Final answer:
Economic changes can influence the telling of ghost stories by affecting the cultural atmosphere, availability of leisure time, and people's preoccupations with economic hardships or development.
Step-by-step explanation:
Economic changes in a society can influence the telling of ghost stories. For example, in the passage provided, it mentions that local tales and superstitions thrive best in long-settled retreats. These are areas where economic changes may not have had a significant impact.
However, in areas with shifting populations and rapid economic changes, such as villages with a growing population and industrialization, there may be less encouragement for ghost stories because people are focused on economic development and may not have time or interest in tales of the supernatural.
Furthermore, economic changes can also affect the availability of ghost stories. In prosperous times, people may have more leisure time to tell stories and indulge in superstitions. On the other hand, during economic hardships, people may be more preoccupied with their struggles and have less time and inclination for ghost stories.
The passage also mentions how the crash of the economy led to visible changes in the landscape and the appearance of breadlines, indicating the impact of economic changes on people's daily lives.
In conclusion, economic changes can affect the telling of ghost stories by influencing the cultural atmosphere, availability of leisure time, and people's preoccupations with economic hardships or development.