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Theme Of Corruption In The Invisible Man

Decent Essays
The definition of corrupt is showing the willingness to act dishonestly in return for money or personal gains. Corruptness tends to show in people who have extraordinary powers or an unquenchable desire for their own needs. In the novel The Invisible Man by H.G.Wells, invisibility functions as a source of power for Griffin, the protagonist. With that power, Griffin keeps his work only to himself in order to get all the credit, manipulates and steals, and brings a
Reign of Terror to different towns, which proves that power can be a corrupting influence.
Firstly, Griffin’s desire for fame and discovering the method of becoming invisible drives him to exclude others from his work and take irrational measures to keep his work a secret. Griffin thinks that if his work were to be found by a well-educated person “it would give his work away too much”(115). In order to “cover [his] trail” he “fire[s] the house”(115). His excessive greed for exclusive knowledge makes him cause harm to other people without fully considering the consequences. This is only the beginning of his corruption; his failure to recognize his wrongdoings leads him to commit more extreme crimes as the story progresses. Griffin’s eagerness results in him using that power of invisibility to an immoral advantage. While retrieving the book at the inn with Marvel, Griffin notices Mr. Hall and other men scavenging through his belongings. Witnessing this, Griffin explodes and sets to “smiting and overthrowing for the
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