FAQ 👍

Q1: What is the main conflict driving the plot of "A Shady Plot"?

The main conflict in "A Shady Plot" is the protagonist, John Hallock, a writer of ghost stories,
being unable to produce new material. This inability stems from a unique supernatural strike: the
ghosts themselves, who have been his unwitting muses, are refusing to provide inspiration. They
are fed up with being bothered by Ouija board fanatics who overuse and abuse their ability to
communicate with the living. This strike directly impacts John's livelihood and his relationship
with his demanding editor, Jenkins, creating a central problem for him to solve.
Q2: Who are the key supernatural characters in the story and what role do

they play?

The key supernatural characters are Helen, the ghost who visits John Hallock, and the collective
of ghosts she represents, organized as "The Writer's Inspiration Bureau." Helen serves as the
messenger for this bureau, announcing their strike and explaining their grievances. She
previously worked as a writer and magazine reader in her living life, giving her a unique
perspective on the demands of creative work. The bureau, comprised of other similarly afflicted
spirits, has been subtly providing inspiration to writers like John, and their collective action to
withhold this assistance directly impacts the story's main character and his ability to write.
Q3: How do Ouija boards contribute to the "shady plot" and the ghosts' strike?

Ouija boards are central to the "shady plot" as they are the direct cause of the ghosts' strike. The
ghosts, who previously had ample time for their own ethereal amusements and occasional
haunting, are now constantly "called out of their beds" by a surge in Ouija board usage. This
constant summoning and answering of trivial questions from "Ouija board fanatics" has become
a laborious and frustrating occupation, forcing them to abandon their leisure activities and even
their professional role in inspiring writers. The ghosts view this overuse as a form of exploitation,
leading them to collectively demand an end to it by going on strike.
Q4: What is the narrator's initial attitude towards his ghost story writing, and

how does it change?

Initially, the narrator, John Hallock, is "a bit cocky" about his ability to write ghost stories. He
views his inspiration as something that "always came his way" mysteriously, without him actively
seeking it. He is overconfident, believing he can always "dig one up" for his editor, Jenkins.
However, this attitude drastically changes when Helen, the ghost, reveals that she and her
bureau have been supplying him with his plots all along. This revelation shatters his self-
perception as a naturally gifted ghost story writer, filling him with a sense of helplessness and
humiliation.
Q5: How does the character of Lavinia, John's wife, add to the story's conflict

and humor?

Lavinia, John's wife, adds significantly to both the conflict and humor of the story through her
personality and actions. She is portrayed as someone who "takes every new fad that came along
and work it to death" and is prone to "fancy shopping," indicating a superficial and impulsive
nature. Her insistence on buying and hosting a Ouija board party directly exacerbates John's
problems with the striking ghosts, creating a domestic crisis on top of his professional one. Her
strong will and disregard for John's discomfort, particularly her delight in doing things he
disapproves of, generate much of the story's comedic tension. Her dramatic departure and
return, fuelled by Ouija board revelations, also highlight the absurdity of the situation.
Q6: Explain the significance of the ghost identifying herself as "Helen of Troy,

New York."

The ghost identifying herself as "Helen of Troy, New York" is a key moment for both plot and
humor. John's wife, Lavinia, had overheard the Ouija board spelling "Helen" and, in a fit of
jealousy, assumed it was "Helen of Troy" from classical mythology, suggesting John was flirting
with a legendary beauty. The ghost's clarification that she is merely "Helen of Troy, New York"
instantly deflates Lavinia's grand, dramatic assumption and reveals the mundane truth of the
ghost's origin. This line serves as a witty punchline that resolves the marital misunderstanding
and underscores the story's humorous, anti-climactic approach to supernatural encounters.
Q7: How does the story use humor to portray supernatural elements?

The story "A Shady Plot" largely uses humor to portray supernatural elements by subverting
common ghost story tropes and presenting ghosts as relatable, almost bureaucratic entities.
Instead of being terrifying spectres, Helen the ghost is described with mundane details like
"enormous fishy eyes behind big bone-rimmed spectacles" and a "tight wad of hair." Her
materialisation is like "watching one of these moving picture cartoons being put together," an
undignified process. The core of the humor comes from the ghosts going on strike due to
overwork from Ouija boards, turning spectral existence into a labor dispute. Their "Writer's
Inspiration Bureau" is a comical concept, and Helen's "patronizing" tone and complaints about
"those Ouija board fanatics" make the ghosts seem surprisingly human and exasperated, rather
than eerie or frightening. The contrast between John's fear and the ghosts' very ordinary, albeit
unusual, problems creates an amusing, lighthearted tone.
Q8: What does the narrator's sudden inspiration at the end of the story

suggest about the relationship between reality and imagination?

The narrator's sudden inspiration at the end of the story, proclaiming "I've got the bulliest plot for
a ghost story!" immediately after his chaotic encounter with Helen and the resolution of his
marital crisis, suggests a fascinating interplay between reality and imagination. Ironically, his
previous "inspiration" was artificially supplied by the ghosts. Now, having experienced a truly
extraordinary and personal supernatural event—a strike by literary muses, a jealous wife, and a
disappearing maid—he has a genuine, lived experience to draw upon. This indicates that while
he previously relied on external, albeit supernatural, input, the chaotic and humorous reality he
just lived has sparked his own creative wellspring. The "shady plot" he was asked to write has
become the "bulliest plot" because it is now rooted in his unique and comical real-life (or rather,
real-supernatural-life) experiences.