(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.
(c) What makes Helen,
the ghost, and her other co-ghosts organize The Writer's Inspiration
Bureau?
(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.
(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.
(c) What makes Helen, the ghost, and her other co-ghosts organize The Writer's Inspiration Bureau?
(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.
(a) Jenkins had always called upon Hallock
whenever he wanted a ghost story to be published in his magazine.
John’s ghosts were live propositions as Jenkins called them.
This time again Jenkins wanted Hallock to come up with another
supernatural thriller, which would give the readers horrors and that
is what the public wanted too.
(b) The narrator lacked the self confidence
as he himself talked of how he didn’t specialise in ghost
stories; instead, he said that the ghost stories specialised in him.
His first story had been a ghost fiction too; however, for that also
he had to chase inspiration in vain for months. This all shows that
the narrator was, though natural, an accidental ghost fiction writer.
(c) Helen and other co-ghosts organised The
Writer’s Insipiration Bureau because they felt there were many
writers without ideas, however, with a vulnerable mind who were
looking for an inspiration to write ghost stories. The bureau would
assign a ghost to such a writer so that he/she could write good ghost
stories.
(d) Helen provided inspiration to the
narrator to write ghost stories. She and co-ghosts were going on a
strike because they were tired of answering questions of Ouija board
fanatics. They felt they were disturbed too often to answer silly
questions. She urged the narrator to influence his friends and
acquaintances to stop using the Ouija board. It was on this condition
she promised to help the narrator to write stories.
(e) Helen tells the narrator that she had
helped him write his ghost stories. She tells the narrator of the
many times when she had leaned on the narrator’s shoulder and
had given him ideas, when he was thinking hard while writing a ghost
story. Helen tries to tell the narrator that had she not been there
for him as a muse, he would not have been able to write good ghost
stories.
(f) Lavina is a sensitive woman and is
subject to hysterics. If she sees John talking to a ghost she would
lose it all. Lavinia is crazy about every new fashion and fad, so
much feminine in nature that John fears the thought of how she would
react in such a situation.
(g) Helen, the ghost, had asked the
narrator to influence his friends to stop using the Ouija board. It
was only on this condition that Helen promised to help the narrator
to write ghost stories. If Helen sees him now himself trying to
communicate ghosts through Ouija board, he fears how and what she
would do to him. That is why the narrator was reluctant to be a
partner to Laura Hinkle during the Ouija Board party.
(h) Helen called John a traitor as he
bluffs her. He had promised Helen that he would convince his friends
to stop contacting ghosts; rather here he himself was doing the same.
She is annoyed and filled with anguish and so goes to everyone’s
Ouija board one by one and tells that Mr. Hallock is a traitor. After
this revelation everybody suspected John of cheating upon his wife,
later John clarified to his wife and she even understood.
(i) The narrator felt that everybody in the
room was looking at him suspiciously. That is why he called the
assembly of women “manipulators”. The women were not
manipulating things. However, they were just reporting what was
happening at their Ouija Board.
(j) John’s wife is angry because she,
like other women, believed what the spirit said through the Ouija
board, about her husband. A woman even reported that Helen has called
John a traitor. Lavinia thought that her husband was cheating on her.
She decided to go to her grandmother’s house. She also decided
to separate from her husband.
(k) John wished he was dead because a brief
meeting with a ghost had created such situations that he was about to
lose his wife, whom he loved dearly; it destroyed his happiness and
home.
(l) John assures his wife that his
flirtations with Helen the ghost are above board. He tries to tell
her that whatever that has happened between him and Helen is over the
board of Ouija and there was nothing that he wished to hide from his
wife; in fact there was nothing to tell.
(m) John thought that his wife would become
hysterical if she saw the ghost Helen; however, when the encounter
happened, she confidently spoke to the ghost and was not at all
scared of it.
(a) Jenkins had always called upon Hallock whenever he wanted a ghost story to be published in his magazine. John’s ghosts were live propositions as Jenkins called them. This time again Jenkins wanted Hallock to come up with another supernatural thriller, which would give the readers horrors and that is what the public wanted too.
(b) The narrator lacked the self confidence as he himself talked of how he didn’t specialise in ghost stories; instead, he said that the ghost stories specialised in him. His first story had been a ghost fiction too; however, for that also he had to chase inspiration in vain for months. This all shows that the narrator was, though natural, an accidental ghost fiction writer.
(c) Helen and other co-ghosts organised The Writer’s Insipiration Bureau because they felt there were many writers without ideas, however, with a vulnerable mind who were looking for an inspiration to write ghost stories. The bureau would assign a ghost to such a writer so that he/she could write good ghost stories.
(d) Helen provided inspiration to the narrator to write ghost stories. She and co-ghosts were going on a strike because they were tired of answering questions of Ouija board fanatics. They felt they were disturbed too often to answer silly questions. She urged the narrator to influence his friends and acquaintances to stop using the Ouija board. It was on this condition she promised to help the narrator to write stories.
(e) Helen tells the narrator that she had helped him write his ghost stories. She tells the narrator of the many times when she had leaned on the narrator’s shoulder and had given him ideas, when he was thinking hard while writing a ghost story. Helen tries to tell the narrator that had she not been there for him as a muse, he would not have been able to write good ghost stories.
(f) Lavina is a sensitive woman and is subject to hysterics. If she sees John talking to a ghost she would lose it all. Lavinia is crazy about every new fashion and fad, so much feminine in nature that John fears the thought of how she would react in such a situation.
(g) Helen, the ghost, had asked the narrator to influence his friends to stop using the Ouija board. It was only on this condition that Helen promised to help the narrator to write ghost stories. If Helen sees him now himself trying to communicate ghosts through Ouija board, he fears how and what she would do to him. That is why the narrator was reluctant to be a partner to Laura Hinkle during the Ouija Board party.
(h) Helen called John a traitor as he bluffs her. He had promised Helen that he would convince his friends to stop contacting ghosts; rather here he himself was doing the same. She is annoyed and filled with anguish and so goes to everyone’s Ouija board one by one and tells that Mr. Hallock is a traitor. After this revelation everybody suspected John of cheating upon his wife, later John clarified to his wife and she even understood.
(i) The narrator felt that everybody in the room was looking at him suspiciously. That is why he called the assembly of women “manipulators”. The women were not manipulating things. However, they were just reporting what was happening at their Ouija Board.
(j) John’s wife is angry because she, like other women, believed what the spirit said through the Ouija board, about her husband. A woman even reported that Helen has called John a traitor. Lavinia thought that her husband was cheating on her. She decided to go to her grandmother’s house. She also decided to separate from her husband.
(k) John wished he was dead because a brief meeting with a ghost had created such situations that he was about to lose his wife, whom he loved dearly; it destroyed his happiness and home.
(l) John assures his wife that his flirtations with Helen the ghost are above board. He tries to tell her that whatever that has happened between him and Helen is over the board of Ouija and there was nothing that he wished to hide from his wife; in fact there was nothing to tell.
(m) John thought that his wife would become hysterical if she saw the ghost Helen; however, when the encounter happened, she confidently spoke to the ghost and was not at all scared of it.
