11 and 12 ​​ ​q  

Dear student,

The answers are as follows:

Answer 11:

• ​The author has a distinctive style of writing.

• The ghost story instead of being spooky, exciting and gripping is rather amusing.

• All the characters have a lighter side to them. The narrator and his preoccupation with ghost stories is mocked in a subtle way. He is not scared of the ghost in his room, rather he is worried how is his wife going to react if she sees the ghost.

• Lavinia and her spendthrift ways. Her obsession to try out new trends and fashions.

• Helen threatens the narrator that if he did not agree to her conditions she will stop inspiring him.

• The Ouija board party instead of being thrilling resulted in a misunderstanding between Mr. and Mrs. Hallock.

• Gladolia the narrator’s cook, who wants leave her job for a trivial reason, is scared of Voodoo and black magic and does not want to work in their house.

Thus, the story, 'A Shady Plot' would not qualify for a good ghost story because it does not have all the elements needed to make it one. A ghost story should be scary but this story is more funny than scary. The theme, characters, plot and the climax of this story make it a humorous story.

Answer 12: A relationship survives and prospers only if there is free and open communication between the two. Hiding facts from each other can create misunderstandings and suspicion which later gives rise to quarrels. In 'The Shady Plot' we can see that the narrator is a writer of ghost stories and is helped by a ghost called Helen, to weave his plots. He tries to hide this fact from his wife simply because he thinks she is too sensitive and may not be able to face it. But this creates misunderstanding and she decides to leave him. But later things turn out to be favourable for the narrator and they are able to reconcile.   

Regards