A Shady Plot Is A Short Ghost Story By Elsie vm41

A Shady Plot is a short ghost story by Elsie Brown. The story deals with the appearance of supernatural and spiritual things. The writer, John Hallock was urged by Jerkins to write a new ghost story for his magazine. Usually John was full of ideas but that day he could not make a start. He started talking to himself. Then, suddenly he heard the ghost ‘Helen’s voice. He was surprised. She spoke on behalf of all the people who had turned to ghosts and warned the writer to stop from calling them often. She said they were all going to call for a strike. This strike was to not to appear or provide ideas to people for writing ghost stories. Thus, Helen warned the author not to involve himself in Ouija Board's activity or any other which would mean calling the spirits. At noon, while he was still trying to work on a story, his wife Lavinia brought a Ouija Board home and announced her party with the women from her Book Club. The writer tried to convince Lavinia, his wife, to drop the idea. However, his wife made him a partner of Laura Hinkle to work on one of the Ouija boards. When the spirit visited, Laura asked it to tell something, the pointer started moving towards the letters to point out the word 'TRAITOR '. Bewildered, the writer had nothing to say so his partner asked the spirit to explain itself more fully. In response, the spirit spelled 'ASK HIM '. This was when the wrter realized that it is actually Helen who was trying to interact with them. They all asked Hallock if he knew anyone by name ‘Helen’ but he refused. After sometime the party came to an end. Lavinia had all the reasons to suspect that John was a traitor and he had an affair with a woman called Helen. She decided to get separated, packed her baggage and entered to bid him bye. Meanwhile, Helen blamed John for having played Ouija with the ladies instead of stopping them from playing it. John could not think of letting his wife see a ghost and faint or go mad. He asked Lavinia to leave if she couldn’t help. After some time, there was a knock and Lavinia entered again. Suddenly, she saw the spirit who informed her that

she was Helen of New York and now she was going. the words of Helen, Lavinia doubt on her husband cleared. Lavinia decided to stay back. The story with the writer throwing the Ouija board in fire being glad. The writer was very happy because he plot for a ghost story.

Hearing is ends well and Helen had got a

Apparition-a supernatural appearance of a person or thing, a ghost, spectre or phantom Clairvoyance-the supposed power to see objects or events that cannot be perceived by the senses Crystal Ball-a globe of quartz crystal in which images, believed to portend the future, are supposedly visible to fortune tellers Eerie-so mysterious, strange, or unexpected as to send a chill up the spine Medium-a person through whom the spirits of the dead are alleged to be able to the living Transmigration-to into another body after death: going from one state of existence or place to another Psychic-capable of extraordinary mental processes, such as extrasensory perception and mental telepathy Ouija Board-a spelling board device intended to communicate with and through the spirit 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 Tarot Card-any of a set of 22 playing cards bearing allegorical representations, used for fortune telling Vampire-a reanimated corpse that is believed to rise from the grave at night to suck the blood of sleeping people Poltergeist -inGerman word, meaning "noisy ghost"-a troublesome spirit that announces its presence with unexplainable sounds and the creation of disorder. 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 narrator’s stories are highly convincing. Does the narrator like writing ghost stories? your answer with evidence from the story. Answer: The narrator does not like writing ghost stories. At the beginning, he its 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 its that he writes ghost stories because he needs money to pay for his expenses. 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 Writer’s Inspiration Bureau. 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 narrator’s stories are highly convincing. Does the narrator like writing ghost stories? your answer with evidence from the story. Answer: The narrator does not like writing ghost stories. At the beginning, he its 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 its that he writes ghost stories because he needs money to pay for his expenses.

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 Writer’s Inspiration Bureau. 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. 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 narrator’s faith in his ability to write ghost stories. 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. 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. 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 John’s wife is annoyed. 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. Why is John's wife angry? What does she decide to do? Answer: Joh’s 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 grandmother’s place. 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.

