This question is incomplete. Here's the complete question.
the night the ghost got in
PART A: Which of the following identifies the theme of the short story?
A. A simple misunderstanding can easily spin out of control.
B. Lying is acceptable when it’s meant to protect someone you care about.
C. It’s important not to underestimate people, as they may surprise you.
D. Facing something scary is easier when you have the support of your family.
2. PART B: Which quote from the text best supports the answer to Part A?
A. “‘There’s something downstairs!’ I said. He got up and followed me to the head of the back staircase. We listened together.” (Paragraph 3)
B. “So she had heard the steps, too! We just looked at her. ‘Burglars!’ she shouted intuitively.” (Paragraph 4)
C. “‘Just what the hell is the real lowdown here, Bud?’ he asked. I decided to be frank with him. ‘We had ghosts,’ I said.” (Paragraph 12)
D. “We thought at first he had forgotten all about what had happened, but he hadn’t.” (Paragraph 14)
Answer:
PART A
B. Lying is acceptable when it’s meant to protect someone you care about.
C. “‘Just what the hell is the real lowdown here, Bud?’ he asked. I decided to be frank with him. ‘We had ghosts,’ I said.” (Paragraph 12)
Explanation:
In this short story by James Thurber, the narrator is a boy who alarms his family because he thinks he can hear a ghost in their house. After the mother, worried about the commotion ends up throwing a shoe through the window, alarming the neighbors, who call the police, The grandfather shoots a policeman because of his trauma due to his service in the Civil War. The narrator lies to a reporter claiming that the whole thing happened because of a ghost to protect his grandfather (as well as the policemen´s pride).
