The Summary of the Chapter 4: The Invisible Man by H. G. Wells

The Summary of the Chapter 4

Mr. Cuss Interviews the Stranger

Dear students, up to now, you have made an impression about the stranger’s odd personality. He was an eccentric type of person, who remained busy for most of his time in doing experiments in his room usually locked from inside.

During this time, there were a number of quarrels with Mrs. Hall on the issue of breaking domestic discipline. But every time he settled the issue by paying her money as compensation.

Mr. Hall did not like the stranger since the day Teddy had created doubts in his mind. So he always tried to advise his wife, Mrs. Hall, to get rid of the stranger who was staying in her inn. He also tried to conceal his dislike for the stranger so that she would not think it interference in her matters. She also told Mr. Hall to wait till summer comes, when more guests start coming to the village.

The stranger remained so much busy in his experiments that he did not even visit the church. There was no difference for him between Sundays and the other days of the week. There was irregularity in his activities. Sometimes he would remain busy while some other day, he would rise late and walk in his room feeling weary, speaking to himself for hours together. He would smoke for some time and then sleep in his armchair. His temperament was also uncertain.

For once or twice, the things were snapped, torn, crushed or broken because of his deep chronic irritable nature. He also kept talking to himself in a very low voice. He avoided going out when it was broad daylight. He preferred going out muffled up after the sunset not caring for the weather hot or cold outside.

Q1. What irregularities do you notice in the Invisible Man’s activities as mentioned in the chapter 4 of the novel?

He chose the loneliest paths, overshadowed by trees and banks. His goggling spectacles and bandaged face seemed unusual to the home-coming labourers.

One night, Teddy Henfrey was scared to see the stranger’s skull-like head. He was walking lost in his thoughts by keeping his hat in his hand. Then suddenly the light came from the opened door of the inn fell on his head and revealed it. Thus he became the topic of the town.

The children who happened to see him started dreaming of ghosts in their sleep.

The opinion of the people was divided on the issue of his occupation. Mrs. Hall would very cautiously tell the people that he was an ‘experimental investigator.’ When asked by people as to what he experimented about, she would answer in a round-about way that he ‘discovered things’. She would also defend the stranger that he had met with an accident which temporarily discoloured his face and hands. As he is man of sensitive nature, he avoided showing himself to the people.

Mrs. Hall did not know that the people had also different opinions about the stranger.

According to a view which was generated by Teddy Henfrey, he was a criminal who was running away from being caught by the police. That was the reason he concealed his identity from the public.

Mr. Gould, the probationary assistant in the National School was of the view that the stranger was an anarchist in disguise preparing explosives and waiting for the appropriate time for his operation.

Mr. Fearenside, the cart-man, also created a group of people who believed in his piebald view in ditto or with the same view with some modifications.

Yet there was another view about the stranger. According to this view, people thought him a harmless lunatic.

Another group of people included the waverers and compromisers who had some superstitions about him. The idea was first whispered in the village of Iping after the events that happened in the early April.

Q1.What stories about the invisible Man were invented by Teddy Henfrey, Mr. Gould, Mr. Fearenside and some other people?

But the people in Iping on the whole disliked him. His irritable nature was also an amazing thing for these  quiet loving Sussex villagers. His strange activities i.e. his dramatic gestures and his walking after the nightfall were not acceptable to the public. People would close the doors, pull down the curtains, put out the candles and lamps if they saw him coming. If people met him on the way, they would get aside and let him pass by. The young boys humorously would keep their coat collars up in the same fashion as the stranger did. They also kept their hat brims down. They would also follow him nervously imitating his odd habits.

A song ‘The Bogey Man’ became very much popular in the village. Mrs. Statchel sang it at the school-room concert. Since then, whenever two or more villagers gathered at one place and the stranger appeared there, they whistled the tune of the song. Some children also started calling ‘Bogey man’ after him.

Q2. How did the young men and children of the village Iping do in imitation of the Invisible Man?

Now the stranger became the talk of the town. At this time a public practitioner, Mr. Cuss became curious to talk to him. The bandages excited his professional interest and also one thousand and one bottles also aroused his interest in the stranger.He had to wait for the opportunity to meet him through April and May, but could not get any. At last towards Whitsuntide (the seventh Sunday after Easter), he could not stop himself. He invented an excuse to meet the stranger. It was about collecting subscription for the village nurse.

Mr. Cuss was surprised to note that Mr. Hall did not know his guest’s name. At this, Mrs. Hall tried to defend her husband saying that the stranger had told her his name. But she had not heard it properly.Cuss was determined to interview the stranger, so he rapped at the door of the parlour and entered. There was a fairly audible curse that came from the room as he stepped in. Mr. Cuss, first of all, asked for forgiveness for entering the room in that way. But then, the door was closed and that made Mrs. Hall unable to listen to the rest of the conversation that went on between them. She could hear only the murmuring sound for some minutes. Then she heard a cry of surprise, a stirring of feet, a chair that was flung aside, a crazy laughter and the quick steps running towards the door. Cuss appeared out of the room quite white faced, his eyes staring back over his shoulders. He left the door opened behind him and without looking at Mrs. Hall, who was standing outside the room, walked across the hall taking long strides and went down the steps. Mrs. Hall also heard the sound of his feet hurrying along the road.

The stranger carried his hat in his hand stood behind the door, looking at the open door of the parlour. Then Mrs. Hall heard the stranger laughing quietly. She could not see the stranger’s face and then the parlour door was slammed and the place was silent again. After that Cuss went to the village priest, Mr. Bunting, to tell about his strange experience. He told the priest that he had entered the stranger’s room to get subscription for the Nurse Fund. He also told the priest that he saw bottles, chemicals, test tubes and other equipments everywhere in his room. Then he asked the stranger if he would subscribe for the fund. At this, he replied in positive. After that, he asked the stranger a direct question if he had been researching. He again replied in yes. Then the stranger accidentally took his hand out of his pocket and then he was able to see down the empty sleeve to the elbow. Next he questioned the stranger if he was moving the empty sleeve. At this he had laughed and then extended his empty sleeve towards his face and pinched his nose. After hearing this Bunting began to laugh.

Q3. Who was Mr. Cuss? Why was he so much curious about meeting the stranger? Tell something about his experience of meeting with the stranger and what story did he tell to Mr. Bunting about his interview with the Invisible Man?

………………………………………………..