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A SHADY PLOT

Elsie Brown Extracts for Comprehension 1. Hallocks, he said to me, Give us another plot on the supernatural this time.are live propositions. a) Who is the speaker? b) What is he asking from the narrator? c) Why does the speaker say that the narrators ghosts are live propositions? 2. It had all been rather mysterious.the first fiction I had written. a) What had been mysterious? b) Why did the narrator say: but they seemed to specialize in me? c) What did the narrator do to earn a living? 3. I sat staring at it..one of these moving picture cartoons being put together. a) What was he staring at? b) What was the figure taking shape? c) Who was gradually taking a definite shape part by part? 4. Nothing, I said. Absolutely nothing. My dear lady, I was merelythink your parts might get mixed up sometimes. a) Why did the narrator say: absolutely nothing? b) What was he waiting for? c) Why did the narrator ask for? 5. Going on strike. Dont you know..plot do you get from us. a) Who is the speaker? b) Why are going on strike? c) What is the significance of the plot here? Who will not get plot and from whom? Answer the following questions briefly: a) What genre of stories does Jenkins want the narrator to write? Why? Jenkins wanted the narrator to write a ghost story for his magazine. He wanted the narrator to give the readers a story based on the supernatural. He wanted him to give the readers really horror stories and not the type of live ghosts which he presented in his earlier stories. He should write according to the taste of the readers and what he was known for. b) Does the narrator like writing ghost stories? Support your answer with evidence from the story? The narrator obviously and very honestly confesses that he doesnt specialize in ghost stories but they seemed to specialize in him. He writes ghost stories at the request of Jenkins. Jenkins wants him to write horror stories based on the supernatural. Thats what public wants. Whenever Jenkins wanted a ghost story, the narrator couldnt contradict it as Jenkins was the first to publish his story in his novel. And another reason may be that he (Hallocks) was not well off. c) What makes Helen, the ghost, and her other co-ghosts organize The Writers Inspiration Bureau? Helen, the ghost and other co-ghost organized, The Writers Inspiration Bureau. In the other life she used to write and couldnt have judged things rationally. After attaining the present form, she decided to do something with the help of those who suffered similarly like her. They organized The Writers Inspiration Bureau to help those writers who were without ideas and with minds soft enough to accept impression. d) 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 had been helping the narrator write ghost stories. She was assigned this job by the main office of the Writers Inspiration Bureau to help him. She was going on strike because of Ouija Board fanatics. They kept them busy with their questions on Ouija Board. She put a condition that he was to exert his influence to make his friends and acquaintances to stop using the Ouija Board. Only then she would start helping him. e) How does the ghost undermine the narrators faith in his ability to write ghost stories? Helen undermines the narrators faith in his ability to write ghost stories. She threatens going on strike. It means that he will not get any help from The Writers Inspiration Bureau to get another plot for writing a ghost story. The narrator asks, Is- is that where they have been coming from? Helen replies Of course. Where else? She makes it clear that the narrator cant write without their help. f) 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 Helen to disappear because he thought if his would see her with him she would create troubles. His wife Lavinia was subject to hysterics. She would start laughing and crying loudly on seeing the ghost with her husband. These words show that Lavinia was a dominating wife who could burst into hysterics if things dont happen to her liking.

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