When confronted by Lavinia about his flirtations over the Ouija Board, John insists that 'the affair was quite aboveboard, 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 its of doing some harmless mischief. 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 John’s apprehensions about his wife’s reaction to her encounter with the ghost are unfounded. Patol Babu Satyajit Ray Summary: This story is about a middle-aged person who was once bitten by the acting bug. Patol Babu is a middle-aged man with bald pate and short height. When he was young, he used to act in various dramas and theatres in the neighbourhood. After that, he had to give up his hobbies in the pursuit of his livelihood all through these years. But when he had least expected it, he got an offer to do a small role in a film which was being made by some famous director. Patol Babu is quite excited at getting that offer as it had rekindled the old flame of acting in him. When Patol Babu reaches the spot where shooting is to take place, he discovers that all he got was an inconsequential role. Patol Babu is quite angry at being tortured for such a useless role where he does not even have a proper dialogue. But he recalls the precious teachings by his theatre guru that no role is insignificant and an artist should do full justice to a role no matter how small or insignificant it appears. So, Patol Babu does full rehearsal before the shot and tries to do full justice to the role. He is deeply satisfied at his effort and so happy

that he leaves the shooting spot without even collecting his wages for the role. This story shows the contrast between the life of a common man and the glitter of the film industry. Answer the following questions briefly What was the news that Nishikanto Ghosh gave Patol Babu? Answer: Nishinkanto Ghosh brought the news that someone has agreed to offer a role to Patol Babu in a movie. How did Patol Babu react? Why? Answer: Patol Babu was surprised. He had acted in dramas when he was young but now he is in his early fifties and has left acting a long back. He is a simple middle class man who is struggling to make ends meet. Why had Patol Babu lost his first job in Calcutta? Answer: The Company for which Patol Babu was working suffered due to the war. It forced the Company to retrench a large number of employees. Patol Babu was among the unfortunate employees who lost their job. How does Patol Babu reconcile to the dialogue given to him? Answer: Patol Babu re the preaching of his guru in acting. He always advised that no role is small and one should do full justice to a role; no matter how insignificant it appeared. So, Patol Babu decided to give it his whole heart. Who was Mr. Pakrashi? How do his words help Patol Babu in enacting his role? Answer: Mr. Pakrashi was the mentor of Patol Babu during his theatre days. He advised Patol Babu to never consider a role below his dignity. He advised that an actor should try to squeeze every drop of the line given to him. He said that acting was like a teamwork in which everyone’s effort brings the whole picture. His words appeared highly

encouraging Patol Babu and thus Patol Babu began rehearsing to say ‘Oh’ in various styles. How do we know that Patol Babu was a meticulous man? Answer: Different activities of Patol Babu show that he was a meticulous man. To start with; he reached on time for the shooting. He tried to gather all possible information about the film; like name of the director, lead actor, etc. He wanted to get his dialogue beforehand so that he could get enough time to rehearse for his role. Even when he was given a monosyllable in the name of dialogue; he continued rehearsing that. He even counted the number of steps required to correctly time his collision with the lead actor. Why did Mr. Mullick turn down Patol Babu's request for a rehearsal? Answer: Mr. Mullick was aware about the inconsequence of the role given to Patol Babu. Hence, he did not want to waste time on rehearsal and refused Patol Babu’s request. What were the special touches that Patol Babu gave to his role to make it more authentic? Answer: Patol Babu practiced his dialogue in a variety of ways to make that as authentic as possible. He wanted to hold a newspaper to appear like an absent minded pedestrian. These are the examples of special touches Patol Babu gave to his role to make it more authentic. Discuss the following questions in detail 'I hope the part calls for some dialogue?' Who says this? Why does he /she ask this question? Answer: Patol Babu enquires this. He wants enough time to rehearse his dialogue and hence asks this question. 'Were these people pulling his legs? Was the whole thing a gigantic hoax? A meek, harmless man like him, and they had to drag him into the middle of the city to make a laughing

