people, such as people with albinism, they’re actually hurting their feelings. The anger contained in these people can build up and eventually cause them to explode just like Griffin. Griffin had so much anger that if someone did one small thing, it would set him off. It resulted in him hurting innocent people and destroying innocent people’s things. The Invisible Man shows us to just treat others the way we want to be treated.
When someone has been an outcast all their lives or have had sucha hard life as Griffin they are sometimes pushed to make decisions that someone that has had a relatively stable life would not make. His decision to become invisible had some unexpected consequences that cost him dearly in the long run. Wells is trying to tell us that sometimes we are what our lives make us. A person cannot control the lifestyle they were brought up into, however they do control their own choices and that ultimately controls your life, the choices YOU can make. Wells is trying to tell us our lives are not completely out of control but rather dictated but the choices we make.
Alex Stroup has an amazingly good point. People should be proud of themselves. When you have self-confidence people will notice and treat you better. I also agree with her idea that you need to be very careful with the knowledge and power you have.
Responding to Cole's comment...
I must agree with Cole that I too got the message that he didn't want to kill people but just wanted to be better than everybody else. Wells's was trying to point out that our society doesn't accept things that don't exactly fit into our criteria.
When I read The Invisible Man, the message that Wells brought out to me was that even though someone has differences, wether it is one difference or thousands of differences, we are to be their friend. It may be a difference of color, gender, religion, or just regular beliefs. You being their friend may be all that they have and look forward to. Being their friend and encouraging them for the good may prevent them from doing something stupid. Knowing that you inspired someone or helped someone for the better is a great feeling to have. Maybe if Griffin had a true friend to encourage him for the better, he may not have done all the dumb things he did and may have lived.
I believe that one of the many messages you receive from reading this novel is being an outcast isn't always the worst thing in the world. Sometimes it can be better to not be like everyone else and just make your impression on the world. You don't want to be exactly like someone else, what is the fun in that.
In response to Wesley Bryan....
I do agree with him that you shouldn't be afraid of who you are as a person. Being you unique is something you should be proud of.
I feel that H.G. Wells is sending a couple different messages throughout The Invisible Man. I think that he makes you realize that even though people think they can solve their problems with power or becoming powerful, but in reality that can cause problems in itself. His book is definitely proof that with great power comes great responsibility. It shows you need to really think your decisions through in depth before you make any drastic moves.
I have to agree with Brittany DeNeen. Don't take advantage of a good situation that may arise. If you use it for the bad, bad things are going to happen. Use the situation to the good and better your life and the lives of others.
I think that Leah's idea is a very good one. She makes a good point. That is something I wouldn't have thought of but I can definitely see in the story.
I think he is trying to say that you shouldn't be ashamed of who you are even if you are an outcast. Also i think he is trying to say that one person can only handle so much power before that person loses it and goes insane like Griffin did. Even if you are an outcast going invisble will only make you more of and outcast then ever because no one can see you.
in response to Cole, I think that you are slightly off the point. It wasn;t nessecarily only the society's fault. Griffin made his own choices. He made himself who he turned out to be, even though the place and time in which he lived may have given him a little bump in the wrong direction. You want to blame all his problems on society but he had the choice to become invisible or not, he had the choice to kill and rob people, he had a choice the entire time, but he always seemed to make the wrong one. Sure, his family life and the place in which he lived did not help, but just because someone is in a bad situation does not give them an automatic "get out of jail free" card. Unless someone is holding a gun to their head, then they had the choice, maybe not the motivation, but they always had a choice. It was griffin's fault, but you are right in saying that society could not accept a difference. They could not accept his albinism but he also could have made something of himself if he had tried. Nothing justifies what he did, killing for no other reason than power is never justifiable.
I agree with kirsten. You don't deserve a gift if you don't use it in the right way. If you always do bad things and expect good things to happen to you then your going to be wrong.
Those people who you ignore are not harmless and lonely people are not worried about consequences but the satisfaction they get out of things. If people would have been nicer towards him he probably would not have been so hostile... don't get me wrong an invisible man who won't pay the bill, talk to you, curses in your face, and throws grand mammy's chair might be hard to be nice to but I am reminded of a quote which implied it takes more character to withstand someones undesireable traits than to just point them out.
