A SHADY PLOT
Title: The word ‘shady’ has several shades of meaning to it. It can mean ‘dubious’, ‘dishonest’, ‘dark’. It also has connotation of a ‘disembodied spirit or ghost or something unreal’. ‘Plot’ on the other hand has a sequence of events in a story. It can also mean the story itsel f as well as a secret plan or conspiracy for a questionable purpose.
Thus the title of the story is as telling as the narrative itself. First the very atmosphere of the story is dark and scary- the protagonist has encounters with a ghost and his wife and her friends work with the Ouija boards to summon the ghosts to answer their questions. Next, Lavinia is quite suspicious about her husband’s actions and movements. She suspects him of secretly seeing the spirit of Helen of Troy, who has been dead for more than two thousand years now. Then we have Helen of New York who is a perfect example of a disembodied spirit. Through her we come to know the world of spirits that controls the world of mortals. Thus what happens in real life forms the bulliest plot of a ghost story.
Theme : The story is woven around the theme of conjuring up the spirits of dead people in order to know the unknown. In a light bhearted humorous narrative 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 supersti tions and the supernatural- whether ghosts do exist and weather the supernatural thing do happen and weather spirits like Helen control our lives . Anotehr question the story rises is weather 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 the writer is curbed when he is pressurized to write on a particular theme.
I. Read the following extracts and answer the questions.
1. ‘‘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.”
(a) What was the narrator staring at?
(b) How was the figure talking shape?
(c) Who was gradually taking a definite shape part by part?
2. ‘‘We’ve been called out of beds a little too often in recent years and now we’re through.’’
(a) Who have been called constantly?
(b) What is unnatural about their being called?
(c) What is the person’s complaint?
3. ‘‘It’s .... so cheap! I got it at a bargain sale.’’
(a) What has been bought cheap?
(b) Do you think the narrator would be happy with this news? Why/ Why not?
(c) Who had asked the narrator to avoid its use?
II. Answer the given questions in 30-40 words:--
a) Does the narrator like writing ghost stories? Support your answers with evidence from the story.
b) Why is John’s wife angry? What does she decide to do? [C.B.S.E. 2012 (T-2)]
c) What surprising revelation is made by the ghost? Why did the writer not believe her?
d) Why did Helen pay a visit to the narrator again?
e) Why was the writer getting over confident about his ability of writing ghost stories?
III. Answer the given question in about 100 words:-
a) Why had Helen, the ghost, been helping the narrator write ghost stories? Why was she going on a strike? What condition did she place for providing continued help?.
Please click on below link to download CBSE Class 10 English A Shady Plot Worksheet