stock out of him. How could anyone be so cruel?' Why does Patol Babu have these thoughts? Answer: When Patol Babu discovers the insignificant role offered to him; he develops these thoughts. Patol Babu is an amateur actor for whom walk-on part in a movie turns into an ultimate challenge. Discuss. Answer: Patol Babu is an amateur actor who has left acting a long time ago. He feels highly elated when he gets the news of an offer for a role. But Patol Babu feels quite dejected when he discovers that his role has no significance. Finally; the preaching of his old mentor encourages him to take up the challenge and do full justice to his role. Thus, it can be said that the walk-on part in a movie turns into an ultimate challenge for him. Do you agree with the statement that Patol Babu is a practical man who comes to with whatever life has to offer? Give reasons for your answer. Answer: Patol Babu moves to Calcutta when a better offer is available. After he loses his job in Calcutta, he begins a shop which shuts down after some years. After that, he is working hard to earn his livelihood and appears to be a content man. When the role is offered to him, he accepts the fact that he is a small actor who may not deserve a big role. He also musters enough courage to do full justice to the role he was offered. These examples show that Patol Babu is a practical man who comes to with whatever life has to offer. Why does Patol Babu walk away before he can be paid for his role? What does this reveal about his character? Answer: Patol Babu was satisfied at the fact that he did full justice to his role. For him, getting a role and playing it to its true potential was more important than earning money from the role. Hence, he left before he could be paid for the role. This shows that Patol Babu is a true artist and a good human being.

Do you think making a movie is an easy job? Discuss with reference to the story. Answer: Moving making does not appear to be an easy task. The unit of a movie needs hundreds of staffs who have to carry out different tasks. Arrangements for shooting at a particular location can be cumbersome and time consuming. In case of an outdoor shooting, crowd management is another headache. Julius Caesar William Shakespeare Summary Julius Caesar was a Roman general and statesman who lived between 100 BC to 44BC. He played an instrumental role in the demise of Roman Republic and rise of the Roman Empire. After winning several wars, Julius Caesar became very popular and powerful. When he was offered the crown by Mark Antony; he refused the crown. Some people were jealous of Caesar’s growing power and feared that he might become a dictator. Cassius hatches a conspiracy to murder Caesar. He wins over Brutus in this conspiracy because Brutus is the most trusted and respected in Rome. After the assassination of Caesar, one of his friends; Antony; succeeds in motivating people to raise a revolt against Cassius and Brutus. Act 1 Scene 1 The first scene depicts the argument between Caesar and his wife Calpurnia. Calpurnia tries to stop Caesar from going to the senate because she is apprehensive of some mishap. She explains the bad omens which she saw in her dreams. In response, Caesar claims that a brave man should not be afraid of death because death is the ultimate truth. Calpurnia wants Mark Antony to convey the message that Caesar would not attend the meeting at senate and to give an excuse of Caesar’s sickness. Finally, Decius Brutus tries to convince Caesar by giving a different and positive interpretation of the dreams which Calpurnia had. Thus, Brutus is able to take Caesar alongwith him to the senate. Act 2: Scene 1

Various courtiers and of the senate sing paeans for Caesar. Caesar asks his fellows not to indulge in flattery. The discussion then veers on the banishment of Publius Cimber. Finally, all the men who are with Cassius take out their daggers and kill Caesar. When Brutus stabs Cesar then Caesar is astonished that even Brutus is against him. After the assassination of Caesar, Cassius wants the message conveyed to the people of Rome that they have succeeded in ending the tyranny and in ensuring freedom for the people of Rome.. Mark Antony; a close associate of Caesar arrives on the scene. Cassius and his men convey to Antony that Caesar was murdered for the good of Rome. They also assure Antony his due share in power. But Antony insists on mourning for Caesar’s death. He gets permission for taking the body of Caesar so that he can organize a public mourning. It is also agreed that Cassius would speak to the public to convey the message of protection of Rome’s liberty as a reason for the assassination of Caesar. After that Antony could take his time to speak whatever he wishes to speak about Caesar. Act 2: Scene 2 Antony gives a speech to highlight that Caesar was kind to the public and was not ambitious as was claimed by Cassius. By giving many examples; Antony is able to motivate the gathered mass of people. He also reads the will of Caesar which announces many freebies for the people. People then cremate the body of Caesar and begin the revolt against Cassius and Brutus. Virtually True Paul Stewart Summary: This story is about virtual reality and can be termed a science fiction. The narrator of the story has bought a computer and virtual reality equipments with some fancy games. The narrator and his father appear to be deeply interested in computers. While on a train, the narrator comes to know about the news of a miracle recovery