I totally agree with what jamee said. Treat others with the same respect you would want of yourself. You reap what you sew.
Wells' message is be what you were born to be, but Griffin wanted nothing more than to be someone else. He was insecure with his appearance and basically hated himself. When he was invisible, it was probably the only time in his life that he felt powerful, everyone feared him because they didn't know what he looked like.
I think he was trying to say “Don’t judge a book by its cover”. If people wouldn’t have judged Griffin for who he was, maybe he wouldn’t have been killed and he would have been supported.
I agree with Codie...
Even if he did become visible again he could never trust people because he was so insecure. He would always have the constant fear of rejection.
Response to Cole:
I agree, society does not accept someone different.
I think in The Invisible Man, H.G. Wells is trying to get the point across that we are not to be ashamed of who we are. He was just fine the way he was but because he made himself invisible caused people not to like him and then he was pretty much hated. If he would have just stayed the way he was he wouldnt have had to run from the police and do some of the things he did. Be proud of yourself and don't let others put you down, be who you want to be.
I agree with Brit Deneen, he may have been trying to fix the problems but instead made things alot worse. He did abuse the power that was given to him, he should have respected it.
Many criminals in fiction are “freaks of nature”. One possible message would be to accept people for the way they are, and if you are that “freak” don’t be ashamed of yourself. If you’re ashamed of yourself that may lead to fear of being made fun at. That in turn usually leads to anger and jealousy of all the “normal” people, which inspire criminal intent.
In response to Ian H; very true, Griffin did have some wild manias of great things he could accomplish while invisible.
I belive two of the many messages that people get out of this book are not to judge too quickly and don't judge a book by it's cover. If people would have been more accepting to Griffin's albinism, he probably would not have become invisible in the first place. Even though he looks different doesn't mean that he is a weirdo. Also, if people would have been more accepting to him being invisible, Griffin would not have done any of those bad things that led him to his fate. People would also find out that he is a super-genious and maybe people would have respected him, even if he stayed albino.
I also agree with Kirston Compton's post. Great gifts or accident's should be handled responsibly. Instead of using this opportunity to change his life around, Griffin was selfish and did nothing for anyone but himself. I believe that he should have took some of his book smartness out to put some common sense in.
I agree with kirsten's response, if you can't use the gift you are given properly, you don't deserve to have it at all.
I think that Wells message was to show that when you are given something that noone else has that you shouldn't abuse it. You are given this "special talent or whatever" to help people or do something good, because otherwise you wouldn't have been given that "gift" so to speak. In The Invisible Man Griffin abused his gift. Which was not what it was intended for. I think that he was supposed to use it for good things, but it lead to his demise because being invisible gave him the feeling of being invincible, which wasn't what it was intended for.
In response to Brittany Kidd.
I agree totally with what your opinion of the message that Wells was trying to get across. Having power doesn't make problems easier to solve.
There are social boundaries that cannot be crossed- Griffin was seen differently due to his nature, and then because of his choices. The things that we become when we follow our heads can be far more dangerous and disastrous then nature.
One of the most important things to remember though, is that the people who don't need people, need people to know that they don't need people. Griffin covers himself with bandages and goggles to be seen, because in truth- invisibility would be far too horrific to withstand. He needs to be seen in order to exist, needs to have an impact on the world in order to be. Without it, his mind, his deeds, his talents and his fears would be nothing.
I agree with Niki Kidd
You shouldn't need to hide who you are, even if it's behind goggles and bandages, be proud of who you are
i think one of the messages in the story is that no matter how hard things are in your life they can always be worse. Griffin though that it was hard being an albino person but back then he didnt have to worry about finding food or clothing. When he was albino he didnt have to kill or injure anyone to get away, his only problem was not to arouse suspision after he made the neighbors cat invisible. when he became invisible he had more obstacle to overcome like finding a place to sleep sohe didnt freezeto death a night.
