A Shady Plot Question Answers (Important) | Class 10 English Literature Reader (Communicative) Book

by Meenu Saini | Nov 27, 2024 | General | 0 comments

CBSE Class 10 English Chapter 4 A Shady Plot Question Answers (Important) from Literature Reader (Communicative) Book

Looking for A Shady Plot question answers for Class 10 English Communicative- Interact in English Chapter 4? Look no further! Our comprehensive compilation of important questions will help you brush up on your subject knowledge. Practising Class 10 English Communicative question answers can significantly improve your performance in the exam. Our solutions provide a clear idea of how to write the answers effectively. Improve your chances of scoring high marks by exploring Chapter 4: A Shady Plot now. The questions listed below are based on the latest CBSE exam pattern, wherein we have given solutions to the chapter’s extract based questions, multiple choice questions, short answer questions, and long answer questions.

Also, practising with different kinds of questions can help students learn new ways to solve problems that they may not have seen before. This can ultimately lead to a deeper understanding of the subject matter and better performance on exams.

A Shady Plot Question Answers – Book Questions, Extra Questions

Book Questions
A Shady Plot Extract Based Questions
A Shady Plot Short Answer Questions
A Shady Plot Long Answer questions

Book Questions

Q. Match the words/expressions related to ghosts and ghost stories with their correct meanings.

word	meaning
Apparition	a feeling of anticipation of or anxiety over a future event
Poltergeist	a reanimated corpse that is believed to rise from the grave at night to suck the blood of sleeping people
Clairvoyance	a conjurer who expels evil spirits by conjuration
Crystal Ball	a spelling board device intended to communicate with and through the spirit world, obtaining answers to questions
Eerie	beyond the range of normal experience or scientific explanation
Medium	any of a set of 22 playing cards bearing allegorical representations, used for fortune telling
Transmigration	a supernatural appearance of a person or thing, a ghost, spectre or phantom
Psychic	so mysterious, strange, or unexpected as to send a chill up the spine
Ouija Board	the supposed power to see objects or events that cannot be perceived by the senses
Exorcist	a person through whom the spirits of the dead are alleged to be able to contact the living
Premonition	a globe of quartz crystal in which images, believed to portend the future, are supposedly visible to fortune tellers
Paranormal	to pass into another body after death: going from one state of existence or place to another
Tarot Card	capable of extraordinary mental processes, such as extrasensory perception and mental telepathy
Vampire	German word, meaning “noisy ghost”-a troublesome spirit that announces its presence with unexplainable sounds and the creation of disorder

Answer:

word	meaning
Apparition	a supernatural appearance of a person or thing, a ghost, spectre or phantom
Poltergeist	German word, meaning “noisy ghost”-a troublesome spirit that announces its presence with unexplainable sounds and the creation of disorder
Clairvoyance	capable of extraordinary mental processes, such as extrasensory perception and mental telepathy
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 contact the living
Transmigration	to pass into another body after death: going from one state of existence or place to another
Psychic	the supposed power to see objects or events that cannot be perceived by the senses
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

Answer the following questions by choosing the correct options.
1. The narrator earns his living by –

a) writing ghost stories

b) working as a reader for a magazine

c) working as a stenographer

d) working as an accountant in a lumber company

A. working as an accountant in a lumber company

2. The writer was overconfident about his ability to write ghost stories because

a) whenever magazines wanted a ghost story, they got in touch with him

b) he was always able to write a ghost story whenever he had to write one

c) the readers appreciated his ghost stories

d) he knew the ghost lady would help him write a good ghost story

A. he was always able to write a ghost story whenever he had to write one

3. The sight of the ghost materializing in his room filled the narrator with

a) fear

b) excitement

c) joy

d) anticipation

A. fear

4. The ghost wanted John to

a) stop his wife from using the Ouija board

b) stop using the Ouija board himself

c) stop his guests from using the Ouija board

d) stop people from using the Ouija board

A. stop people from using the Ouija board

5. John wants the ghost to disappear before his wife enters the room and waves his arms at the ghost with something of the motion of a beginner when learning to swim. His movement shows his

a) fear

b) amusement

c) desperation

d) anxiety

A. anxiety

6. When the narrator says his wife is never so pretty as when she’s doing something she knows he disapproves of, his tone is

a) amused

b) ironic

c) angry

d) irritated

A. ironic

7. The ghost says “It’s all your fault.
‘It’ here refers to

a) the narrator’s wife’s anger

b) the ghost’s anger

c) the narrator’s wife leaving him

d) the ghost materializing in sections.

