“The Invisible Man” H.G. Wells Response

In order to facilitate an effective discussion about a group of people, it is important to be familiar with their language and how they use it to transfer ideas. H.G Wells’ The Invisible Man is an excellent reference to explore the Victorian era because it exudes not only the concerns of the people, but their language and the ways in which they exchange information.

In The Victorians, David Gange explains that Britain was experiencing a stark social contrast between the rich and the poor during this time. For the rich, the Victorian era was a time of luxury in a material and physical sense. On the other hand, the poor and working class suffered from deformity and disease such as typhus and cholera (Gange 27). This social gap is evident in the language between the innkeeper’s’ wife and the more educated Mr. Huxter at the sight of blood on the mysterious stranger.

He don’t want no help, he says”, he said in answer to his wife’s enquiry. “We better be a-takin his luggage in.”

“He ought to have it cauterised at once!” said Mr. Huxter. “Especially if it is at all inflamed.”

In this excerpt, it is clear that the economic structure of the Victorian age was very extreme and closed off to the socially disadvantaged. Also, the presence of mass media in The Invisible Man seemed very obvious due to the fact that main characters such as Marvel received many pieces of news about the Invisible Man’s activities through word of mouth or the local newspapers (Wells 207).

Next, a very prevalent theme in the novel was the fear of the consequences of pushing the boundaries of science and of scientific experiment as a whole. This apprehension can be associated with the fact that the Victorians were deeply religious and consumed by the consequences of sin (Gange 126). The Invisible Man’s transformation into becoming invisible was marked by “ravaging anguish, sickness, and fainting” (Wells 319). The fear of new discoveries and developments in science likely stemmed directly from discouragement from the church. Using the fear of sin as a deterrent, fear in regards to scientific advancement was not uncommon in this time period.

Finally, there were particular excerpts from The Invisible Man that echo Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. Structurally, The Invisible Man begins with the appearance of a mysterious stranger, whose life and experiences unravel and explain his initial eccentricities over the course of the plot (Wells 356). I am curious to know if this is a coincidence or a popular writing strategy in Victorian science fiction. Even further, the victim of the experiment in both Frankenstein and The Invisible Man are both chased and maimed by an angry mob of local citizens (Wells 310 and 353). Interestingly, these furious throngs of angry people are portrayed as both menacing and unintelligent through their language and use of simple weapons (312). It is unclear here who the victim is: the character who was unfortunate enough to undergo the experiment or the people who are affected by his actions? I am interested because I  recall having similar questions after reading Frankenstein in terms of accountability and other related themes.