NCERT Solutions Class 10 English (Footprints without Feet) Chapter 5 (Footprints without Feet)

Read and Find Out

1. How did the invisible man first become visible?
Answer – The invisible man first became visible mysteriously in Iping. It was when Mrs. Hall went to him. She wanted to know what he had done to the chairs.

2. Why was he wandering the streets?
Answer – Griffin had set fire to his landlord’s house. He wanted to escape without being seen. He had taken off his clothes. Thus, he was feeling cold. Therefore, Griffin had been wandering in London streets for a safer place.

Read and Find Out

1. Why does Mrs Hall find the scientist eccentric?
Answer – Mrs. Hall found the scientist eccentric because she wanted to be friendly with him. She desired to talk to him. But he did not show any interest in that. He told her that he desired solitude. He wanted no one to talk to him.

2. What curious episode occurs in the study?
Answer – The curious episode occurs in the study. One early morning the clergyman and his wife find their money missing. They find that someone has taken it away from the desk. But there was no one around there who took away that money. It was a mystery.

3. What other extraordinary things happen at the inn?
Answer – At the inn, Mrs Hall and her husband went into the scientist’s room on finding its door open. However, he was not seen in the room, but Mrs Hall heard a sniff and the hat on the bedpost leapt up and dashed into her face. Then the bedroom chair sprang into the air and pushed them both out of the room. This made Mrs Hall think that her furniture was haunted.

Think About It

1. “Griffin was rather a lawless person.” Comment.
Answer – Griffin was rather a lawless person. He set fire to a house which did not belong to him. He took away clothes from the store without paying for them. He hit a shopkeeper and stole his money. He stole money from the clergyman’s house also. He also struck Mr. Jaffers, the constable, on duty.

2. How would you assess Griffin as a scientist?
Answer – Griffin was a scientist because he became invisible due to his inventions. But he was not a real scientist. It was because he misused his inventions. A true scientist uses his inventions for the benefits of humanity. He never causes trouble to the people because of these.

Talk About It

1. Would you like to become invisible? What advantages and disadvantages do you foresee, if you did?
Answer –  If you ask me if I can become invisible I would surely become one. Then I would punish those who cause troubles to others for their selfish motives. There would be advantages and disadvantages as given below :

Advantages

1. Wrongs of people to others would be checked.
2. Deception or treachery would be found out.
3. Evil things could be checked.
4. Villains, thugs or rogues shall be eliminated.

Disadvantages

1. Increase in the number of those misusing this discovery.
2. Society will be a centre of disorder, chaos, confusion : There would be jungle raaj.
3. More and more villains, deceitful persons will be there.
4. Honesty, love, fellow-feeling, sympathy, etc, will disappear.
5. Animalism will prevail.

2. Are there forces around us that are invisible, for example, magnetism? Are there aspects of matter that are ‘invisible1 or not visible to the naked eye? What would the world be like if you could see such forces or such aspects of matter? ‘
Answer – Magnetic forces and electrostatic forces are examples of invisible forces. The atoms and molecules in a matter are so small that they are not visible to the naked eye. Similarly, heat energy is invisible. Similarly, sound is invisible to us. While the idea of seeing invisible things can be very exciting, their visibility would create too many problems. For example, if we are able to see all the sound around us, that would be too irritating for us.

3. What makes glass or water transparent (what is the scientific explanation for this)? Do you think it would be scientifically possible for a man to become invisible, or transparent? (Keep in mind that writers of science fiction have often turned out to be prophetic in their imagination)
Answer – The fact that light can pass through glass or water makes them transparent. When light falls on an object, the reflected light from that object makes it visible to us. If some device can be made which can prevent reflection of light from the human body then the human body can be made invisible.