7 Questions
Was there anyone else who had the same question in mind?
Joe also had the same question in mind.
Who may have had the same question as Joe?
The policeman may have had the same question.
What might the reporter conclude from the narrator's frank answer?
The reporter might have thought the narrator was insane or crazy.
What question did someone ask about the policemen last night?
What was the idea of all them cops tarryhotin's round the house last night?
Did grandfather know that the men in his attic were policemen?
No, he thought they were deserters.
What did grandfather mistakenly think about the men in his attic?
He thought they were deserters.
Who was equally confused about the behavior of the mother and grandfather?
The policeman.
Study Notes
The Night the Ghost Got In
- The narrator realises that the noises in the house are being made by a ghost and not a burglar when he sees no one on the staircase, but still hears the steps.
The Commotion in the House
- The ghost is not responsible for the hullabaloo in the house; instead, it is caused by the activities of the policemen and the narrator's family.
- The noise and confusion are initially thought to be caused by a thunderstorm.
- The policemen's search for the intruder and their actions, such as grabbing things, contribute to the chaos.
The Policemen's Behavior
- The policemen's behavior is unexpected and humorous, with examples including:
- They wreck the house during their search.
- They fall on each other, trying to run away from the narrator's grandfather.
The Bodwell's Feelings
- The Bodwell's, the neighbors, must be feeling angry and irritated with the narrator's family, who they refer to as "the disturbers".
The Narrator's Mother's Communication
- The narrator's mother's way of communicating with her neighbor, Mrs. Bodwell, is not practical and might have attracted more noise and potential harm if there were real burglars in the house.
The Noises in the House
- The narrator hears someone climbing the stairs and walking around the living room table.
- The mother's account of the noises differs from what the narrator heard, with the mother exaggerating and saying that someone was whooping and slamming doors.
- The narrator's mother mistakenly thinks the doors were slammed by a burgar, but in reality, it was the narrator who did so.
The Policeman's Opinion
- The policeman finds no signs of forced entry or burglars in the house and thinks that the mother has made a mistake and is imagining things out of fear.
The Importance of Truth
- The narrator says that sometimes telling the truth is not helpful, as it can lead to unwanted reactions.
- An example of this is when the narrator tells a reporter that they have a ghost, and the reporter responds with skepticism and confusion.
Test your knowledge of Chapter 1: The Night the Ghost Got In with this quiz.
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