“Shady” may mean –

Full of shade; shaded.

Casting shade.


Quiet, dark or concealed.
Of dubious character or
of questionable honesty.
“Plot” may mean –
 A small piece of ground.
 A ground plan.
 Storyline – the plan,
scheme or main story.
 A secret plan for
something illegal.
Precisely!
Hallock, Give us
another on the
supernatural this time.
Something to give
them the horrors!
How am I going to cure her of
her alarming tendency to take
up every new fad?
Yes… I should say it is!
This writing business is
delightful, isn’t it?
•
Why was Hallock getting cocky/arrogant?
•
What was Hallock’s specialization?
So, I had said, “Precisely!” in the deepest voice I was
capable of, …(Hallock)
•
Why does Hallock use his ‘deepest voice’? What does it signify?
•
Whose voice do you think it is (the one at the end)?
Nothing. Absolutely
nothing, my dear lady. I
was merely waiting for
you to tell me why you
had come.
What are you gaping at?

Was Hallock really a specialist in ghost stories?

Why were the ghosts going on a strike?


In place of Ouija boards, what other means can be used to
‘communicate’ with ghosts?
From her description, do you think the ghost was beautiful or
ugly? Substantiate your answer
You Know I bought
the loveliest thing this
afternoon.
It… it isn’t…
You’d never guess in the
world. It’s the duckiest,
darlingest Ouija Board, and
so cheap! I got it at a bargain
sale.

What was John Hallock’s affliction?

Why had Lavinia bought the Ouija Board?

Why couldn’t she return it?
“…or William the Conqueror, or Helen of Troy--well, maybe not
Helen—anyhow…”
•
Why not Helen of Troy? What does this show about the nature
of Lavinia?

Why didn’t Hallock become a full time writer?

Why do you think the house was brightly illuminated?
Gladolia, the narrator’s cook, is an African. The language/her
pronunciation is different from others. This is known as Dialect.
A dialect consists of words and phrases that reflect the regional
variety of a language.
John! John, dear, I know you will help
us out. Poor Laura Hinkle is without a
partner. Laura can’t work a Ouija by
herself, and she’ll have a bad time
unless you…
Me! Me! I won’t……

Who do you think ‘Helen’ is?

Why was John reluctant to join Laura in the party?

Why was Helen calling John a traitor?

How did John’s affliction worsen the situation?
“…and lay there in the burning dark while the…”, “I stared at
them in a sort of dreadful fascination.”
•
What figure of speech is being used in the above sentences?
•
What do you mean by sarcasm?
•
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.
Dear John,
I am going back to
my grandmother.
My lawyer will
communicate
with you later.
Oh, yes, yes! That’s
fine…great!
Sure, yes… right
away! Change of air
will do you good. I’ll
join you presently.
I have come to tell you I
am leaving.
So you want me to go
away, do you?

Why didn’t John want his wife to see the ghost?

Why was Lavinia leaving the house?

What does Lavinia mean when she says that her ‘Lawyer will
communicate’ with John?




As soon as she saw who the ghost was, why did she forgive John?
“I've got the bulliest plot for a ghost story!” What do you think
the plot was?
“In the end, all the main characters of the story had a happy
ending” Substantiate the statement.
Now, does your understanding of the Title change?