The Canterville Ghost | Short Essay Assignments

Short Essay Questions

The 60 short essay questions listed in this section require a one to two sentence answer. They ask students to demonstrate a deeper understanding of the text. Students must describe what they've read, rather than just recall it.

Short Essay Question - Chapter 1

1. What are the names of the Otis children? What does this signify?

2. When does Lord Canterville say the ghost appears? What is Mr. Otis's response to this?

3. What does the oldest Otis son say when he is told the bloodstain cannot be cleaned?

4. What happens when Virginia Otis wins a horse race?

5. What happens as the Otises drive up to their new house at the beginning of the book?

6. Where does the bloodstain in the library come from?