A. the ghost materializing in sections.

8. Gladolia wishes to leave the narrator’s house as

a) she does not like the Ouija boards

b) she is afraid of the ghost

c) she is afraid of magic and hoodoo

d) she likes Ouija boards and hoodoo

A. she is afraid of magic and hoodoo

Answer the following questions briefly.

1. What genre of stories does Jenkins want the narrator to write? Why?
A: Jenkins wants the narrator, John Hallock to write ghost stories as his stories are live propositions which horrify the readers and they want more such stories.

2. Does the narrator like writing ghost stories? Support your answer with evidence from the story.
A: No, he is not fond of writing ghost stories. He says “I didn’t specialize in ghost stories,they seemed to specialize in me. He never had any idea for such a story and didn’t know how or why he was able to write them.

3. What makes Helen, the ghost, and her other co-ghosts organize The Writer’s Inspiration Bureau?
A: Helen, the ghost had been a writer in her life, one without ideas for a story. Her life was hell as she did not have ideas for stories. So, along with similar ghosts she formed a bureau to help writers without ideas but with an impressionable mind willing to accept ideas. They would pass on their ideas to the writers secretly. They were providing a social service to their mortal counterparts.

4. 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?
A: Helen, the ghost had been helping the narrator as he did not have ideas to write ghost stories and she could understand his misery as a writer.
She along with all the members of the bureau were going on a strike as a mark of protest against the indiscriminate use of the Ouija board by the people. They called the ghosts often and asked many questions. This left the ghosts with no time for haunting people for fun.
She wanted the narrator to stop his acquaintances from using the Ouija board if he wanted their help in writing ghost stories.

5. How does the ghost undermine the narrator’s faith in his ability to write ghost stories?
A: The narrator was overconfident of his abilities as a ghost story writer as they were liked by the readers and the publisher Jenkins urged him to write more such stories.
Helen, the ghost tells him that it was she who would help him with ideas for a story, leaning over his shoulder many a times.
She tells him that many times when he was desperately thinking of a new plot, she would lean on his shoulder in order to give him a new ghost story.
Thus, the ghost makes him realize that he wrote such good stories because of the help given by it.

6. 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?
A: John wants the ghost to disappear because as it is a female ghost, his wife could get jealous and this would affect his married life.
Also, the sight of a ghost in her house would make her mad.
The narrator’s wife is a nagging, suspicious and jealous woman.

7. Why does the narrator hesitate to be a partner to Laura Hinkle during the Ouija Board Party?
A: John had been instructed by the ghost to stop his acquaintances from using the Ouija board as only then would they help him in writing ghost stories. He is scared of it and so is hesitant to take part in the Ouija Board party.

8. What message does the ghost convey to the group that had assembled in the narrator’s house? What is their reaction to the message?
A: The ghost calls out for John. All the five Ouija boards in the room ask for John and introduce themselves as Helen. They calls him a œtraitor. As John’s wife does not know anyone by that name, all the ladies in the party suspect John of cheating her.

9. Do you agree with the narrator calling the assembly of women “manipulators?” Give reasons.
A: I agree with the narrator’s perception. He considered the women as manipulators as they controlled the ghosts through the Ouija boards and forced them to answer all their questions.

10. Why is John’s wife angry? What does she decide to do? A: John’s wife is angry at her husband as a ghost by the name Helen called out for him and
she thought that he had cheated her.
She decides to go to her grandmother’s home and get separated from John

11. Why does John wish he were dead?
A: John wished he was dead because the misunderstanding created due to the female ghost had almost ruined his life. His married life was about to end and it would destroy his home and happiness.

12. 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.
A. When confronted by Lavinia about his flirtations over the Ouija Board, John insists that ‘the affair was quite above-board which means it is being honest and legal.

