In this post, you will get a short summary of The Canterville Ghost Chapter 6 “Virginia’s Mysterious Adventure” as well as questions and their answers related to Chapter 4. The Canterville Ghost is a novel written by Oscar Wilde, who is famous for his witty and humorous tone in his writings as well as surprise endings.
The Canterville Ghost Chapter 6 Virginia’s Mysterious Adventure summary: Mrs Otis is unconcerned about Virginia’s absence at tea time because she assumes she is out in the garden, picking flowers for the dinner table. When Virginia does not appear by six o’clock, however, she becomes very worried, and the family begins looking for her. Mr and Mrs Otis search every room in the house without success while the boys are outside looking for her on the grounds. Mr Otis, accompanied by Washington and two farmhands, recalls allowing gipsies to camp in the park and sets out for Blackfell Hollow.
Mr Otis’ anxiety is heightened by the fact that the gipsies are no longer present, and the signs of a hasty departure can be seen in the still burning fire and plates strewn across the grass. He dispatches Washington and the farmhands to search the surrounding area, then returns home to send telegrams to the county’s police stations. Mr Otis now sets out for Ascot, alerting the police to the possibility of a young girl kidnapped by gipsies or tramps.
Cecil, the young Duke, pursues Mr Otis and insists on riding alongside him because he is concerned about Virginia. They arrive at the railway station and inquire, but the stationmaster informs them that no one matching Virginia’s description has been seen. The stationmaster sends a message to all stations along the line, warning them to be on the lookout.
Mr Otis buys Cecil a hat because, in his haste to catch up with Mr Otis, the young duke had forgotten his own back at the house. They now ride to Bexley, a village four miles away, because gipsies are known to frequent the common, a large open area adjacent to the village. Mr Otis approaches a local police officer in Bexley for information, but he receives none. Mr Otis and Cecil ride all over the common, but the gipsies are nowhere to be found.
When Mr Otis and Cecil return to Canterville Chase, the others inform them of the same bad news. At Brockley Meadows, Washington and the farmhands had caught up with the gipsies, only to discover that Virginia was not among them. The gipsies explained that they had rushed out because they had misread the Chorton Fair’s date and did not want to miss it. Four gipsies had stayed back to assist with the search, grateful to Mr Otis for allowing them to use the park. Virginia had been dragged from the carp pond and thoroughly searched the grounds, but she had not been found.
Mrs Otis is practically on the verge of collapsing from worry, and Mr Otis insists that she eat something. Mr Otis serves everyone supper and then tells them they must retire for the night because nothing else can be done until the next morning when he plans to telegraph for detectives from Scotland Yard to be dispatched.
The clock begins to strike twelve as the family begins to leave the dining room, and on the last stroke, there is a crashing sound followed by a shrill cry. A deafening clap of thunder is immediately followed by the strains of some strange, heavenly music. Virginia steps out onto the landing after a panel at the top of the staircase flies open with a loud noise. Her face has lost its colour, and she is holding a casket in her hand.
They all rush up to her, and Mrs Otis hugs Virginia tightly, relieved that she has found her daughter. The twins dance with delight as the duke showers her with kisses. Mr Otis chastises Virginia, believing she was playing a joke by hiding all this time. Virginia, on the other hand, informs her father that she has been with the ghost and requests that the family accompany her through the panel and down a secret corridor. Virginia informs them that the ghost is no longer alive and that, despite his previous wickedness, he has truly repented of his wrongdoings. She also claims that he gave her the jewel-encrusted casket before he died.
The family follows her down the secret corridor into a small room where a skeleton lies stretched out on the floor, stunned into silence. It is tethered to a large ring in the wall, and its outstretched fingers appear to be reaching for the jug and tray that once held water and food. Virginia kneels next to the skeleton and begins silently praying. One of the twins, who has been looking out the window trying to locate the location of this secret chamber, exclaims that the withered almond tree is suddenly in full bloom as the Otis family takes in the details of this tragic scene. Virginia stands up after finishing her prayer and declares that God has forgiven Sir Simon the ghost.
Virginia’s compassionate, loving nature moves the Duke so much that he calls her an angel and embraces her.
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Canterville Ghost Chapter 6 questions and answers
1. Mr Otis has a practical approach and is given to action in his efforts to find Virginia. Justify this statement. Compare his approach with that of Mrs Otis, in response to the same situation.
Answer: Mr Otis was a realist. He didn’t waste any time when he realised that Virginia had gone missing, and he headed out to find her right away. When Virginia did not show up for tea, Mrs Otis, on the other hand, was unconcerned.
2. Describe in detail how Mr Otis and the young Duke as well as the others carry out a minute search for Virginia. Why was the carp pond being dragged?
Answer: Mr Otis and the Duke of Cheshire set out to find Virginia in town. Mr Otis believed Virginia had been kidnapped by gipsies. As a result, they travelled to Bexley, a well-known gipsy destination. However, they were not to be found there. Virginia was not among the gipsies who were later discovered on Brockley Meadow.
The carp pond was dragged because it was suspected that Virginia had fallen into the water by accident.
4. What does Virginia have to say about the ghost when she returns to her family? What aspect of her character do her words reveal?
Answer: When Virginia returned, she informed them that the ghost had died and that they needed to see him. She went on to say that the ghost had been very evil, but that before he died, he apologised for everything he had done and gave her a box of beautiful jewels.
This reveals Virginia to be a mature and calm young lady. She was unfazed by the incident and remained calm and composed. She accepted the ghost for who he was and what he had evolved into with ease. Even in such strange circumstances, she had the courage and clarity to think.
5. Describe the manner in which the prophecy in the library window is fulfilled.
Answer: Only a pure, sweet, and gentle girl, according to the prophecy in the window, will be able to lead the ghost to the Garden of Death. According to the prophecy, when the ghost finally sleeps, peace will reign in Canterville, and the barren almond will be reunited with the bear. When Virginia, who was pure and innocent, led the ghost to the garden of death, the prophecy was fulfilled. Outside the window, a barren almond tree blossomed, bringing peace to the Canterville Chase.
INTERPRETATION
1. Sometimes coincidences may arouse our SUspIcIons even though these suspicions are baseless. Would you agree that this statement is true in the context of the gipsies? Justify your answer.
Answer: Mr Otis suspected the gipsies of kidnapping Virginia when she went missing. He had good reason to be wary of the gipsies. Their departure was hasty, and the fire was still burning, with some plates strewn across the grass. As a result, he alerted the authorities, who began searching for the gipsies. They were eventually discovered at Brockley Meadows, but Virginia was missing. They claimed they had to leave quickly because they had miscalculated the fair’s date. They were upset to learn of Virginia’s disappearance, and four of them offered to assist in the search. As a result, we can deduce that the gipsies’ departure coincided with Virginia’s disappearance.
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