Something Essay, Research Paper

By: Anonymous

he stranger arrived in Iping on a cold day in February, garbed head to foot in an ensemble that seemed to come straight from a theatrical wardrobe, complete with false nose. He took up residence in a private parlor at the Coach and Horses, and although he paid well and promptly, something about his demeanor seemed strangely amiss. He ate all of his meals alone, and he hinted at some sort of vague accident when questioned about the bandages he wore around his head and face. After a few unusual encounters with the man, the town of Iping is abuzz with theories about his situation. Some folks think he truly is disfigured, while others suspect he may be on the run from the law. One night the Coach’s owners, Mr. and Mrs. Hall, see an opportunity to learn more about their curious guest when they find his bedroom door ajar while he is seemingly out of the house. But when they start investigating his room, they are suddenly chased out by what appears to be a flying chair. Moments later the man himself emerges from the room, which had just been empty. The stranger decides to divulge his secret, and he undoes his bandages to reveal…nothing! The man is not disfigured, he’s invisible. But amidst the confusion this causes among the townspeople, the local sheriff shows up to arrest the stranger–invisible or not–for his suspicious activities. The invisible man is forced to flee, but not before causing a good deal of havoc in Iping. Soon the papers are rolling off the presses with stories of the strange goings-on in Iping, even as the invisible man makes his way to Port Stowe. Stung by his treatment at the hands of the Iping villagers, he is no longer hoping for understanding from his fellow humans; he only only wants to force cooperation from them as he seeks to restore himself to visibility.