(a) What genre of stories does Jenkins want thenarrator to write? Why?

(b) Does the narratorlike writing ghost stories? Support your answer with evidence fromthe story.

(c) What makes Helen,the ghost, and her other co-ghosts organize The Writer's InspirationBureau?

(d) Why had Helen, theghost been helping the narrator write ghost stories? Why was shegoing on strike? What condition did she place for providing continuedhelp?

(e) How does the ghostundermine the narrator's faith in his ability to write ghost stories?

(f) Why does John wantthe ghost to disappear before his wife appears on the scene? Whatimpression of his wife's character do you form from his words?

(g) Why does thenarrator hesitate to be a partner to Laura Hinkle during the OuijaBoard Party?

(h) What message doesthe ghost convey to the group that had assembled in the narrator'shouse? What is their reaction to the message?

(i) Do you agree withthe narrator calling the assembly of women "manipulators?"Give reasons.

(j) Why is John's wife angry? What does she decide todo?

(k) Why does John wish he were dead?

(l) When confronted byLavinia about his flirtations over the Ouija Board, John insists that'the affair was quite above-board, I assure you, my love'. Bring outthe pun in John's statement.

(m) John's apprehensionsabout his wife's reaction to her encounter with the ghost areunfounded. Justify.

(a) Jenkins had always called upon Hallockwhenever he wanted a ghost story to be published in his magazine.John’s ghosts were live propositions as Jenkins called them.This time again Jenkins wanted Hallock to come up with anothersupernatural thriller, which would give the readers horrors and thatis what the public wanted too.

(b) The narrator lacked the self confidenceas he himself talked of how he didn’t specialise in ghoststories; instead, he said that the ghost stories specialised in him.His first story had been a ghost fiction too; however, for that alsohe had to chase inspiration in vain for months. This all shows thatthe narrator was, though natural, an accidental ghost fiction writer.

(c) Helen and other co-ghosts organised TheWriter’s Insipiration Bureau because they felt there were manywriters without ideas, however, with a vulnerable mind who werelooking for an inspiration to write ghost stories. The bureau wouldassign a ghost to such a writer so that he/she could write good ghoststories.

(d) Helen provided inspiration to thenarrator to write ghost stories. She and co-ghosts were going on astrike because they were tired of answering questions of Ouija boardfanatics. They felt they were disturbed too often to answer sillyquestions. She urged the narrator to influence his friends andacquaintances to stop using the Ouija board. It was on this conditionshe promised to help the narrator to write stories.

(e) Helen tells the narrator that she hadhelped him write his ghost stories. She tells the narrator of themany times when she had leaned on the narrator’s shoulder andhad given him ideas, when he was thinking hard while writing a ghoststory. Helen tries to tell the narrator that had she not been therefor him as a muse, he would not have been able to write good ghoststories.

(f) Lavina is a sensitive woman and issubject to hysterics. If she sees John talking to a ghost she wouldlose it all. Lavinia is crazy about every new fashion and fad, somuch feminine in nature that John fears the thought of how she wouldreact in such a situation.

(g) Helen, the ghost, had asked thenarrator to influence his friends to stop using the Ouija board. Itwas only on this condition that Helen promised to help the narratorto write ghost stories. If Helen sees him now himself trying tocommunicate ghosts through Ouija board, he fears how and what shewould do to him. That is why the narrator was reluctant to be apartner to Laura Hinkle during the Ouija Board party.

(h) Helen called John a traitor as hebluffs her. He had promised Helen that he would convince his friendsto stop contacting ghosts; rather here he himself was doing the same.She is annoyed and filled with anguish and so goes to everyone’sOuija board one by one and tells that Mr. Hallock is a traitor. Afterthis revelation everybody suspected John of cheating upon his wife,later John clarified to his wife and she even understood.

(i) The narrator felt that everybody in theroom was looking at him suspiciously. That is why he called theassembly of women “manipulators”. The women were notmanipulating things. However, they were just reporting what washappening at their Ouija Board.

(j) John’s wife is angry because she,like other women, believed what the spirit said through the Ouijaboard, about her husband. A woman even reported that Helen has calledJohn a traitor. Lavinia thought that her husband was cheating on her.She decided to go to her grandmother’s house. She also decidedto separate from her husband.

(k) John wished he was dead because a briefmeeting with a ghost had created such situations that he was about tolose his wife, whom he loved dearly; it destroyed his happiness andhome.

(l) John assures his wife that hisflirtations with Helen the ghost are above board. He tries to tellher that whatever that has happened between him and Helen is over theboard of Ouija and there was nothing that he wished to hide from hiswife; in fact there was nothing to tell.

(m) John thought that his wife would becomehysterical if she saw the ghost Helen; however, when the encounterhappened, she confidently spoke to the ghost and was not at allscared of it.