of a boy named Sebastian Shultz who had been in coma for a long period. After that, the narrator re how he helped in saving Sebastian in many computer games which he played. The story carries fanciful details of all the games he played. The narrator thinks about the possibility of Sebastian entering the world of virtual reality and comes to the conclusion that Sebastian’s memory must have been transferred to computer when he may have accidentally hit his head against screen. It is said that a computer never forgets anything, so the computer in this story ed everything. The narrator ends up exchanging e-mail with Sebastian in real life as well. According to the newspaper, what had happened to Sebastian Shultz? Answer: Sebastian was badly injured in a motorway accident and went into coma. He was in coma for a very long period and doctors had lost all hopes. Then a miracle happened and Sebastian came out of the coma. 'Dad's nutty about computers.' What evidence is there to this statement? Answer: The narrator’s dad buys a computer with latest configuration of that time. He also buys virtual reality equipments and all the necessary peripherals. He believes that a computer never forgets anything. These facts tell that the dad was really nutty about computers. In what way did the second game seem very real? Answer: The second game was called DRGONQUEST. It was about rescuing a princess from a dragon. The princess appears like Rapunzel; with really long hairs. Everything in the game has been explained in detail; right from long hairs of the princess to the hot breathe of the dragon. Thus, it can be said that the second game seemed very real. The last game has tanks, jeeps, helicopters, guns and headings would you put this and the other games under? Answer: All the games can be put under adventure category.

What was Michael's theory about how Sebastian had entered the games? Answer: Michael thought that Sebastian must have hit the computer screen accidentally and that is how all the data from his brain got transferred to the computer’s memory. This enabled Sebastian to enter the games. Why did the news of the 'miracle recovery' shock Michael? Answer: The news of the ‘miracle recovery’ shocked Michael because he had been deeply involved in rescuing Sebastian from imminent death. Michael's meeting with Sebastian Shultz had been a chance meeting. Where had it taken place and how? Answer: Michael met Sebastian in the midst of a computer game. This was indeed a highly unlikely place for meeting of two real human beings. What kind of computers fascinated Michael and his dad? Why? Answer: Michael and his dad were fascinated by latest computers which had all the necessary peripherals. They were eager to explore the huge potential which a computer could offer. Describe the first place where Michael was virtually transported. Answer: It was a game called Wildwest. He was in a classical bar of the Wild West. The bar had swinging doors and many cowboys could be seen in that. What help did Sebastian Shultz ask Michael for? How did he convey this message? Answer: Sebastian wanted Michael to rescue him and save his life. He conveyed his message by sending it through the printer. Why did Michael fail in rescuing Sebastian Shultz the first time?

Answer: In the first game, when Michael was trying to dodge the bullets, something hit Sebastian. A bullet probably hit Sebastian and he fell in a heap. Thus, Michael failed to save Sebastian. The second attempt to rescue Sebastian Shultz too was disastrous. Give reasons. Answer: In the second attempt, Michael was playing Dragonquest. When they were trying to flee from the dragon, Sebastian fell down in a ditch. Hence, the second attempt too was disastrous. Narrate the accident that injured Sebastian Shultz. Answer: It was a motorway accident which injured Sebastian. How had Sebastian Shultz entered the games? Answer: According to the narrator, Sebastian must have banged his head to computer screen. It resulted in all the data from his brain getting transferred to the computer’s memory. Thus, Sebastian could have entered the game. How was Sebastian Shultz's memory stored on Michael's disk? Did Michael discover that? Answer: Same as previous question Snake W. W. E. Ross Summary: This poem is about a snake who is trying to escape being hit by a stick. It is quite human to hit a snake or run away from it, because for most of the human being a snake means a very dangerous animal which can kill in one bite. The snake is small and green and is harmless even to children. The snake was lying on the sand till it was observed by someone. When the person tries to hit the snake, the snake turns its body into beautiful curves and tries to escape from the onslaught. The snake is trying to run away through the water. While doing so, it creates

