Short & Long Questions: Footprints without Feet | English Class 10 PDF Download

Q1: What do you think would have happened if Griffin was caught by Jaffers and the latter hadn’t become unconscious? 

Ans: If Griffin was caught by Jaffers and the latter hadn’t became unconscious, the situation would have been totally different. The cruelty and lawlessness of griffin, the scientist, would have come to an end and the people of Iping would have heaved a sigh of relief.

Q2: What other extraordinary things happened at the Inn?

Ans: The landlord and his wife were surprised to see the door of the scientist’s room open. Usually it is shut and locked and Griffin becomes furious if anyone enters his room. So they did not want to miss this opportunity. They peeped round the door, and finding nobody inside, decided to enter and investigate. The bedclothes were cold, showing that the scientist must have been up for some time now. All of a sudden Mrs Hall heard a sniff close to her ear. A moment later that hat on the bed suddenly leapt up and dashed itself onto her face.
Then the bedroom chair became alive. Springing into the air, it charged straight at her legs. As she and her husband turned away in terror, the extraordinary chair pushed them both out of the room and then appeared to slam and lock the door after them. Mrs Hall almost fell down the stairs in hysterics. She was, by now, convinced that the room was haunted by spirits and the stranger had somehow caused these to enter into the furniture.

Q3: What did Griffin do inside the store?

Ans: Griffin broke open the boxes and wrappers and dressed himself in warm clothes. He ate and drank to his heart’s content. In the end, he laid down on the pile of quilts to sleep.

Q4: What did Griffin do in the shop of a theatrical company?

Ans: He wore bandages round his forehead and put on dark glasses, a false nose, big bushy side whiskers and a large hat. He attacked the shopkeeper from behind and robbed him of all his money.

Q5: Scientists contribute to make the world a better place. Griffin is an antithesis to this statement. Justify. 

Ans: There is no denying the fact that scientists contribute to make the world a better place but it was not so in the case of Griffin. His unbridled ambition made him a cruel and heartless person. Whatever they did, it made everything worse. He didn’t show kindness or humanity towards anyone whether it was his land lord the shopkeeper or the people living at Iping. He set the house of his landlord on fire, pushed a shopkeeper down the stairs by taking advantage of his invisibility. None of his actions were for the betterment of the humans. Thus, we can say that Griffin is an antithesis to this statement.

Q6: What was the “curious episode” that took place in the clergyman’s study?

Ans: One morning, the clergyman and his wife were awakened by noise. They saw no person. They were shocked to find that their money had been stolen from the desk.

Q7: Did Griffin from Footprints without Feet follow the saying 'with great power comes great responsibility'? Justify your answer in 120 words. 

Ans: No, Griffin did not follow the saying 'with great power comes great responsibility'. The saying means that if one has the ability to do something, one should make sure to do it for the good of others. Since Griffin did not think of anyone else except himself, this saying is not what he followed. After he managed to make himself invisible, he did not use his powers of invisibility for doing good. Instead, one of the first things he did was to set fire to his landlord's house in an act of revenge. He did not think of helping anyone with his newfound powers, instead, he harmed other people for his own gain. He stole clothes and food for himself without feeling any remorse. He even attacked and robbed a shopkeeper. When his money ran low once more, he again resorted to stealing and robbed a clergyman. When Mrs. Hall entered his room, he attacked her with her own chair. Finally, when the police were about to catch him, instead of going quietly and accepting his arrest, he fought back and escaped the police. At no time did Griffin take any responsibility for his actions.

Q8: The landlord’s wife was convinced that Griffin was an “eccentric scientist”. What made her think of Griffin in these terms?

Ans: Griffin remained indoors and did not mix up with others. His habits were strange and his appearance was fantastic. All these things of Griffin made the landlady think that he was an “eccentric scientist.

Q9: Griffin was rather a lawless person. Pick out instances which prove that he was lawless.

Ans: He set fire to a house which didn’t belong to him. He tools away clothes without paying for them. He hit a shopkeeper and stole his money.

Q10: ‘Brilliant scientist though he was, Griffin was a lawless person. Does this statement approve the apprehension that science in wrong hands is Devil’s Pandora Box?

Ans: Griffin was a brilliant scientist. He had discovered a rare drug that could make a human body invisible. This made Griffin an arrogant lawless person. He broke the law more them once but never for a good reason. He could dedicate his discovery to his country but he didn’t do that. His lawlessness made the law helpless. All his actions prove that science in devil’s hand is disastrous.

Q11: Why did the landlord want to eject Griffin? Why did Griffin set the house on fire?

Ans: The landlord wanted to eject Griffin from his house because his activities were whimsical. Griffin set the house on fire to take his revenge on the landlord.

