The story is woven round the theme of conjuring up the spirits of dead people in order to know the unknown. In alight hearted humorous narration it relates the story of an encounter of a writer with a denizen of the realm of ghosts. The story triggers the age old debate on superstitions and the supernatural- whether ghosts do exist and whether spirits like Helen control our lives. Another question that the story raises is whether we have any moral rights to conjure up spirits and disturb them. The story also deals with the sub theme of the unpredictability of the process of creative writing and how the creativity of a writer is curbed when he is pressurized to write on a particular theme.

1. PPT ON SHADY PLOT
MADE BY
NAME -SAGAR
CLASS-10
ROLL NO-23

3. About The Author

4. The characters of The Shady Plot are :(1) John Hallock (Narrator)
(2) Lavinia Hallock (John's wife)
(3) Jenkins (John’s Boss)
(4) Helen (Lady Ghost),
(5) Laura Hinkle (Lavinia's Friend)
(6) Gladolia (Maid)

6. The story is woven round the theme of conjuring up the
spirits of dead people in order to know the unknown. In
alight hearted humorous narration it relates the story of
an encounter of a writer with a denizen of the realm of
ghosts. The story triggers the age old debate on
superstitions and the supernatural- whether ghosts do
exist and whether spirits like Helen control our lives.
Another question that the story raises is whether we have
any moral rights to conjure up spirits and disturb them.
The story also deals with the sub theme of the
unpredictability of the process of creative writing and how
the creativity of a writer is curbed when he is pressurized
to write on a particular theme.

7. Summary of the story
John Hallock's publisher Jenkins wants him to write a
‘supernatural story’ to cater to the growing public
demand for such fiction. Hallock has hard time
thinking of a suitable plot. The success he earlier had
with a similar plot eludes him. As he sits in his study,
sucking at the end of his pencil and thinking hard for
an idea, he hears a strange voice in response to a
remark he made to himself aloud.
The voice
belongs to a ghost, Helen of New York. She appears to
him in stages. She has a long and angular face with
fishy eyes behind big bone-rimmed spectacles. She
comes over and stands in front of him, staring at him.

9. Just at that movement Hallock's wife, Lavinia appears
on the scene. So, he requests Helen to beat a hasty
retreat and she demobilizes and evaporates but not
without reminding him of the spirits’ strike.
Lavinia proudly announces that she has bought a Ouija
board. Ostensibly her purpose behind buying it is to
help John write fantastic ghost stories but the fact is,
she is fascinated by Ouija boards and has even invited
her friends to a Ouija Board party. No amount of
entreaties by Hallock, not to use Ouija board, deters
her from going ahead with her plan.
Lavinia’ s Ouija Board Party : Next day when he
returns home from work Hallock is told by Gladolia

10. The cook, to get ready and come down as his wife had
invited some of her friends for a Ouija Board Party. He
finds the parlour of his house full of women-most of
them elderly members, of his wife, Lavinia’ s Book
Club- busy at Ouija boards in pair. His wife wants him
to join one of her friends Miss Laura Hinkle, whose
partner Mrs. William Augustus Wainright had failed to
make it to the party. That is how Hallock finds himself
working the Ouija board with Miss Hinkle, much
against his wish and contrary to his promise to Helen,
the spirit.
While Miss Hinkle and Hallock are moving the Ouija
board, a strange thing happens. First it spells the word
T-R-A-I-T-O-R and then H-E-L-E-N. Intrigued by this,

11. Miss Hinkle asks the Ouija board for clues and is shocked
to discover that someone by the name of Helen was
calling Hallocks a traitor. Immediately she tells Hallocks
wife, Lavinia about it. In no time all the Ouija boards in
the room begin to call Hallock by name. Obviously, Lavinia
is furious and Hallock leaves the room, much too
embarrassed and ashamed.
Second Encounter with Helen, the Spirit: Suspecting
him of cheating her. Lavinia threatens to leave him. At
breakfast next morning, it is a note by Lavinia to that
effect that greets him instead of the lady. In utter
exasperation Hallock remarks, “Oh, I wish I were dead!” At
that very moment Helen emerges from nowhere. She tells
him that she has come to find out when his wife is going
to stop using Ouija boards.

12. The two are in conversation when first Gladolia
interrupts them by announcing that she was going to
quit the job because of the hoodoos and the Ouija
boards and then it is Lavinia who enters the room to
tell him that she was leaving.
Hallock behaves strangely on hearing her decision
and not wanting to let her see the ghost –Helen of
New York –he tries to hide the latter. This arouses
Lavinia’s suspicion further. She dismisses Gladolia
from the room by telling her to throw the Ouija
board in the fireplace and accosts Hallock by saying
that he was trying to conceal something from her. He
tries in vain to distract her, but she thrusts him back
foreibly to find out who was behind him.

13. The truth is revealed:

14. Q. Answer the following questions briefly.
(a) What genre of stories does Jenkins want the
narrator to write? Why?
(b) Does he narrator like writing ghost stories?
Support your answer with evidence from the
story.
(c) What makes Helen, the ghost, and her other coghosts 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?

16. (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.