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'How to Share Your Home With a Ghost' - Amber Sparks (short story, 2020)

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'How to Share Your Home With a Ghost' - Amber Sparks (short story, 2020)

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What is happening in the story (PLOT) and what is its primary CONFLICT? How do the events progress and conclude?

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What is happening in the story (PLOT) and what is its primary CONFLICT? How do the events progress and conclude?

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The story follows a Ghost and is told mostly from her perspective, as she tries to work around the emotions of her current situation, living in the home of a family of a single Mother and her two children who are on the other side of the same coin, where they too are obviously hurting, but are unable to fully voice or cope with their emotions. There is a soft-conflict of ‘human vs human’ between the family and the Ghost as the plot progresses, however a majority of the story sees the characters struggling and finding new ways to resolve their ‘human vs self’ conflicts. Some of the most notable attempts at this by the Ghost is becoming friends with the family’s Neighbor, to which they become a comforting presence for each other while the family is gone, and the children being somewhat welcoming to the Ghost and the Mother appearing to be pushing the boundaries of what she can tolerate with her. However, on one emotionally charged day for everyone, the Neighbor has to leave prematurely, and the Mother confronts the Ghost as to why she does not just leave the family alone. The Ghost replies, “I want you to see me”, and from this we get to see how they have a mother-daughter relationship, and that the Ghost was the grandmother of the family who felt disconnected from them. But as the Mother takes the hand of the Ghost, they both finally understand each other and begin to work on writing a better story for them all.

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The story throughout has a very somber tone, the whole idea of living with a Ghost is bleak enough but this story takes it a step further by showing these events, mostly from the perspective of the Ghost herself. Her loneliness becomes overwhelming for her, and the reader as well, and despite various descriptions of the outside world it feels very claustrophobic. And even if it is told mostly from the Ghost’s perspective, we feel the overflow and overbearing emotions of each character, most especially the Neighbor and the Mother. And for most of the story we truly feel that no one is really doing okay, and until the very end we are unsure if things will ever get better for anyone.

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Who are the characters involved in the story? How would you describe them and their importance to the story?

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Who are the characters involved in the story? How would you describe them and their importance to the story?

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The focus character of the story is the Ghost, who we later learn is the grandmother of the family, she is very emotional and self-pitying but has learned to hide these. However, one can interpret her as being the root of the essential conflict of the story with the family of three. In many ways, the Mother is much like the Ghost, her mother, in that she is very emotional, but the Mother is much more headstrong, she chooses to deal with problems head-on, and as such is the catalyst for the climax of the story. The children play equal roles on different levels, with the older daughter acting as the more distant and knowledgeable one, and the younger son being more innocent and comfortable around the Ghost, both there to ground the Ghost and connect her more to the family and newer generation. Finally, there is the Neighbor who fills the essential role of a friend to the Ghost, he is someone who has made his share of mistakes, but is comfortable in sharing them to the Ghost and being a listening ear for her, they found each other and were able to help each other out of their traps, and be content for a while.

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What do you think the short story tells us about the world? How is our world reflected in and by this short story? 

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What do you think the short story tells us about the world? How is our world reflected in and by this short story? 

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This story was written in the first year of the pandemic and lockdown, so it could be that it was meant to be reflective of how many people felt overwhelmed in isolation. However, with my interpretation of the story, of the Ghost being the grandmother of the family, I feel that the main theme would be the treatment of the elderly in our current world, and how some of them feel left behind by their families, whose issues are unseen by many and how they are just as vulnerable to loneliness and mental-health issues as anyone else. As much as the family tries to live with the Ghost, it feels as if they are only doing so out of necessity, giving her chores and taking her places but with no real meaning behind it. They treat her as if she herself was a chore, just another thing to worry about instead of considering what they can do to truly help her. And it is only until the Mother shows real effort in wanting to connect with the Ghost, when they are finally ready to start healing.

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Do you think that your chosen text is relevant to the world today? Why or why not?

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Do you think that your chosen text is relevant to the world today? Why or why not?

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In my opinion this story is still relevant today, because as much as we joke about “boomers” and how some older people with outdated beliefs should not be in charge, in truth the elderly are an essential part of our society, and are just as deserving of the same love and respect as anyone. This story illustrates how as much as the elderly need us to care and be present for them, we need them if we are ever to progress as a society, as the past should not be forgotten or deemed unimportant.

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What are your personal thoughts, comments, and reactions to the short story/poem/essay you chose? In what ways does your chosen text resonate with you?

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What are your personal thoughts, comments, and reactions to the short story/poem/essay you chose? In what ways does your chosen text resonate with you?

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I chose this text because I thought it would resonate with my own experiences with ghosts, in the literal and figurative sense, and while I did get that, I found myself resonating with something else entirely. Growing up in a community of mostly older people may have shaped the way I looked at this story, but I’m glad it did as I was able to see through the lens of my own experiences and merge them with the themes of this story. Ghosts are formed by different factors, but seeing a story from the perspective of one, against a backdrop of an environment I’m familiar with made the emotions of this story hit so much harder.

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iStock. (2023, January 6). Mother And Daughter stock illustrations. iStock. Retrieved January 19, 2023, from https://www.istockphoto.com/search/2/image?mediatype=illustration&phrase=mother+and+daughter

iStock. (2023, January 6). Older Woman Leaving House Pictures, Images and Stock Photos. iStock. Retrieved January 19, 2023, from https://www.istockphoto.com/search/2/image?phrase=older+woman+leaving+house

Royal Commission. (2019, July 15). Seniors Rights Victoria recommends better mental health support for older people. COTA Victoria. Retrieved January 19, 2023, from https://www.cotavic.org.au/news-items/seniors-rights-victoria-recommends-better-mental-health-support-for-older-people/

Senthilingam, M. (2018, February 16). How 3-year-olds are helping people live longer. CNN. Retrieved January 19, 2023, from https://edition.cnn.com/2018/02/16/health/longevity-intergenerational-care-elderly-children-intl/index.html

u/baloumit. (2021, March 22). I don't get the timeline of the Bent-Neck Lady. I guess there are no time boundaries with the Supernatural? : r/HauntingOfHillHouse. Reddit. Retrieved January 19, 2023, from https://www.reddit.com/r/HauntingOfHillHouse/comments/maxzc0/i_dont_get_the_timeline_of_the_bentneck_lady_i/

Wilson, MD, D. D. J., & Thomas, MD, D. L. (2018, December 12). Claustrophobia Overview. News Medical. Retrieved January 19, 2023, from https://www.news-medical.net/health/Claustrophobia-Overview.aspx