Pamela Grace

H.G. Wells, often referred to as the “father of science fiction,” wrote many novels, as well as newspaper and magazine articles. Wells’ novel, The Invisible Man is famously regarded as a commentary about how limitless power leads to greed and corruption. This is shown through Griffin’s character development and transition from eager scientist with a new, remarkable discovery to menacing murderer who refers to his blood-spattered quest along the English countryside as the Reign of Terror. However, I believe Wells had another equally pertinent purpose in his writing of The Invisible Man (1897). H.G. Wells’s The Invisible Man is a political statement about homelessness, classism, and socialism.

The Invisible Man is a science fiction novel set in the 1800s in England. The main character is Griffin, a young scientist who discovers the formula for invisibility after experimenting on a neighborhood cat. Delighted with his findings, he uses the formula on himself. In an effort to conceal his crimes of vivisection and his new invisibility, the scientist burns down his house and flees to Iping, a small town in the English countryside. There he continues his research but is confronted by the innkeeper and his wife for nonpayment and suspicion of robbery. He announces himself as the Invisible Man and dashes away. While on the run, he hires a vagrant, Thomas Marvel, to assist him by doing his dirty work and collecting his research from the Coach and Horses Inn in Iping. Griffin is met with unfortunate circumstances and contacts his former classmate Kemp for help. This leads to his ultimate demise, since Kemp does not share Griffin’s bloodlust and plots against him. The novel ends with a community wide effort to capture the Invisible Man before he can take his revenge on Kemp and release his Reign of Terror. Griffin ultimately dies at the hands of Kemp and the villagers. Once dead, his invisibility disappears. In the Epilogue, we learn that Marvel now reaps the benefits of Griffin’s life and work by operating an Inn near Port Stowe where tourists can hear the stories of the infamous, Invisible Man.

Classism is a common theme among many English authors and was an especially hot debate in the 1800s. Wells was a self-proclaimed socialist, member of the Fabian Society, and used many of his writings to further his political beliefs. So much so that author Virginia Woolf admonished Wells for it by saying: ‘the young novelist became a reformer’, she wrote, one of a group of ‘Edwardian novelists’ who, because of their insistence on a political vocation for the novel, ‘give us a vast sense of things in general; but a very vague one of things in particular’.[1] Wells shows us through his writings that he believed a strict social class division would further hurt society as he states in his nonfiction, The Way the World is Going, when he makes the case for a non-Marxist form of socialism that would end class wars.[2]

Often authors make specific choices about characters and their development in order to make a statement about the author’s perspective. In this case, I believe Thomas Marvel is being used for just such a literary purpose. The fact that he is a vagrant and found in terrible shape, living on the street gives him the vulnerability that our main character, Griffin needs in order to use him for his evil deeds. Griffin, when not invisible, is seen wearing fine clothes and has a nobleman’s profession as a scientist. He has a college education and the resources to travel. All of these elements make him a member of the upper classes. Marvel, on the other hand, is shabbily dressed, dirty, homeless, and has no family or connections to help him. He becomes prey to Griffin and must do his bidding or else suffer the pain and punishment of noncompliance. The fact that Griffin exploits Marvel’s low status shows that Wells intended to make a point that society uses those who are less fortunate to support those who are well off.

Wells continues to develop the plot and low status of Marvel by showing how both Griffin and the other characters treat him. Griffin uses him and holds him hostage, all while threatening his life at the hint of rebellion. However, in contrast, the villagers are oblivious to Marvel. In chapter fourteen, Marvel is described as “unshaven, dirty, and travel-stained, sitting with the books beside him and his hands deep in his pockets, looking very weary, nervous, and uncomfortable…” and goes on to say “no one took the slightest notice of him…”[3] Throughout the story, we see that Marvel is able to go through the town undetected almost as though he is truly the real invisible man, even though he doesn’t have the same physical invisibility as Griffin. He is invisible to society because of his low standing. He has not chosen his invisibility, unlike Griffin. He also does not use it for his own personal gain, unlike Griffin.

The situational irony of this story is that Griffin who was in search of power, glory, and riches dies a painful death at the hands of his friends and society while the battered, beaten, and invisible vagrant who is used to ensure his plot inherits his wealth and legacy (in the form of the much sought after three diaries and his tales of The Invisible Man to tourists). In the resolution, we find Marvel is now a wealthy landlord profiting off the infamy of the man who took advantage of him. This comes as an unexpected plot-twist since Marvel isn’t mentioned after Kemp reads his testimony in the newspaper during chapter eighteen. During the main conflict of the story, Marvel is seen as disposable and worthless. It’s not until he is of equal standing among the rich as a wealthy landlord that he is considered a valuable member of society. Perhaps this is an example of the Wells’ version of vengeance for the poor or maybe it’s a wishful utopia.

I am certain that it echoes Wells’ own views of how classism tears apart our society and how socialism would be a benefit by providing equally for all members, regardless of wealth or family ties. The evidence is easily inferred by Wells’ use of invisibility in both a literal and figurative sense, the examples of character on character behavior, and the situational irony in making the vagrant the successor. This is just one more theme that we see in H.G. Wells’ classic novel. His use of character development and symbolism show the deeper undercurrents of his own political views. Whether it’s a work of fiction or nonfiction, we can never truly separate an artist from the art. They are a beautiful, swirling combination of thoughts, dreams, and ideas put into motion. Thus earning H. G. Wells, not only the title of “father of science fiction” but also that of a great author of classic literature.

Footnotes

[1] Virginia Woolf, ‘Mr Bennett and Mrs Brown’, in Modernism: An Anthology, ed. by Lawrence Rainey (Oxford: Blackwell, 2005), p.902.

[2] H. G. Wells, The Way the World is Going. London, Ernest Benn, 1928, (p. 49).

[3] H. G. Wells, The Invisible Man. London, 1897, (p. 70).