Show:
Character & Setting
Plot Events
Vocabulary & Language
Themes & Messages
Author & Context
100

Which family moves into Canterville Chase?


  • Answer: The Otis family (Mr Hiram B. Otis and his family).
100

 What sound wakes Mr. Otis after he goes to bed?


  • Answer: A clank of metal and footsteps.
100

What does the word "haunted" mean in this context?


  • Answer: Believed to be visited or inhabited by ghosts.
100

— Is the story set up as scary or also humorous in places? (Choose one-word answer.)


  • Answer: Both (it mixes spooky and humorous elements).
100

Who wrote "The Canterville Ghost"?


  • Answer: Oscar Wilde.
200

What is Mr. Otis’s job or title?


Answer: He is the American ambassador

200

What does Mr. Otis do after he hears the noise?


  • Answer: He strikes a match, looks at the time, puts on slippers, takes a small bottle from his dressing case, and opens the door.
200

What does “ambassador” mean?


  • Answer: An official representative of a country sent to another country (a diplomat).
200

Why might Mr. Otis’s reaction to the ghost be considered unexpected?


  • Answer: Instead of being terrified, he is calm and practical, even offering oil for the ghost’s chains.
200

When did Oscar Wilde live? (Years)


  • Answer: 1854–1900.
300

Describe the appearance of the ghost when Mr. Otis first sees him.


  • Answer: An old man with red eyes, long grey hair, old-fashioned dirty clothes, and handcuffs and rusty chains on his wrists and ankles.
300

What object does Mr. Otis leave for the ghost, and where does he place it?


  • Answer: A small bottle of lubricant (oil) on a marble table.
300

In the phrase “old-fashioned,” what is being described?


  • Answer: The ghost's style of clothing and appearance are from an earlier time (not modern).
300

What idea does the family's calm reaction suggest about American vs. British attitudes in the story?


  • Answer: It suggests the Americans (Otis family) are practical and unafraid, contrasting with the British locals who fear the ghost—this highlights cultural differences.
300

Name one other famous work by Oscar Wilde mentioned in the prompt.


  • Answer: "The Picture of Dorian Gray" or "The Importance of Being Earnest".
400

Where (which specific location) does the story take place?


  • Answer: Canterville Chase (the haunted house in England).
400

How do the locals react when Mr. Otis buys Canterville Chase?


  • Answer: They tell him it was foolish because the place was haunted.
400

What does the phrase “struck a match” mean?


  • Answer: He lit a match to make light.
400

What message might Wilde be giving by having the family react calmly and even help the ghost?


  • Answer: Possible messages include that kindness and practical thinking can defuse fear, and that superstitions can be challenged by reason and humor.
400

What nationality was Oscar Wilde?


  • Answer: Irish.
500

At what time does Mr. Otis check the noise and look at the clock?


  • Answer: He looks and it is exactly one o'clock.
500

After seeing the ghost, what does Mr. Otis do before going back to bed?


  • Answer: He puts the bottle down for the ghost, tells him to take it and that he will give more if needed, then closes the door and goes back to bed.
500

Explain the meaning of “handcuffs and rusty chains” and why they matter to the ghost’s description.


  • Answer: They are restraints that show the ghost has been imprisoned or punished in the past; “rusty” suggests they are old and neglected, adding to the ghost’s terrifying, aged appearance.
500

How does Wilde use irony in the excerpt where Mr. Otis offers oil to the ghost?


  • Answer: It’s ironic because one would expect fear and flight in the face of a ghost; instead, Mr. Otis treats the ghost as a nuisance that needs practical care, creating humor and social commentary.
500

Based on the excerpt, what kind of writing styles does Wilde use in this story? (Pick two)


  • Answer: Satire/humor and gothic/ghost story elements.