(a) 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.

(b) 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.

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Solution

Note: This question is to be answered on the basis of your own understanding, experience and thoughts. It is strongly recommended that you prepare the solution on your own. However, sample solutions have been provided for your reference.

(a)

Dear Friend,

How are you? Hope you are doing fine. Sorry about delaying in replying to your letter. I was caught in some personal problems.

I want to share something very strange that happened to me. A few days back I purchased an Ouija board. I called my friends over for an Ouija board session. John was also part of it. Suddenly a ghost, named Helen, started communicating with all of us together. She called John a traitor. I was confused. I did not understand what was happening. We do not know anybody with such a name. It occurred to me that John was cheating on me. I decided to leave him and go to my grandmother’s house. When I went to see him before leaving, I found him talking to the same ghost. I saw the ghost with my own naked eyes and I also spoke to her. It was then that I realised that Helen was helping him write all those superb ghost stories. Finally, the misunderstanding was cleared. Now I am in my own home, happy with my husband. And, yes, no more Ouija board parties for me!

So much for now.

Love

Yours truly

Lavinia

(b)

Dear Diary,

The past few days have been a rollercoaster ride for me. I was sitting in my study trying to write a ghost story and suddenly a ghost appeared. At first I could not believe it, however, slowly I got talking to it. She declared that she and other ghosts were going on a strike. Imagine ghosts going on a strike! Apparently, she had helped me write all my earlier ghost stories, as what she claimed. She then appeared in the Ouija board session that my wife had organised for her friends. She called me a traitor openly in front of all my folks. My wife and her friends almost believed that I was cheating on my wife. Lavinia threatened to leave me. Here I was caught between a ghost who threatened to go on a strike and a wife who was on the verge of leaving me. Phew!!

Thankfully Lavinia, got a chance to meet and speak to Helen and her misunderstanding was cleared. One good thing came out of these encounters with Helen, I now have got an idea for my next story. This one is going to be my best story so far.

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(a) What genre of stories does Jenkins want the narrator to write? Why?

(b) Does the narrator like writing ghost stories? Support your answer with evidence from the story.

(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?

(e) How does the ghost undermine the narrator's faith in his ability to write ghost stories?

(f) 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?

(g) Why does the narrator hesitate to be a partner to Laura Hinkle during the Ouija Board Party?

(h) What message does the ghost convey to the group that had assembled in the narrator's house? What is their reaction to the message?

(i) Do you agree with the narrator calling the assembly of women "manipulators?" Give reasons.

(j) Why is John's wife angry? What does she decide to do?

(k) Why does John wish he were dead?

(l) 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.

(m) John's apprehensions about his wife's reaction to her encounter with the ghost are unfounded. Justify.

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