File Edit Major Assessment 1 Format 39, MIKEL KENDRICK TIU View B I U Amber Sparks, “How to Share Your Home with a Ghost” (short story, 2020) What is happening in the story (PLOT)? EXPOSITION The story started by introducing a family of three dealing with a ghost who lives inside their small apartment. The ghost is not like a stereotypical scary ghost since the story describes her as a helpful member doing the chores for the family. RISING ACTION Though the ghost is helping the family in doing the house hold chores, the mother still wants her to leave the apartment since the she feels like the family lacks privacy especially when the ghost can hear everything they say; however, the ghost does not want to leave the apartment. CLIMAX One day, the families’ neighbor did not like the loud music which was being played by the ghost. He went inside the families’ apartment and asked if anyone could turn down the music, so the ghost turned it down. The next day, the neighbor did not hear any music, and this made him feel guilty. He went inside the apartment, and surprisingly he was able to see the ghost. They talked and listened to different types of music. Moreover, the family feels gloomy and sad every weekend. The mother would just cry in the bathroom, the son would hide under his bed saying that he is afraid of ghosts but ironically not the ghost living with them, and the sister watches shows which have a gory theme. FALLING ACTION The mother told the ghost that enough is enough and that she should leave the family alone; however, the son held the ghost by the hand. Due to the son being able to accept the ghost, he was then able to see how she really looked, so the mother and daughter did the same to be able to see the ghost. RESOLUTION After all of the family members were able to accept the living conditions with the ghost, they all lived happily together. WHAT IS THE PRIMARY CONFLICT? CONFLICT The primary conflict is man vs man. This conflict can be classified as an external conflict since the family has to cope with living with a ghost. In addition, the conflict rises when the family tries to live in harmony with the ghost. An example of this is when the mother wants the ghost to leave; however, the son does not want the ghost to go. Another conflict presented in the short story is man vs self. This is because the family had a struggle with their thoughts regarding whether they should tell the ghost to leave or to stay with them. Moreover, the family cannot discuss privately inside their own living space since the ghost can hear them. When and where can this story have taken place? How can you describe the social and cultural conditions in which the story takes place (SETTING)? PLACE The setting of the story is inside a small apartment in a simple community. TIME The story was written during the start of the pandemic, I think that numerous lockdowns and quarantines have influenced the way the author wrote the text. During this particular time, many people developed anxiety in terms of health and safety since they did not know what would happen to them and to their families. Furthermore, many individuals lost their jobs due to the cost cutting of businesses. SOCIAL AND CULTURAL CONDITIONS The status of the family based on the story is just a simple and ordinary family since they do their own household chores, and the kids go to school. Another condition which was found in the story is that the neighbors do not talk with each other. Page 6 CHARACTERS CHARACTERS The mother: She is very loving to her children, but prone to sadness. The son: He does not speak much, but is able to talk to the ghost. CHARACTERS The daughter: she has a love-hate relationship with the ghost. The ghost: she lives with the family and is very helpful since she does most of the household chores. CHARACTERS The neighbor: he works in finance and loves music. He was also the first one to be able to see the ghost. WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE SHORT STORY/WORK OF FICTION TRYING TO SAY? WHAT IS THE STORY’S MESSAGE? MESSAGE OF THE STORY I think that the message the short story is trying to say is that each one of us faces different internal problems in our daily lives; however we should be able to accept and face them, so we would be able to enjoy the joy and happiness life has in store for us. Page 6 DO YOU THINK THAT YOUR CHOSEN TEXT IS RELEVANT TO THE WORLD TODAY? WHY OR WHY NOT? RELEVANCE OF THE TEXT I think that the short story is relevant today. Due to the pandemic, the mental state of many individuals have been affected. This has made people insecure about opening up and talking about their difficulties and fears. Because of this, we should reach out and help each other get over these challenges. Page 6 WHAT DO YOU THINK THE SHORT STORY/POEM/ESSAY TELLS US ABOUT THE WORLD? HOW IS OUR WORLD REFLECTED IN AND BY THIS SHORT STORY? REFLECTION I think the short story tells us that nothing in the world comes easy. For example, the ghost had to suffer not being accepted. The world was reflected in the short story as a world wherein people would accept their own difficulties and help each other. WHAT ARE YOUR PERSONAL THOUGHTS, COMMENTS, AND REACTIONS TO THE SHORT STORY YOU CHOSE? IN WHAT WAYS DOES YOUR CHOSEN TEXT RESONATE WITH YOU? PERSONAL THOUGHTS I think that the short story is really nice since it was able to show an underlying truth in which different people have different concerns, worries, and obstacles in their lives. Moreover, the story showed that acceptance is the first step of being able to achieve the joy in living. This resonates with me since I too have many problems, but I learned that accepting my imperfections is the key to living a meaningful life.
