A Shady Plot

i. Ans. What genre of stories does Jenkins want the narrator to write? Why? Jenkins wants the narrator to write ghost stories as that is what the public wants. Does the narrator like writing ghost stories? Support your answer with evidence from the story. The narrator likes to write ghost stories, or we can say he has no choice except to write such ones. Mr. Jenkins magazine is the only one which will publish his stories. According to Mr. Jenkins, the public wants ghost stories, and therefore he asks the narrator to write them. What makes Helen, the ghost, and her other co-ghosts organize The Writers Inspiration Bureau? In her former life, Helen had a job as a reader with a magazine. She felt she suffered from reading poorly written material. As a ghost, she found other ghosts who had suffered similarly, and between them they organized The Writers Inspiration Bureau Why had Helen, the ghost been helping the narrator write ghost stories? Why was she going on strike? What condition did she place for providing continued help? Helen the ghost has been helping the narrator white ghost stories because he had been without ideas for his stories. She and the other ghosts who helped writers with ideas were exhausted from answering questions by the Ouija Board fanatics, therefore she was going on a strike. Her condition was that she would help Hallock if he would write a story that got all his friends and acquaintances to stop using the Ouija Board. How does the ghost undermine the narrators faith in his ability to write ghost stories? The ghost undermines the narrators faith in his ability to write ghost stories, by telling him that she was the one giving him ideas whenever he struggled to write a ghost story. Why does John want the ghost to disappear before his wife appears on the scene? What impression of his wifes character do you form from his words? John wants the ghost to disappear before his wife appears on the scene because he is afraid that she wouldnt tolerate his talking to another woman. It tells us that his wife is jealous by character.

ii) Ans.

iii) Ans.

iv)

Ans.

v) Ans.

vi) Ans.

vii) Ans.

Why does the narrator hesitate to be a partner to Laura Hinkle during the Ouija Board Party? The narrator had promised the ghost Helen that he would influence people not to use the Ouija Board. Therefore, he hesitates to be a partner to Laura Hinkle because he doesnt want to use the Ouija board. Sencondly, he doesnt like Laura Hinkle as she is flirtatious. What message does the ghost convey to the group that had assembled in the narrators house? What is their reaction to the message? The group in the narrators house has been using Ouija boards despite the ghosts not wanting it. So she (Helen) called John a traitor for using the Ouija board. The womens reaction is to assume that John is in trouble with his wife Lavinia, as he has a lady friend called Helen. Do you agree with the narrator calling the assembly of women manipulators? Give reasons. Yes, I agree with the narrator, because the women tried to make Lavinia believe that John was cheating her with someone called Helen. Why is Johns wife angy? What does she decide to do? Johns wife is angry because she thinks that her husband is talking to another woman called Helen. She decides to leave John and go to her grandmothers place. Why does John wish he were dead? John wishes he were dead after the reiceived a threat from his wife on a slip of paper. It said that she was leaving him and that her lawyer would communicate with him later. Johns apprehensions(fears) about his wifes reaction to her encounter(meeting) with the ghost are unfounded (without reason). Justify. Johns apprehensions about his wifes reaction to her encounter with the ghost are unfounded. He was worried that if his wife meets the ghost named Helen, she would be jealous and leave him. But it is not so. She stands strong and faces the ghost boldly.

viii) Ans.

ix) Ans.

x) Ans.

xi) Ans.

xii) Ans.