Essay Questions

How does The Navidson Record change Johnny’s life?

The Navidson Record, a manuscript that Truant and his friend find in Zampano’s room becomes a source of his obsession for the real-life relics depicted therein. As Johnny becomes deeply engrossed in the happenings in the manuscript, he fails to decipher between truth and fiction and ends up losing his job as a tattoo designer. Johnny loses his job after his health and mental wellness begins to deteriorate. Based on the fact that the manuscript causes his obsession and he loses his job after finding the manuscript, it can be argued that the manuscript becomes a negative influence on his life.

Why do Will and his family move out of their house on Ash Tree Lane move out?

Leaving in their house on Ash Tree Lane, the Navidson family is unaware of the sinister and strange events happening to their house. However, as soon as the family realizes that their house is shapeshifting, they flee to New York City. Fear of the shapeshifting house thus becomes one major reason Will Navidson’s family flees from their house on Ash Tree Lane. As Will tries to investigate the happenings at the house, events turn towards the worst for him as he gets trapped until he is rescued.

Explore the idea of a story within a story as brought out in this work.

In this work, the narrator presents two stories in one. At first, the novel begins with the story of the tattoo artist, Johnny Truant. After Johnny and his friend find a manuscript written by a recently deceased man, Zampano, he starts reading the manuscript in which the second story is brought to the reader’s attention. The second story revolves around Will Navidson and his family who have to move out of their house because of some strange events. The writer thus explores a story within a story in this way.