Griffin/The Invisible Man
Griffin attended University College London as a science student as a young man. He switched the focus of his studies from medicine to physics with a peculiar interest in the effect of refracted light upon human tissue. This interest likely stemmed from his own unusual pigmentation which was described as being nearly albino-like. By the time the novel begins, however, Griffin has already gone half-mad as a result of his experimentation unlocking the secrets to human invisibility. He really has only two problems: being invisible is driving him insane and he can’t figure out how to reverse engineer things in order to wield absolute control over the power.
Dr. Kemp
Appearing late in the story, Kemp is a major character primarily because it turns out that he had attended university alongside Griffin. He has since become a respected physician in the small town of Port Burdock and he is situated as the opposite of Griffin: rational in thought and temperance, he also has a fair complexion, but one deemed much closer to “normal” than the abnormally bleached complexion of Griffin. Kemp’s arrival in the present action is necessitated by a random meeting between the two former classmates long after they had lost contact with each other.
Mrs. Hall
Made famous by the unforgettable portrayal of her in the original 1933 Universal Studios film adaptation, Mrs. Hall is the landlady at the inn in the village of Iping where Griffin arrives as an unnamed stranger one snowy night. She dutifully brings the stranger his meals, presses him for payment when he falls behind and is constantly attempting to penetrate into the mysteries of bizarre appearance, secretive experiments and wild mood swings. Her constant pestering ultimately is responsible for the mood swing in which the stranger unwisely reveals the horrible secret of his invisibility.
Thomas Marvel
Thomas Marvel is a lonely homeless tramp who is rather dumpy in girth and intellect. It is precisely these qualities of alienation that Griffin seizes upon once he has outed himself. He can only exploit his invisibility if he is not wearing clothes, carrying anything upon his person or eating. As a result, Griffin enlists the aid of Marvel as an accomplice to carry out what he cannot do on his own; primarily being the success retrieval and conveyance of his private property from the inn. Griffin is also counting on Marvel’s status to disqualify any outlandish stories someone may hear from him about invisible men.
Cuss
Cuss is the local physician in the village of Iping. He is not a significant character in terms of appearances; he is mentioned by name probably less than twenty times in the novel. He does play a major role in one sense, however: he is the first of the villagers to actually bear witness to the Griffin’s invisible state before it has become common knowledge. Cuss is also a character of note because he makes specific mention of the fact that Griffin sneezes.
Vicar Bunting and Wife
That Griffin sneezes comes into play because it helps to tie him to a mysterious incident that takes place at the vicarage one night. Vicar Bunting and his wife are awakened to the sounds of what appears to be an intruder inside their house. Upon investigation, however, they can see no evidence of a burglar. They do, however, hear the very definite sound of a someone sneezing as well as the equally familiar sound of coins jangling.
