the Open Window Characters

Characters

Framton Nuttel's sister

Framton Nuttel's sister once spent time in the same town to which Framton has come for relaxation. She has given him a number of letters of introduction with which he is to make himself known to a number of people in the town. Mrs. Sappleton is the recipient of such a letter, and it is this that brings Nuttel to her home.

Mr. Framton Nuttel

Mr. Framton Nuttel suffers from an undisclosed nervous ailment and comes to the country in hope that its atmosphere will be conducive to a cure. He brings a letter of introduction to Mrs. Sappleton in order to make her acquaintance for his stay in her village. While he waits for Mrs. Sappleton to appear, her niece keeps him company and tells him a story about why a window in the Toom has been left open. He believes her story, that the window remains open in hopes that Mrs. Sappleton's husband and brother, who the niece says are long dead, will one day return. Later, when Nuttel looks out the window and sees figures approaching who match the descriptions of the long-dead hunters in the niece's story, he suffers a mental breakdown and flees the house.

Ronnie

Ronnie is Mrs. Sappleton's younger brother, who, with Mr. Sappleton, has been away on a hunting expedition.

Mr. Sappleton

Mr. Sappleton is Mrs. Sappleton's husband. He has been away during most of the story on a hunting expedition with Mrs. Sappleton's younger brother,...

Vera

Vera may have her faults, but she is a completely believable character and we tend to like her while we don't necessarily approve of her behavior. What makes her believable is that she seems like many adolescent girls we have known in the past. Such girls seem to enjoy playing games with words. Girls are supposed to possess superior verbal skills--and that is certainly the case with Vera. A lot of girls seem to enjoy playing "mind games" with other people. They hide behind a mask of innocent femininity while secretly enjoying creating mischief. When Vera does this with Framton Nuttel it seems completely in character for a fifteen-year-old girl with a lot of time on her hands. She can't go hunting with the men because she is a girl. She probably wouldn't even want to go hunting anyway, because she wouldn't want to get all wet and muddy, and she wouldn't want to kill innocent birds. That look of open-mouthed, goggle-eyed horror she fakes when the three hunters appear outside the open window seems so typical of adolescent girls. They must practice it in the mirror. It is part of the repertory of facial

expressions adolescent girls use in communicating with one another. They use it to show another girl how they felt when they were caught, or nearly caught, doing something they shouldn't have been doing. If Vera ever gets found out for telling Framton Nuttel that ghost story and nearly causing the poor man to have a heart attack, she may use that bug-eyed, open-mouthed "look" to convey to some girlfriend how she felt. We believe in Vera because there are so many girls just like her.

The Open Window ThemesSaki was known for his satiric wit and his adroit dialogue, which perfectly reveals characters typical of the Edwardian social setting of his stories. His characters are very often eccentric bores and colossal liars, types that can be found in his other stories, such as “A Defensive Diamond” and “The Strategist.”

The meaning of “The Open Window” depends on the narrator’s final statement about Vera: “Romance at short notice was her specialty.” The story is little more than a practical joke played by Vera on the susceptible Framton Nuttel, a champion bore and a character-type familiar to readers of Saki. After a very short conversation with him, Mrs. Sappleton quickly reads the character of Mr. Nuttel as a “most extraordinary man” who “could only talk about his illnesses.”

The reader, too, is quickly bored with Framton Nuttel, a weakling who thinks only of his health and has no topic of conversation other than his nervous disorder and the opinions of his doctors. Vera, the fifteen-year-old niece who greets him on his arrival at the Sappleton house, is a surprisingly perceptive girl. She is able to read the man’s character accurately as that of a gullible hypochondriac and proceeds to fabricate the absurd story of her aunt’s “great tragedy” for her own amusement. The deception is almost forgivable because Mr. Nuttel is such a boring person, but the deception is also cruel, and the man’s terrified response to what he thinks must be a supernatural visitation is pathetic—there is no sympathy here for the weak. Mr. Nuttel is out of his league when confronted by Vera.

The story, then, centers on an ironic deception that transforms momentarily the ordinary into what seems to be the supernatural, then snaps the circumstances back into reality through the clever use of irony. Vera is a typical Saki character type, related to the tall-tale tellers and liars of his other stories, just as Mr. Nuttel is a deserving dupe.