Pick out the words that describe the narrator and his wife from those given below

shy	arrogant	loyal	clever
overconfident	manipulative	self- disparaging	fearless
suspicious	firm	skeptical	jealous
shrewd	strong	gullible	sly
Creative	protective	loves novelty and thrills

PERSON	Extract from story	What it tells us about the character
John Hallock	in the end things had always come my way somehow I’d always been able to dig one (plot) up for him, so I’d begun to get a bit cocky as to my ability (to write stories).	Overconfident
John Hallock	A ghost story had been the first fiction I had written.	creative
John Hallock	I threw a protecting husbandly arm about her to catch her when she should faint.	protective
Lavinia Hallock	and how on earth I was going to cure her of her alarming tendency to take every new fad that came along and work it to death.	loves novelty and thrills
Lavinia Hallock	You know I bought the loveliest thing this afternoon.	Spendthrift
Lavinia Hallock	Lavinia stopped and began to look at me through narrowed lids much as she had done in the library the evening before.	suspicious
Lavinia Hallock	She went on, “It is bad enough to have you flirt over the Ouija board with that hussy She thrust me back with sudden muscle. “I will see who’s behind you! Where is that Helen?“	jealous
Lavinia Hallock	Buys the Ouija board but says it is for John’s research	manipulative
Lavinia Hallock	Does not flinch when she meets the ghost but talks to her casually.	strong

Gladolia, the narrator’s cook, is an African. She has a dialect, write what Gladolia’s words mean

COLUMN A	COLUMN B
Misto Hallock	Mister Hallock
de Missus	The missus
sho t’inks you’s lost!	She thinks you are lost
she done ‘phone you dis mawnin’	She called you this morning
fo’ de lawd’s sake	for the lord’s sake
not to stop to argify now	don’t stop to argue now.
I’s gwine t’ quit.	I am going to quit.
I don’t like no hoodoos.	I don’t like voodoo magic.
I’se done lef’ dis place	I am done, going to leave this place.
I is	I am

Read and understand the following ghost phrases and expressions

To give up the ghost	*to die or to stop trying*
A ghost of a chance	a poor chance, not likely to happen
The ghost at the feast	something or someone that spoils your enjoyment by reminding you of something unpleasant
Ghost town	a town where most people have left – abandoned and deserted
Ghost write	to write for someone else
Lay the ghost of something/somebody (to rest)	to finally stop being worried or upset by something or someone that has worried or upset you for a long time
Ghost image	secondary image, esp. one appearing on a television screen as a white shadow, caused by poor or double reception or by a defect in the receiver
the ghost of a smile	faint trace of a smile
As white as a ghost	very pale or white in the face

Complete the following story by using the appropriate phrases in the blanks given below:

I was alone in a place that bore a deserted look like that of a ______.

I increased the pace of my footsteps as I walked through the dark forest. I felt someone walking behind me. I turned immediately and spotted the contour of a figure in the form of a ________ .

It smiled at me wickedly I started shaking with fear and perspiring (sweat) profusely (excessively) when I felt its skeletal hand upon my neck. I woke up with a start, relieved that it was only a nightmare.

This was not the first time I had had one. It had all started when I had watched the horrendous horror film with a eerie ghost character that had a scary ghost of a smile on its face. It had been almost a month. The strange thing was that I saw a similar face at the station the next morning. That was uncanny.
I was to attend a dinner at my friend’s at Northanger Abbey that night. I had decided to narrate my experience to the group that would assemble there although I knew there was a ___________ that they would be convinced.

After everyone had finished pouring their drinks to themselves, I cleared my throat and started narrating my spooky experience.

However, every one of the group started accusing me of being the ______________ and held me responsible for spoiling the spirit of revelry. I gave up the ghost and sat quietly waiting for the party to be over. Back at home, the fears returned .I knew I had to talk about my experience to somebody to feel better. I have now decided to _________ and publish my experience under a pseudonym. Only then can I _________.

Answer:

I was alone in a place that bore a deserted look like that of a ghost town.

I increased the pace of my footsteps as I walked through the dark forest. I felt someone walking behind me. I turned immediately and spotted the contour of a figure in the form of a ghost image .

I was to attend a dinner at my friend’s at Northanger Abbey that night. I had decided to narrate my experience to the group that would assemble there although I knew there was a ghost of a chance that they would be convinced.

After everyone had finished pouring their drinks to themselves, I cleared my throat and started narrating my spooky experience.
However, every one of the group started accusing me of being the ghost at the feast and held me responsible for spoiling the spirit of revelry. I gave up the ghost and sat quietly waiting for the party to be over. Back at home, the fears returned .I knew I had to talk about my experience to somebody to feel better. I have now decided to ghost write and publish my experience under a pseudonym. Only then can I lay the ghost to rest .