beautiful ripples in water and vanishes into green slim reeds as if mixing its green slender body with the green slim reeds. Snake by D. H. Lawrence Summary: This poem is about a human beings respect for an animal; which is quite strange because most of us just get scared at the sight of a snake. The narrator has gone to the water trough to fetch water to drink. He observes a strange visitor at the water trough; a snake. Because of his highly developed civic sense, the narrator prefers to allow the snake to quench its thirst because the snake was the first in the queue. The snake silently drinks water and observes the narrator intermittently. The snake appeared to be poisonous and the narrator instant reaction was the thought to kill the snake. But the real human inside the narrator wanted to treat the snake as some guest who had come to his water trough. The narrator enjoyed the beautiful creation of nature. Finally, when the snake was about to disappear into a dark hole, the narrator clumsily picks up a stick hits the water puddle to create some clatter. The snake quickly disappears inside the dark womb of the earth. Having thrown the stick, the narrator feels guilty the way the Ancient Mariner felt when he killed the albatross. The narrator is left with a sense of pity for himself. Why does the poet decide to stand and wait till the snake has finished drinking? What does this tell you about the poet? Answer: The snake had arrived at the water trough before the poet and hence the poet decided to wait for his turn. This incident shows that poet has respect for other living beings the way a human being should have for another human being. His civic sense is highly developed. In stanza 2 and 3, the poet gives a vivid description of the snake by using suggestive expressions. What picture of the snake do you form on the basis of this description?

Answer: The snake is earthy brown and earthy golden in colour and has a long body. it has a two-forked tongue and has toothless gum. How does the poet describe the day and the atmosphere when he saw the snake? Answer: It was a hot day of July and the temperature was further increased by the heat from Mt. Etna. What does the poet want to convey by saying that the snake emerges from the ‘burning bowels of the earth’? Answer: The earthy brown and golden colour of the snake appeared as if it had just come from the hot innards of the earth. Do you think the snake was conscious of the poet’s presence? How do you know? Answer: The way the snake paused for a moment and vaguely looked at the poet shows that the snake was conscious of the poet’s presence. How do we know that the snake’s thirst was satiated? Pick out the expressions that convey this. Answer: Once the snake quenched its thirst, it lifted its head dreamily; as if heavily drunk. It also appeared to be licking its lip; the way people do after drinking something. The godly expression on the face of the snake also shows that it was satiated. The poet has a dual attitude towards the snake. Why does he experience conflicting emotions on seeing the snake? Answer: Because of his mental conditioning, the poet wants to react and kill the snake. But the artist inside him prevents him to do so. The artist wants to enjoy one of the unmatched beauty of the nature. He wants to enjoy every moment of a snake enjoying the bounty of the nature. The poet is filled with horror and protest when the snake prepares to retreat and bury itself in the ‘horrid black’,

‘dreadful’ hole. In the light of this statement, bring out the irony of his act of throwing a log at the snake. Answer: The poet does not want his amusement to end so abruptly. He wants to have more of it and hence does not wish the snake to disappear into the hole. These feelings convey a sense of iration which the poet has for the snake. But ironically, he tries to hit the snake with a log; as if venting his anger at the snake for daring to break the dreamy sequence. The poem seems to be full of iration and respect for the snake. He almost regards him like a majestic God. Pick out at least four expressions from the poem that reflect these emotions. Answer: The calmness and confidence with which the snake drinks water, the royal style with which the snake lifts its head; convey that the author was full of iration and respect for the snake. What is the difference between the snake’s movement at the beginning of the poem and later when the poet strikes it with a log of wood? You may use relevant vocabulary from the poem to highlight the difference. Answer: When the snake came to drink water, it was moving slowly. It appeared from a dark fissure in the earth-wall and slowly descended over the edge of the stone trough. When the snake was leaving, it was doing so in undignified haste. It writhed like lightning and disappeared into the black-hole. The poet experiences a feeling of self-derision, guilt and regret after hitting the snake. Pick out expressions that suggest this. Why does he feel like this? Answer: The poet thought that his act was a paltry, vulgar and mean act. He despises himself and accuses his human education for hitting the snake. You may have already read Coleridge’s poem The Ancient Mariner in which an albatross is killed by the mariner. Why does the poet make an allusion to the albatross?

Answer: The way the Ancient Mariner felt a deep sense of guilt after killing the albatross, the poet also feels the guilt after trying to hit the snake. Hence, the poet has made an allusion to the albatross. ‘I have something to expiate’ – Explain. Answer: The poet is repenting at his act of hitting the snake. He was enjoying the sight of the majestic creature; when the snake began to disappear into the dark innards of the earth. The poet probably wanted to enjoy the dignified manner in which the snake would have disappeared.