Q12: ‘Griffin could use his discovery for welfare of the people but misuses it to take revenge.’ Discuss with reference with the story Footprints without Feet.

Ans: Griffin was a scientist who had made a discovery due to which’he could be invisible. But he was rather a lawless scientist, who misused a scientific discovery for his petty, selfish gains. He set his landlord’s house on fire, when he asked him to vacate it. He entered the store invisible, stole clothes and food.
At another shop, he attacked the shopkeeper from behind and ran away after robbing his money. , At Iping, he stole the clergyman’s money from his desk and hit Mrs Hall by throwing a chair on her. He hurled blows on the police constable Mr Jaffers and knocked him down. In this way, Griffin misused his scientific discovery without making benefit to the mankind.

Q13: The modem world has created great scientific inventions. But very often these inventions are more misused than used for the benefit of man. Griffin had made wonderful discovery; but be used it for unlawful means. Write a paragraph on “Science is being more misused than used”.

Ans: Science is being more misused than used. The present time is highly dependent on science and technology. In the 21st century, survival without gadgets and electronics is unimaginable. But there are various instances where science is being misused to create panic and terror in the society.
Scientific experiments on various deadly disease are let out to cause mass destruction. Technology is used more for warfare purpose, to kill and to terrorize. The resulting products of science have been valuable to human society and have greatly raised the quality of life. But they have also led to the growth of means to destroy human society.

Q14: “Scientific discoveries have made life easier but insecure.” Explain with reference to the story ‘Footprints without Feet’ written by H.G. Wells.
Ans: There is no doubt that scientific discoveries have made life easier. Take any sphere of human activity, electricity, telecommunications, electronics, computer, etc, these have totally changed man’s life. We can interact and walk on moon. Trip to Mars is next on our agenda. We can fly like birds. Supersonic planes fly at more than the speed of sound. Wonderful drugs can overcome deadly diseases.lSurgery can replace defective limbs.
Despite all these discoveries, human life is becoming insecure. Weapons of mass destruction are a constant danger. The fear of chemical, or biological warfare looms large. Diseases like AIDS and SARS can destroy human race.

Q15: “A lawless scientist is a curse to the society.” Discuss.
Ans: It is true, that a lawless scientist is a curse to the society. A true scientist uses his discoveries for the good of the society and welfare of the people. It helps the nations to progress. A lawless scientist increases the miseries and sufferings of society. In this story, we find how Griffin misuses his discovery.
He causes pain and suffering to others. He causes destruction. Suppose the nuclear weapons fall in the hands of a lawless scientist, he can cause widespread destruction. He may ruin the achievements of other scientists. That’s why the leaders of the world are worried about chemical weapons falling into the hands of lawless heads of governments or terrorists. If this happens, all the scientists of the world will be doomed.

Q16: Why were the two boys in London surprised and fascinated?

Ans: The two boys in London saw fresh muddy footprints appearing on the steps of a house but the barefooted man was not visible. So, they were surprised and fascinated.

Q17: How did the invisible man first become visible?

Ans: Griffin was completely invisible until he happened to step in some mud, which caused him to leave footprints as he walked. Two boys noticed these footprints and followed him as long as the prints were visible. Griffin, after getting rid of them, went into a big London store to put on some warm clothes. After the store was shut, he got himself dressed in an overcoat and a wide-brimmed hat. He also put on a pair of shoes. This made him visible to the people who came to work at the store the next day.

Q17: Why was he wandering the streets?

Ans: Griffin was a lawless person. His landlord disliked him and tried to get rid of him. In revenge, Griffin set fire to his house. He had to remove his clothes to get away without being noticed. This was why he had become a homeless wanderer—without clothes and money.

Q18: Why does Mrs Hall find the scientist eccentric?

Ans: The arrival of a stranger at an inn in winter was in itself a strange occurrence. In addition, the stranger had an uncommon appearance. Inspite of Mrs Hall’s repeated attempts to be friendly, he would respond in a closed manner. He told her that he had no desire to talk and wanted to live in solitude. He did not wish to be disturbed in his work. For all these strange reasons, she regarded him as an eccentric scientist.

Q19: What curious episode occurs in the study?

Ans: A clergyman and his wife were awakened by some strange noises in the study very early in the morning. Creeping downstairs, they heard the chink of money being taken from the clergyman’s desk. He and his wife looked under the desk and behind the curtains, and even up the chimney. There wasn’t a sign of anybody. Yet the desk had been opened and the housekeeping money was missing.

Q20: What did the scientist do when he became furious? Why were the people in the bar horrified? What happened to the constable?

Ans: The scientist took off his bandages and spectacles and became headless. The people in the bar were shocked to see a headless man. Griffin hit the constable Jaffers hard and made him senseless.