Extract Based Questions

Extract-based questions are of the multiple-choice variety, and students must select the correct option for each question by carefully reading the passage.

A. Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow:

So I sat down to write a ghost story.
Jenkins was responsible.
“Hallock,” he had said to me, “give us another on the supernatural this time. Something to give them the horrors; that’s what the public wants, and your ghosts are live propositions.”
Well, I was in no position to contradict Jenkins, for, as yet, his magazine had been the only one to print my stuff. So I had said, “Precisely!” in the deepest voice I was capable of, and had gone out.
I had no idea, but at that time it did not worry me at all. You see, I had often been like that before and in the end things had always come my way–I didn’t in the least know how or why. It had all been rather mysterious. You understand I didn’t specialize in ghost stories, but more or less they seemed to specialize in me.

Q1. Who is “I” in the first line?
Ans- ‘I’, here is the narrator, John Hallock.

Q2. Who was Jenkins?
Ans- Jenkins used to publish John’s stories in his magazine.

Q3. Which story genre did the public want?
A. The public wanted to read horror and supernatural stories.

Q4. Find a word from the given extract which means “in exact terms; without vagueness”
Ans- Precisely

B. Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow:

I admit I jumped. Then I looked around.
It was twilight by this time and I had forgotten to turn on the lamp. The other end of the room was full of shadows and furniture. I sat staring at it and presently noticed something just taking shape. It was exactly like watching one of these moving picture cartoons being put together. First an arm came out, then a bit of sleeve of a stiff white shirtwaist , then a leg and a plaid skirt, until at last there she was complete,–whoever she was.
She was long and angular, with enormous fishy eyes behind big bone-rimmed spectacles, and her hair in a tight wad at the back of her head (yes, I seemed able to see right through her head) and a jaw–well, it looked so solid that for the moment I began to doubt my very own senses and believe she was real after all.

Q1. What was exactly like watching moving picture cartoons?
Ans- The figure of the ghost taking full shape was exactly like watching one of these moving picture cartoons being put together.

Q2. How does the narrator react to it?
Ans- The narrator was shocked and surprised seeing the apparition.

Q3. What was the narrator staring at?
Ans- The narrator was staring at the apparition taking shape gradually.

Q4. Find a word from the given extract which means “ the time just before night when the daylight has almost gone but when it is not completely dark.”
Ans- Twilight

C. Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow:

So I went home and sat down before my desk and sucked at the end of my pencil and waited, but nothing happened. Pretty soon my mind began to wander off on other things, decidedly unghostly and material things, such as my wife’s shopping and how on earth I was going to cure her of her alarming tendency to take every new fad that came along and work it to death. But I realized that would never get me any place, so I went back to staring at the ceiling.
“This writing business is delightful, isn’t it?” I said sarcastically at last, out loud, too. You see, I had reached the stage of imbecility when I was talking to myself “Yes,” said a voice at the other end of the room, “I should say it is!”

Q1. What was the author waiting for to happen?
Ans- The author was waiting for an idea to strike to write the plot of the ghost story.

Q2. Where did the author’s mind begin to wander?
Ans- The author’s mind began to wander on the material things like his wife’s shopping and how he was going to cure her alarming tendency to take every new fad that came along.

Q3. Who said “Yes” in the last line in the given extract?
Ans- Helen, the ghost said “yes” from the end of the room.

Q4. Find a word from the given extract which means the same as ‘the quality or state of being very stupid or foolish’.
Ans– Imbecility

D. Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow:

We’ve been called out of our beds a little too often in recent years, and now we’re through.”
“But my dear madam, I assure you I have had nothing to do with that. I hope I’m properly
grateful and all that, you see.”
“Oh, it isn’t you,” she explained patronizingly. “It’s those Ouija board fanatics. There was a time when we had nothing much to occupy us and used to haunt a little on the side, purely for amusement, but not any more. We’ve had to give up haunting almost entirely. We sit at a desk and answer questions now. And such questions!” She shook her head hopelessly, and taking off her glasses wiped them, and put them back on her nose again.

Q1. Who has been called constantly?
Ans- The ghost Helen and people from her species have been called constantly.

Q2. What is the person’s complaint?
Ans- The ghost is fed up with being troubled at all odd hours for silly concerns.

Q3. Who is troubling the ghosts?
Ans- The Ouija Board fanatics are troubling the ghosts.