The Open Window SummaryFramton Nuttel, an eccentric hypochondriac, has moved to the country on his doctor’s advice to effect a cure for a nervous condition from which he suffers. His sister has lived in the area he visits and has given him letters of introduction to his new neighbors. The story concerns his visit to the home of one of these neighbors, a Mrs. Sappleton.

Mr. Nuttel is first met by Mrs. Sappleton’s niece Vera, who entertains him until her aunt is available. Vera, apparently bored with her guest, is graced with an overactive imagination and a sense of mischief. Once she determines that Mr. Nuttel knows nothing about the family and is a very literal-minded fellow, Vera spins a gothic yarn involving her aunt, whom she characterizes as a mentally disturbed widow.

Three years ago, Mr. Sappleton and his two younger brothers-in-law went hunting, leaving the house through a French window, which was left open until their return. However, all three of them were lost in a bog that day, Vera asserts, and their bodies were never recovered. The aunt, driven to distraction by her grief and loss, left the window open thereafter, anticipating that “they will come back some day” with “the little brown spaniel that was lost with them, and walk in that window just as they used to do.”

When Mrs. Sappleton finally appears, she explains why the window is open, apparently confirming Vera’s story. Mr. Nuttel then tells Mrs. Sappleton about his nervous disorder and his need to avoid any “mental excitement.” Mrs. Sappleton is clearly bored, but at that very moment she sees her husband and brothers returning from their hunt. Vera appears to be horrified by the sight of them. The nervous Mr. Nuttel is therefore terrified and beats a hasty retreat from the house.

In the closing paragraphs, the issue is clarified. The men had only that day gone hunting, and Vera’s yarn was purely imaginary. Mr. Nuttel has obviously been duped by Vera’s story, but Vera, a habitual liar, does not explain his odd behavior to the others. Instead, Vera invents another story that suggests Mr. Nuttel had once been frightened by “a pack of pariah dogs” in a cemetery “on the banks of the Ganges” and apparently had bolted at the sight of the spaniel accompanying the hunters. Thus, Mr. Nuttel is perfectly victimized by the young girl’s imagination.

Based on the short story, answer the following questions:

a) Identify 3 literary devices in the short story and their significance.

     (i) Irony

        One of the examples of irony in this short story can be seen when Vera says that a "great tragedy" (para.

10) has happened to her aunt, Mrs. Sappleton. It is a form of verbal irony because the story told by Vera is the

opposite of the truth. As readers read on, they will find out that the "missing" Mr. Sappleton, Mrs. Sappleton's

two brothers and the dog are still alive.

     (ii) Personification

      Personification means inserting human traits into non-living things. In paragraph 14,  the phrase "a

treacherous piece of bog" is one of the examples of personification. The non-living thing, bog, is given a

human trait, which is treachery. The bog is described as treachery because according to Vera, Mr. Sappleton,

the two brothers and the dog are sank into the bog and are missing ever since. 

     (iii) Contrast

           Contrast can be seen between the characters Vera and Nuttel.

          Vera is "a very self-possessed young lady of fifteen" and full with confidence. Her confidence shines

from the way she carries herself and especially when she tells the story flawlessly. She is very convincing that

Nuttel and even Mr. and Mrs. Sappleton believe everything she says. It is also showed how manipulative she

is. She is also an intelligent girl for she can come out with a story instantly when Nuttel bolts out from their

house.

         Different from Vera, Nuttel is a restless character, which is mainly caused by his nerve problem. He has a

self-esteem problem and this can  be seen when he believes that people would not be interested in his nerve

condition. He is also aloof and it can be seen from where he needs his sister's help to introduce him to the

locals. Doubting is also one of his nature. In the short story, he questions the effectiveness of the cure

suggested to him to go and have a rest in a countryside. 

b) Where is the climax in the short story, how is it achieved?    

          The climax of the story is when Mr. Sappleton, Mrs. Sappleton's two brothers and the dog came home.

Suspense is used to achieve the point. Readers can feel the suspense building when Mrs. Sappleton kept on

looking towards the open window and Nuttel's restless condition more or less had influenced readers' mood as

well. The suspense rose when Mrs. Sappleton announced their arrival and the "dazed horror" in Vera's eyes.

