A Shady Plot
Elsie Brown
Summary: This story is about a writer who writes ghost stories. The writer is assisted by a
ghost; named Helen. Helen is a member of Writers Inspiration Bureau which helps those
writers who do not have an idea how to write stories. But the ghosts are annoyed at people who
play with Ouija boards. They are threatening to go on strike so that people would stop using
Ouija boards. Helen comes to the writer with this message. But the writers wife has recently
bought an Ouija board in a bargain sale. She drags her husband to participate in the Ouija
game. The game does not reach its conclusion because it is disturbed by Helen; the ghost.
Writers wife is quite angry with him and threatens to leave him forever. The writers cook also
threatens to resign from her job because she is afraid of Ouija board. The writers wife is also
angry because she suspected some affair between her husband and one of her friends during
Ouija game. She tells the cook to get rid of Ouija board. After that; all of them are happy and
back to their normal life. The ghost also leaves them forever. Finally, the writer gets a strong
inspiration to work on his next assignment.
Given below is a list of words related to ghosts and ghost stories with their jumbled up meanings
against them. Match the words/expressions with their correct meanings:
Answer:
Word Meaning
Apparition a supernatural appearance of a person or thing, a ghost, spectre or phantom
the supposed power to see objects or events that cannot be perceived by the
Clairvoyance
senses
a globe of quartz crystal in which images, believed to portend the future, are
Crystal Ball
supposedly visible to fortune tellers
Eerie so mysterious, strange, or unexpected as to send a chill up the spine
a person through whom the spirits of the dead are alleged to be able to
Medium
contact the living
Transmigratio to pass into another body after death: going from one state of existence or
n place to another
capable of extraordinary mental processes, such as extrasensory perception
Psychic
and mental telepathy
a spelling board device intended to communicate with and through the spirit
Ouija Board
world, obtaining answers to questions
Exorcist a conjurer who expels evil spirits by conjuration
Premonition a feeling of anticipation of or anxiety over a future event
Paranormal beyond the range of normal experience or scientific explanation
any of a set of 22 playing cards bearing allegorical representations, used for
Tarot Card
fortune telling
a reanimated corpse that is believed to rise from the grave at night to suck
Vampire
the blood of sleeping people
German word, meaning "noisy ghost"-a troublesome spirit that announces
Poltergeist
its presence with unexplainable sounds and the creation of disorder
Multiple Choice Questions:
1. The narrator earns his living by
.
a. writing ghost stories
b. working as a reader for a
magazine
c. working as a stenographer
d. working as an accountant in
a lumber company
Answer (a) Writing ghost
stories (d) Working as an
accountant in a lumber
company
2. The writer was overconfident about his ability
to write ghost stories because
a. whenever magazines
wanted a ghost story, they
got in touch with him
b. he was always able to write
a ghost story whenever he
had to write one
c. the readers appreciated his
ghost stories
d. he knew the ghost lady
would help him write a good
ghost story
Answer (b) He was always
able to write a ghost story
whenever he had to write
one
3. The sight of the ghost materialising in his
room filled the narrator with
a. fear
b. excitement
c. joy
d. anticipation
Answer (d) anticipation
4. The ghost wanted John to
..
a. stop his wife from using the
Ouija board
b. stop using the Ouija board
himself
c. stop his guests from using
the Ouija board
stop people from using the Ouija board
Answer (d) Stop people from using the Ouija board
5. John wants the ghost to disappear before his
wife enters the room and waves his arms at
the ghost with something of the motion of a
beginner when learning to swim. His
movement shows his
a. fear
b. amusement
c. desperation
d. anxiety
Answer (c) Desperation
6. When the narrator says his wife is never so
pretty as when she's doing something she
knows he disapproves of, his tone is
.
a. amused
b. ironic
c. angry
d. irritated
Answer (b) Ironic
7. The ghost says "It's all your fault. 'It' here
refers to
a. the narrator's wife's anger
b. the ghost's anger
c. the narrator's wife leaving
him
d. the ghost materialising in
sections
Answer (d) The ghost
materializing in sections
8. Gladolia wishes to leave the narrator's house
as .
a. she does not like the Ouija
boards
b. she is afraid of the ghost
c. she is afraid of magic and
hoodoo
d. she likes Ouija boards and
hoodoo
Answer (c) She is afraid of
magic and hoodoo
Answer the following questions briefly
What genre of stories does Jenkins want the narrator to write? Why?
Answer: Jenkins wants the narrator to write ghost stories. He wants them
because ghost stories are very popular. Moreover, the ghosts in the narrators
stories are highly convincing.
Does the narrator like writing ghost stories? Support your answer with evidence
from the story.
Answer: The narrator does not like writing ghost stories. At the beginning, he
admits that he writes them because Jenkins assigns him with writing ghost
stories. The author is not sure about how he is able to come with such stories.
The author also admits that he writes ghost stories because he needs money to
pay for his expenses.
1. What makes Helen, the ghost, and her other
co-ghosts organize The Writer's Inspiration
Bureau?
Answer: Helen used to be a writer when she
was in mortal life. But she was not able to
write good stories which she appears to be
repenting. She wants to help other authors so
that they could write convincing ghost stories.
Due to this, Helen and her other co-ghosts
organize The Writers Inspiration Bureau.
1. 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?