Q4. Find a word from the given extract which means the same as ‘in a way that shows that you think you are better or more intelligent than somebody else’
Ans- Patronizingly

E. Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow:

Change of air will do you good. I’ll join you presently!” If only she would go till Helen could depart! I’d have the devil of a time explaining afterwards, of course, but anything would be better than to have Lavinia see a ghost. Why, that sensitive little woman couldn’t bear to have a mouse say boo at her–and what would she say to a ghost in her own living-room?
Lavinia cast a cold eye upon me. “You are acting very queerly,” she sniffed. “You are concealing something from me.”

Q1. Why was John trying to deceive the speaker?
Ans- John did not wish to frighten his wife by letting her see the ghost.

Q2. Whom was John trying to conceal?
Ans. John was trying to hide Helen, the ghost.

Q3. What was John afraid of?
Ans- John thought that his wife would faint at the sight of the ghost.

Q4. Find a word from the given extract which means the same as ‘in a strange or perplexing way’
Ans- Queerly

F. Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow:

She thrust me back with sudden muscle. “I will see who’s behind you! Where is that
Helen?”
“Me? I’m Helen,” came from the ghost.
Lavinia looked at that apparition, that owl-eyed phantom, in plaid skirt and stiff shirtwaist, with hair skewed back and no powder on her nose. I threw a protecting husbandly arm about her to catch her when she should faint. But she didn’t swoon. A broad, satisfied smile spread over her face.
“I thought you were Helen of Troy,” she murmured.
“I used to be Helen of Troy, New York,” said the ghost. “And now I’ll be moving along, if you’ll excuse me. See you later.”
With that she telescoped briskly, till we saw only a hand waving farewell.

Q1. How did Lavinia react on seeing the ghost?
Ans- Lavinia did not swoon or become hysterical. She gave a broad satisfied smile and she felt relieved as her fears proved to be false.

Q2. Why did Lavinia feel relieved?
Ans- Lavinia felt relieved because Helen was not a real lady but only a ghost.

Q3. Describe the apparition.
Ans- The apparition was an owl-eyed phantom, in plaid skirt and stiff shirtwaist, with hair skewed back and no powder on her nose.

Q4. Find a word from the given extract which means the same as ‘in an active, quick, or energetic way.’
Ans- Briskly

Short Answer Questions

In this post we are also providing important short answer questions from Chapter 4 A Shady Plot for CBSE Class 10 exam in the coming session

Q1. Why could John Hallock not give his whole time to writing?
Ans. John was a bookkeeper for a timber firm, therefore he was unable to devote all of his time to writing. He had to work this job since his wife Lavinia liked to shop and there were grocery expenses to pay.

Q2. Why is the narrator hesitant to be a partner to Laura Hinkle during the Ouija board party?
Ans. Laura Hinkle was a flirt and had a crocodile-like grin, so the narrator was worried to be her partner at the party. She gave John a lot of freedom, and poor John was compelled, much against his will, to become her partner.

Q3. Why does John want the ghost to disappear before his wife appears on the scene?
Ans. John was aware of Lavinia’s high level of sensitivity. Because of her anxiety, she was unable to stand the sight of a mouse. He knew that she would loose it on seeing a ghost. Moreover, she also had a strong sense of suspicion and would be in doubt on seeing a woman with John.

Q4. How did the narrator react to the appearance of the ghost?
Ans. The narrator struggled to accept that everything was true. He was completely powerless as he sat there. He was unsure of how to respond to the ghost’s presence in his room. He was perplexed.

Q5. Why was Helen the ghost going on a strike? What condition did she lay for providing help?
Ans. The Ouija board players frequently upset Helen and the other spirits. They received a lot of calls and the silliest inquiries. They had all made the decision to strike as a result. If only the narrator could influence his friends and acquaintances to give up the use of Ouija boards, Helen would help him again, to write.

Q6. Why is John’s wife angry? What does she decide to do?
Ans. Lavinia, John’s wife, became angry because she believed he was flirting with Helen over the Ouija board. She decides to leave John the next morning and visit her grandma. She also states in a letter that her lawyer will speak with him later.

Q7. Why did Lavinia decide to leave her husband and what made her change her mind later?
Ans. Lavinia was upset because she believed her husband was flirting with another lady named Helen. She sighs with relief and changes her mind after learning that Helen was merely a ghost and not a real person.