A message that this novel says is men are not meant to have the amount of power that a person can get from being invisible. There are reasons people were not created invisible to begin with, one being the various difficulties that come with being invisible. Another is the consentration and peace of mind it takes to be invisible (it must be very difficult to never have any one be able to see you). An example is the invisible man often lost his temper because of all the problems and stress that came with being invisible.
Another message the novel shows is think things though befor acting (especially if it is something as big as becoming invisible). Take some time before doing to think about the advantages and disadvantages of the action. The invisible man was very smart but did not think of the problems he could encouter by being invisible before it was to late. He was very power hungry which ultimatly lead to his downfall.
i agree with cole. When he made himself invisible he became an outcast. he had no choice but to kill and injured people to get food and clothes. killing people i think made him feel like he was in control for once and not the freak. By killing he di become "evil".
i agree with macy. If someone is given too much power they will use if for personal gain or for evil rather than for the greater good.
I agree with codie, the invisible man was an outcast because of his looks. Becoming invisible did not help his situation at all. It made it worse. He could have went to like a very succesful life dispite what he looked like, but somewhere in his thinking he thought to make up for his being an outcast he would gain power. He might have even thought that he could get revenge on the world for making him an outcast.
Another message that Wells delivers in this book in my opinion is that it is okay to be different. Changing who you are in one way could effect you for life, you might miss out on something. You never know how bad or how good something can be if you changed. Just becuase Griffin wanted to inspire fear he could've easily done it albino. It's not everyday you see someone albino, but not just looks wise, he could have easily found a way to be a prankster, or something to inspire fear in people's hearts for life.
Responding to alex stroup. She said pretty much what i said but probably better. I like how she said if you dont like yourself then how can others? Very true. Theres nothing wrong with liking yourself
A message that Wells could be saying is that changing the way you are isn't a good thing. Maybe he wanted to become invisible to escape being an outcast so no one could see his albinism and that's why he tested his invisibility on himself and nobody else. The invisibility did turn many agaisnt him. He couldn't even convey messages half of the time because the person was in too much awe over an invisible man, no wonder he got frustrated. I don't believe that he was ashamed of being invisible but ashamed of the albinism.
Responding to Melissa's. I like the idea of when Griffin was just a visible albino, he didn't have to worry about food and clothing, and being invisible arroused more problems than before.
Response to david
I agree i think pepole do dramatic things just to be noticed
One message that is given in the book is that no matter who you are, how you look, or how you act, people will always find a reason to dislike you. If you change, people will find a reason to throw down that persona, too. Its pointless to try to change your true self to be more liked, because, chances are, it won't happen.
Response to Cassie B;;
I agree with the fact that when you get something great you shouldn't abuse it. But Griffin wasn't really 'given' the power he had, and it wasn't really a gift. It something he did as a research project, and that he ended up resenting to the point that he was filled with anger. It was all up to him what the intended use was, because he was the creator of what he was.
IN RESPONSE TO IAN HOUSEL. I completely disagree with you. I dont think that H.G. Wells was saying that one can be overcome by greed. I think that he was saying that if someone is overcome by greed, that the consequences can be deadly. Griffin was also a very strong man, and I do not think that he was picked on for it as a child.
in response to dave, blogs are seriously just ways for people to get mad at each other, thats why i dont care for them.
Anyway, I don't see how you COMPLETELY disagree with me, because we seem to be on the same terms of that greed can overtake someone.
Also, this isn't something that I feel amazingly strong about. If you want your idea to be right, then by george it is.
I think that Wells is saying you should be careful when making people outcasts. People pushed Griffin away because both his albinism and invisibility. In a way it sounds like a classic school shooting. When some kid can't take the mental abuse anymore he cracks and goes off on people.
Griffins difference from everybody else in his world did not give him the feeling of superiority that he originally intended but instead cause an empty feeling for him and gave him the status of an outcast. The constant misunderstanding must have taken a toll on his already thin patience. Ignorance blinded many of the people in griffin's path and many times this misunderstanding led to harsh action.
In response to Liam, i agree that when society refuses to accept someone because of their differences, the after effect can cause that outcasted person to feel rejected and that it self could cause violent action that before may never have happened.
Post a Comment