The Invisible Girl Flashcards
by Mary Shelley — tap or click to flip
Flashcard Review
Flashcards: The Invisible Girl
What does the narrator discover inside the ruined tower at the beginning of the story?
A furnished, carpeted room with elegant furniture and a watercolour portrait of a young girl, inscribed with the words 'The Invisible Girl.'
Why does Henry Vernon hire a boat during a threatening storm?
He is traveling to his family's Welsh mansion to investigate what happened to Rosina, believing she drowned after being cast out by his father.
What saves Vernon and the fishermen from the storm at sea?
A mysterious beacon light burning in an old tower on a rocky promontory, which guides them safely to shore.
What do the fishermen find when they search the tower after being saved by its light?
Nothing -- the tower is bare and dark inside, with no trace of whoever lit the beacon.
What object does Vernon find in the pine wood near the tower?
A tiny, elegant slipper made of fine kid leather, which reminds him of Rosina's singularly small foot.
How does Vernon finally reunite with Rosina?
He returns to the tower at night when the light is burning, and in total darkness she recognizes his voice and cries out his name.
What is Rosina's condition when Vernon finds her?
She is wasted to near-skeletal thinness, weakened by months of hiding and deprivation, and falls ill for many months after her rescue.
What happens to Sir Peter's attitude toward Rosina and Henry's marriage by the story's end?
Overjoyed and relieved from guilt, Sir Peter eagerly blesses their union after being reunited with Rosina.
Who is Rosina, and what is her relationship to the Vernon family?
An orphan raised in Sir Peter Vernon's household as his ward, who grew up as Henry's companion and secret lover.
What role does Mrs. Bainbridge play in the story?
Sir Peter's widowed sister who discovers the lovers' secret, inflames Sir Peter's anger, and orchestrates Rosina's persecution to prevent the marriage.
How does Sir Peter's character contain a contradiction regarding Rosina?
He genuinely loves Rosina and values her companionship, yet his pride and violent temper drive him to persecute her for loving his son and heir.
What motivates Henry Vernon throughout the story?
Grief and guilt over Rosina's presumed death drive him to Wales to find her remains and mourn at the scenes of their shared happiness.
Why does Rosina refuse to seek out Henry after fleeing Sir Peter's house?
She is paralyzed by terror of Sir Peter's oath that he would rather see them both dead than married, fearing that seeking Henry would seal both their fates.
How does the theme of class prejudice drive the central conflict?
Sir Peter opposes the match because Rosina is a portionless orphan, unworthy in his eyes of marrying the heir to a baronetcy, despite having raised her himself.
What does Rosina's 'invisibility' symbolize beyond physical hiding?
It represents the social erasure of powerless women -- cast out by patriarchal authority, Rosina literally vanishes from society yet persists through quiet resilience.
How does the beacon light function as a symbol in the story?
It represents enduring hope and faithful love -- Rosina's nightly light unconsciously guides Henry to her, just as her love has sustained her through isolation.
What does the story suggest about the relationship between love and resilience?
Rosina's love for Henry sustains her through months of solitary deprivation, and her hope of his return keeps her alive even as her body wastes away.
What narrative frame does Shelley use to tell this story?
A traveler narrates how he discovered the furnished tower and heard the tale from an old woman, then pieced it together with further inquiries -- a story-within-a-story.
How does the storm at sea function as a literary device?
It serves as both a plot catalyst that brings Vernon to the tower and a pathetic fallacy mirroring the emotional turmoil of the characters.
What allusion does the narrator make when Vernon finds the slipper?
The narrator explicitly compares it to Cinderella's slipper, linking Rosina to the fairy-tale archetype of a persecuted maiden awaiting rescue.
What is the effect of the Gothic setting in the story?
The ruined tower, stormy seas, and desolate Welsh landscape create an atmosphere of isolation and mystery that mirrors Rosina's emotional suffering and social exile.
What does 'promontory' mean as used in the story?
A high point of land or rock projecting into the sea -- the tower sits atop one, overlooking the water.
What does 'garrulity' mean in the context of the old woman telling her tale?
Excessive talkativeness -- the old woman's garrulity allows the narrator to extract the story of the Invisible Girl.
What does 'sedulously' mean when Vernon notes Rosina 'sedulously avoided observation'?
With persistent, careful diligence -- Rosina deliberately and consistently avoided being seen by anyone.
What is the significance of the line 'I may die, but marry another -- never'?
It reveals Rosina's absolute devotion to Henry and her defiance of Sir Peter's demands, and it is the very line that enrages Sir Peter into expelling her.
What does Vernon mean when he calls the tower's guardian 'both ugly and old' for being 'peevish and inhospitable'?
He is being ironic -- he assumes the light-keeper must be disagreeable because she vanishes when approached, not yet knowing it is his beautiful lost love.
What does the fisherman mean when he says the light is 'a fairy one... yet no less a true'?
He means the beacon seems supernatural or enchanted, yet it is real and genuinely saves lives -- reflecting the ambiguity between the mundane and the marvelous in the story.