Q8. “John’s apprehensions about his wife’s reaction to her encounter with the ghost are unfounded.” Justify
Ans. Lavinia was anxious as well as highly sensitive. The sight of a mouse was intolerable to her. But she speaks pretty fearlessly when she runs into Helen’s ghost. She exhaled in relief as she realised that Helen was only a ghost and not a real lady.

Q9. 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.
Ans. This is an extremely clever pun that Elsie Brown, the author, used in her narrative. Above board translates as true and sincere. Here, John, if he was flirting it was only on the Ouija board. Nothing about it was a secret.

Q10. Hallock’s ghosts were live-propositions? How could he pen down ghost-special stories?
Ans. For his readers, Hallock’s fictional ghosts in his ghost stories were genuine. His ghost stories captured the public’s curiosity and they were in high demand. Actually, a real ghost was providing him with ideas and inspiration for his writing.

Q11. How does the author in ‘A Shady Plot’ earn his living?
Ans. Hallock enjoyed great popularity as a ghost story author. He has the ability to write a new narrative whenever his publisher requests one. Being a writer, though, was insufficient. He was married to a stubborn and capricious woman who loved to spend money on the latest trends. Hallock was forced to work as a bookkeeper at a timber firm in order to satisfy her demands.

Q12. What kind of woman is Lavinia?
Ans. Lavinia is married to John. She is a bossy individual. She is a compulsive spendthrift who frequently spends a lot of money on the newest trends. Ouija boards are her most recent trend. She purchases one and invites friends over for a Ouija party. Hallock characterises his wife as a very delicate young woman. Lavinia is highly impressionable, unpredictable, and gullible. She tends to suspect her spouse of having an extramarital connection since she is so possessive of him.

Q13. How did Lavinia react when she saw Helen, the ghost?
Ans. When Lavinia showed up there, the narrator was talking with Helen the ghost. She enquired as to his conversation partner. Hallock was concerned that his wife would get frightened if she saw the ghost and did not want her to see Helen. She pushed him aside, though, and turned to look at Helen. Lavinia did not faint or become frantic; rather, she felt a wave of relief. Her physical characteristics demonstrated that her biggest concerns were proven to be false.

Q14. Why did Gladolia decide to leave the Hallocks? What made her change her decision?
Ans. Gladiola was the narrator’s cook. She made the decision to quit her position at the Hallocks because she was tired and terrified of hoodoo and Ouija boards. She was terrified of the ghosts and spirits who lived there. Lavinia and Hallock vowed never to use the Ouija board again and declared they would destroy it themselves. Gladolia changed her mind as a result of the guarantee that had been offered to her.

Q15. Why is Lavinia angry with her husband John? What decision does she take?
Ans. John’s wife was angry because the Ouija board seemed to be conveying messages from Helen, ‘a woman’, and also referred to her husband as a ‘traitor’. As a result, she became doubtful of her husband’s loyalty to her. During the Ouija Board Party, she was also growing envious of John’s closeness to Laura Hinkle. At some point, she decided to leave John and travel to her grandmother’s place, asking for a divorce and telling him to speak to her lawyer.

Q16. What genre of stories does Jenkins want the narrator to write? Why?
Ans. Publisher Jenkins encourages the narrator to create ghost stories since they are amusing and well-liked by readers. By doing this, he made sure his magazine sold well and made a lot of money.

Q17. Does the narrator like writing ghost stories? Support your answer with evidence from the story.
Ans. No, the narrator did not enjoy creating ghost stories. His first piece of literature was a ghost tale, and ever since, he’s wanted to write something else, but his publisher has pushed him to create ghost stories since the audience enjoys them. All of his success was a result of the ghost stories he produced.

Q18. What makes Helen, the ghost, and her other co-ghosts organise the Writer’s Inspiration Bureau?
Ans. The ghost, Helen, had previously been a writer who then switched to reading for a magazine. She suffered so greatly at that time that she sought out other ghosts who had also suffered greatly. They founded the “Writer’s Inspiration Bureau” and began searching for authors who lacked inspiration and ideas and who had soft brains that were readily influenced. To save them the difficulties they had experienced, they began to assist them in writing stories.

Q19. 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?
Ans. The ghost, Helen, had been working with the narrator to help him compose ghost stories ever since the Bureau had assigned her to him. She was now going on strike, though, since the new craze of using Ouija boards had tired her out and irritated the ghosts. People were engaging the spirits and then forcing them to respond to the silliest of queries. Only when the narrator persuaded his friends and acquaintances to quit using Ouija boards and leave the spirits alone did she agree to keep assisting him.