Answer: The narrator fits the preconditions
which an author should have for being eligible
to be helped by the ghosts. His mind is blank
(with no ideas) and impressionable enough
for the ghosts to plant their thoughts in his
mind. The ghosts were annoyed by growing
popularity of Ouija boards because a game of
Ouija used to disturb them frequently. Hence,
the ghosts were going on strike. She would
have continued to help the narrator if people
gave up playing Ouija board.
2. How does the ghost undermine the narrator's
faith in his ability to write ghost stories?
Answer: The ghost reveals that the narrator
does not know how to write a ghost story. She
tells the narrator how did she help him in his
earlier assignments. She also tells that the
highly convincing ghosts of his stories were
because of inspiration from her only. Thus, the
ghost undermines the narrators faith in his
ability to write ghost stories.
3. Why does John want the ghost to disappear
before his wife appears on the scene? What
impression of his wife's character do you form
from his words?
Answer: John does not want his wife to
discover about the ghost. He is afraid that his
wife would not approve him of talking to a
ghost; especially a female ghost. His wife is
too possessive about John. She is highly
suspicious of John as if he may be having
some illicit affair.
4. Why does the narrator hesitate to be a partner
to Laura Hinkle during the Ouija Board Party?
Answer: The narrator does not like to play a
game of Ouija. Moreover, he is also turned off
by flirtatious attitude of Laura Hinkle. Hence,
he hesitates to be a partner to Laura Hinkle
during the Ouija Board Party.
5. What message does the ghost convey to the
group that had assembled in the narrator's
house? What is their reaction to the
message?
Answer: The ghost tries to say that John has
been a traitor as he could not prevent people
in the room from playing Ouija Board. All the
ladies are curious that someone named Helen
was trying to give some message about John.
The ladies begin to doubt John as if he is
having some affair with Helen. Most of the
ladies are amused but Johns wife is annoyed.
6. Do you agree with the narrator calling the
assembly of women "manipulators?" Give
reasons.
Answer: All the ladies were trying to force
John in uncomfortable situation. They wanted
to enjoy all the embarrassment which John
must be going through. Hence, John has
rightly said them as manipulators.
7. Why is John's wife angry? What does she
decide to do?
Answer: Johs wife is angry because of two
reasons. She is angry because John left the
party midway. She is also angry because of
the suspicion she had regarding John and
Helen. She decides to talk to her lawyer for a
probable divorce. She is planning to go to her
grandmothers place.
8. Why does John wish he were dead?
Answer: John is not happy after reading the
threatening letter from his wife. He is dreading
the thought of a life without his wife. Hence,
his wishes he was dead.
9. When confronted by Lavinia about his
flirtations over the Ouija Board, John insists
that 'the affair was quite above-board, I
assure you, my love'. Bring out the pun in
John's statement.
Answer: Above-board means everything is
done in a transparent manner and nothing
has been hidden. Since Lavinia suspects that
John was flirting with Hinkle; John tries to
show that he did not do anything under the
board. He candidly admits of doing some
harmless mischief.
10. John's apprehensions about his wife's
reaction to her encounter with the ghost are
unfounded. Justify.
Answer: When Lavinia happens to meet the
ghost see is neither scared nor surprised. She
is not even angry at John. This shows that
Johns apprehensions about his wifes
reaction to her encounter with the ghost are
unfounded.
Answer the following questions in detail:
After her reconciliation with her husband, John Hallock, Lavinia writes a letter to her friend
expressing how her relationship with him had almost been on the verge of breaking and what
saved it. Write her letter.
Answer: Dear Laura,
Hope you are fine and enjoying your life to the fullest. I just felt sharing some of my secrets with
my dearest friend, i.e. you.
I have just been saved a great deal of misfortune because of some misunderstandings between
me and John. For the past many days I could hear John talking loudly when he used to be all
alone in his room. I suspected that he must be talking to some lady. Things came to a boil when
I found him openly flirting with one of my friends during Ouija Board Party at my home. I decided
that I had enough of it and went on to live with my grandma. I also planned to consult a lawyer to
carry out divorce proceedings. But thanks god that good senses prevailed and returned to sort
out things with John. I discovered that John was talking to none but a ghost. It was the ghost
from whom John used to get inspiration for writing his wonderful ghost stories. I just felt a pity on
poor John. I just hugged him said sorry for suspecting him.
Now, everything is fine and we enjoying a life of bliss.
Bye
Lavinia
John Hallock reflects upon his experience with Helen's ghost and in retrospect he finds it quite
amusing. All the same he is relieved that he is no longer plagued by it. Ironically, the self same
ghost inspires his creativity and he writes a diary entry reflecting upon the comical aspect of his
experience. Write his diary entry.
Answer:Day 1:
I must admit that I am also scared of ghosts, the way most of the people are. But when I saw
this ghost I could not control my laughter. She appeared in installments and never came as a
whole package. She looked more like a boring librarian than a ghost. She is scary but not in the
sense ghosts are. Her preacher like demeanor really scared me.
Day 2:
She can be quite annoying at most of the time. Today she crossed all limits when she almost
gave away my secret to all the ladies at the party. She began calling me a traitor as if I had had
promised something to her. She should understand that a meek husband like me cannot even
have control on my wife then how does she expect me to control and guide all other ladies.
Day 3:
Finally the ghost has left me for better. I am a highly relieved man now. I no longer need to fear
the watchful eyes of my wife.
