Summer Shade story
Not long after Phyllis and Ben Kendall move into the house that they have bought from elderly Amelia Gastiell, their daughter Katie claims that she has made a new friend, "Lettie", whom her parents never see. Phyllis suspects that Lettie is Lauretta Bishop, a Puritan girl who died in 1694. When Ben asks Amelia to find a new friend for Katie, Amelia brings "Judy" to their house, but Judy is actually Lettie, who is also Lauretta Bishop. Directed by: Herschel Daugherty. Story by: Nora H. Caplan, Harold Swanton.
12 total · 1 choice · 6 major · 5 minor
| Theme | Level | Motivation |
|---|---|---|
| childhood imaginary friend | choice | The nine-year-old girl Katie's imaginary friend turned, in fact, out to be the spirit of a Puritan girl who died in 1694. The entire plot of the story hinged on Katie's parents' concern about their daughter's condition, and whether a child psychiatrist or an exorcist should be engaged. |
| dealing with children | major | Phyllis and Ben struggled to raise their daughter at a new address where she had no friends and, seemingly, adopted an imaginary friend, which was utterly concerning to her parents. |
| father and daughter | major | Ben worried about his nine-year-old daughter, Katie, becoming absorbed with what he assumed to be an imaginary friend. |
| husband and wife | major | The story follows Phyllis and Ben as they become increasingly concerned about their nine-year-old daughter Katie's psychological well-being. |
| incorporeal spirit | major | It turned out that Katie's supposed imaginary friend was the spirit or ghost of a Puritan girl who died in 1694. |
| mother and daughter | major | Phyllis worried about her nine-year-old daughter, Katie, becoming absorbed with what Phyllis speculated might be the spirit of a Puritan girl who died in 1694. |
| witch | major | There was a witch on the real sign in front of the house that Phyllis and Ben bought. The real estate agent Amelia may have been into witchcraft. The Salem witch trials were mentioned. |
| loneliness | minor | Everyone presumed that Katie made up having an imaginary friend because she was lonely. Katie told her father that Lauretta was lonesome. |
| medical occupation | minor | A doctor visited the Kendall residence to treat Katie, who was under the weather with a cold. |
| religious occupation | minor | Phyllis consulted the town reverend about the possibility of performing an exorcism. |