Q20. How does the ghost undermine the narrator’s faith in his ability to write ghost stories?
Ans. The narrator had always believed that he was the only one with the talent for crafting captivating ghost stories. He was being ‘cocky’ and overconfident about it. The readers loved his stories and thought they were quite well written. However, Helen’s ghost told him that she was the one who used to implant all of the ideas into his impressionable and vulnerable mind.

Q21. 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?
Ans. John does not want the ghost to be present in front of his wife. He gave in to hysteria despite knowing that she was sensitive. He thought that his wife would begin crying and screaming. This demonstrates how dubious, distrustful, and jealous she was.

Q22. Why does the narrator hesitate to be a partner to Laura Hinkle during the Ouija Board Party?
Ans. Lavinia asked John, the narrator, to play with Laura Hinkle as she didn’t have a partner for the game. John was hesitant since Laura was a flirty crocodile. She even moved closer and seemed to be coyly taking John’s hands in her own, which made John quite uncomfortable.

Q23. What message does the ghost convey to the group that had assembled in the narrator’s house? What is their reaction to the message?
Ans. The words t-r-a-i-t-o-r and H-e-l-e-n were spelt out on the board where the narrator and Laura Hinkle were seated. The message also surfaced on two additional message boards. This was misinterpreted as John was making advances towards Helen. Through the Ouija board, there interaction became an open secret.

Q24. Do you agree with the narrator calling the assembly of women “manipulators”?
Ans. John thought that all the ladies present were cunning manipulators who used the Ouija boards to make the scenario appear as they wanted in order to acquire what they wanted. He thought of them to be manipulative and flirtatious. What the women were saying had
been indicated on the Ouija board, they were just finding the connection so the narrator is not justified in calling them ‘manipulators’ for they were not doing it deliberately.

Q25. Why is John’s wife angry? What does she decide to do?
Answer: Lavinia, John’s wife, was incredibly sensitive and was unable to handle everything. The fact that her husband was having an extramarital affair with Helen infuriated and humiliated her. She makes the decision to leave him and return to her grandma. She also informs him that she will speak with him later through her lawyer.

Long Answer Questions

Q1. Describe the Ouija board party and how did it affect the domestic life of John and Lavinia Hallock?
Ans. The Ouija board party was planned by Lavinia and a number of her other friends who were also members of the Book Club. The event was scheduled to take place at Lavinia’s house with the invited guests, the majority of whom were elderly women. They were split up into pairs and instructed to sit across from one another with the board in the centre. John was brought in to be Laura Hinkle’s companion after her original partner failed to arrive.

Laura Hinkle is a coquette of the highest kind, so John hesitated before taking the seat in front of her. Helen was looking to contact John and her name surfaced on several message boards. When the gossiping began, John grew agitated and left the room. When Lavinia learned that her husband was having an affair with Helen, she naturally became quite upset. The next morning, she made the choice to leave and visit her grandma. She also told John that her lawyer will speak with him later.

Q2. Describe the first interaction between the narrator and the ghost. How did she materialize and how does the narrator react to this?
Ans. John Hallock sat down at his desk to brainstorm a good idea for his upcoming novel. His thoughts were wandering to mundane home concerns as he muttered sarcastically, “The writing business was delightful,” and as he looked to the corner of the dark study, he saw something beginning to take shape. The arm came first, followed by a portion of a rigid white shirt, a leg, a skirt, and eventually the entire figure. A long, angular figure with large, bone-rimmed spectacles and a tied-back hairstyle. She was completely transparent to the narrator. I was surprised to see this person, who I had never seen before, gazing at me with what looked to be utter displeasure.
After getting to his feet, John questioned the woman’s name and the reason behind her expression of doubt. He was astonished by her response, which stated that she had been requested by him and that she had served as the idea for all of his writings. She explains that if it hadn’t been important to inform him that the spirits were about to go on strike, she wouldn’t have made this apparition.
She warned him that if he did not act to stop the harassment of the spirits by Ouija board users, no assistance would be offered to struggling authors like him. John heard Lavinia’s voice and urged her to go. While moisturising his parched lips, John stared at the departing figure in complete bewilderment.

Q3. “ The ghost of Helen is not a ghost but is like a human being”. Explain.
Ans. A “Ghost” is seen as a spirit of a deceased person who is said to present itself to the living, generally taking the form of an ethereal vision. The phrase “208 ghost” often inspires terror in everyone, and they are typically described as being frightful, spine-chilling, and horrifying in appearance.

However, the author presents the ghost in “A Shady Plot” in a very compassionate way, kind and considerate on multiple occasions. When the narrator mentions the prospect of the pieces becoming jumbled up, as it appeared and vanished, the allusion to the fragmented appearance and the original exchange between the narrator and the ghost prompted more laughter than dread.

It appeared to be as natural as a man and a woman having a typical chat. In addition, Helen’s assertion that she was a writer, the establishment of the writers’ bureau, and their intention to strike were all indications that the ghost had human traits. Her generosity towards struggling authors, her threat to withhold assistance, and her request that they stop harassing their “species” were all excellent examples of human nature.

The character that stood out the most to me was Helen’s unhappiness at not being able to continue their ghostly tasks of terrifying and teasing humans. This was undoubtedly a “ghostly” quality, but it was more similar to the complaints that a dissatisfied person is known to indulge in.

Q4. Lack of trust shakes the very foundation of human relationships. How does Lavinia’s suspicious nature threaten to wreck their marriage?
Ans. John’s wife was upset because Helen had labelled her husband a traitor in a message that
was being sent to him via the Ouija board. This made her suspicious, and she started to feel envious of John’s friendship with Laura Hinkle, the person he was partnered with on the Ouija board. John claimed that he and Laura Hinkle were only shifting the Ouija board indication when challenged by Lavinia about their flirtations over the board. When she questioned him, he denied everything and said that he was not doing anything questionable.
Lavinia’s scepticism was further reinforced when their chef Gladolia made a threat to quit if they continued to work with hoodoos or black magic. Lavinia also made the decision to break off her relationship with John. The following morning when she went to say goodbye, John was talking to someone and making an effort to keep it from her. He was hiding from her and she eventually discovered him talking to a ghost.
Surprised by the ghost, she realised it was Helen of Troy, who had come to assist John in crafting a ghost story. She used all of her power to meet the ghost and later regretted doubting John. They were once again joyful when she begged John for forgiveness. They wished the ghost farewell. Their relationship almost fell apart due to her lack of trust, but they managed to save things from falling apart.

Q5. “Creativity involves two processes: thinking, then producing with originality and not plagiarised content”. Explain.
Ans. Every living thing has been given a characteristic that distinguishes them from other creatures and gives them a unique position in God’s design for the world. Maybe it was “His” intention to create a “rational being” in man. Man may explore and be innovative because of this. Only through the unwavering work of people who used their creative talents with a sincere, true, and honest goal has development been made possible. From the Stone Age to the Technological Age, humans have advanced. Imitation and plagiarism of any kind are not encouraged by creativity. It would be unethical to do so.

Therefore, it is crucial for everyone of us to recognise our strengths and apply them in innovative ways to genuinely advance the cause of humanity. Contrarily, stealing from another person’s artistic endeavours is an act of betrayal towards oneself and the rest of the world. Original work is a manifestation of one’s honesty towards one’s conscience. The former receives praise and acknowledgment, but the use of plagiarised material is met with scorn and disgrace.

Q6. Discuss the significance of the title of the lesson, ‘‘A Shady Plot.’’
Ans. The title ‘A Shady Plot’ is most appropriate because most of the situations and characters remain unclear and foggy.
The writer first struggles with uncertainty about the story’s plot. He makes a lot of effort, and it seems like he is looking for a ghost story by following the shadows. There are several possible explanations for the ghost’s apparition. Is it present or not present? Helen is eerie and unsettling, and there is scepticism around her presence. No one else will accept Helen’s existence; it is improbable and outside the scope of possibility.
In addition, John’s integrity is questioned, his connection with Helen is kept a secret, and he is the only one who knows about it. Helen’s arrival disrupts John’s life. His wife and cook are threatening to leave, and the possibility of divorce hangs over their marriage. For a long period, the storyline of a new narrative remained “unclear.” John can only envision a fantastic plot in its completeness at the very end. Additionally, it is often thought that apparitions and ghosts hide out in shadowy and gloomy regions. The fact that Helen emerges from darkness and then disappears back into it emphasises how appropriate the title is.

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