The climax is thereon achieved when Nuttel turned and the three men with the dog that tagged along with them

came home.

c) Describe the setting.         Time: Late afternoon/evening; October     "You may wonder why we keep that window wide open on an October afternoon,..." (para. 11)     "Here they are at last!" she cried. "Just in time for tea..." (para. 22)     "In the deepening twilight..." (para. 24)

     Place: Countryside, England; the Sappleton's house

     "...when he was preparing to this rural retreat;..." (para. 3)     "...somehow in this restful country spot tragedies seemed out of place." (para. 11)

     Season: Fall (usually fall starts from September until November - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autumn)      "You may wonder why we keep that window wide open on an October afternoon,..." (para. 11)

d) What is the lesson that you can learn from the short story?

        One of the lessons that can be learnt from the short story is sensitivity; we should be aware of others'

feelings and needs. As the hosts or hostesses, we need to understand our guests' needs and make sure that they

are comfortable with the hospitality given. In the short story, Vera and Mrs. Sappleton fail to realize Nuttel's

restless condition. Vera should be attentive towards Nuttel instead of frightening him because he is the guest

and the newcomer. As for Mrs. Sappleton, she should have realized that Nuttel is eager to change the topic of

their conversation and finds out the cause of his restlessness. She should also give him her full attention rather

than "a fragment of her attention" (para. 19). 

        Nuttel who is supposed to have the therapy for his nerve problem is affected and might become worse

because both of them are insensitive towards his condition.

-Celestina-

The lesson that I can learn from the short story is words can be deceiving. Do not trust people easily especially

strangers.

-SHERREY-

I have learnt two main lessons from this short story. The first lesson is not to trust people so easily. We

shouldn't be so naive when it comes to dealing with people we have just come to know of. This value is very

much connected to Nuttel's character because judging from the fact that he had just entered an territory

completely unknown to him before this, he should be more cautious and alert  of the people around him as well

as the surrounding. Nuttel had fallen for Vera's words right from the very beginning without having any second

thoughts.

The second lesson which I have picked up from this short story is that we should never assume things. Despite

the fact that Vera appeared to know her facts well, Nuttel should have taken the initiative to perhaps ask Mrs

Sappleton for affirmation. He shouldn't have just consumed every bit of Vera's words as she is still  only a

child.

I personally think that we should take everything in with a pinch of salt because even if life is a bed of roses,

there will always be hidden thorns.

- Shanu -

e) In the short story, does Vera Sappleton show hospitality towards Framton Nuttel? If she were

Malaysian, will she respond in like manner? Why?

         In my opinion, Vera does not show hospitality towards Nuttel. She frightened him and caused him to bolt

out of the room because of the lie she made. 

          If she were Malaysian, I don't think she will respond in such manner because giving the best hospitality

is important in Malaysian culture. A host or hostess must treat his or her guests attentively because it would

give a good impression towards the household. Vera would be considered as rude if she behaved as in the short

story.

-Celestina-

In my opinion,  yes she is showing great hospitality towards Nuttel because she invite him in and talk nicely to

him. That's the basic hospitality that we can show to our guest. If she were a Malaysian, I don't think she will

respond such manner. This is because, in Malaysia, we treat guest like VVIP. We doesn't lie straight to their

face, that's rude.

-SHERREY-

In the short story, I personally think that Vera has indeed showed hospitality towards Nuttel. This is because

she talked to him politely and treated him graciously. She did not in any way appear to be unwelcoming

towards Nuttel. One of the possible reasons as to why she decided to cause such a stir all of a sudden could be

because of her young age. After all, she was only 15. She didn't seem to have any other intentions behind her

action. She was just messing around.

In my  opinion, I think that if Vera were a Malaysian, she would most probably not respond in such a manner

because of a few reasons of my own.

Firstly, based on my personal experiences and knowledge, Malaysians are, in one way or another,  introvert-

like at most times. This is most probably because of our culture and upbringing which is very much unlike the

Western methods of upbringing. I think that if Vera were to be a Malaysian, she would not have such a

conversation  with him, in the first place because she would have to keep to the boundaries.

Secondly, I feel that if at all "Malaysian Vera" were to have talked to Nuttel, she would have never  told him

such a lie because based on Malaysian understanding, it would be considered rude to some extent.

Besides that, I think that most Malaysians, in general, are very nosy and doubtful, and so, the likelihood of

them trusting a 15 year old child would most probably be low.

- Shanu -

f) If you were Nuttel, would you trust every word Vera said? Why?

          If I were Nuttel, I would trust Vera. As the newcomer, I would be interested in knowing more of the new

town I'm in.  I would believe the locals because I know nothing about the town. Besides, Vera appears

convincing when she told the story.

-Celestina-

If I were him, I would trust Vera. This is because, I know nothing about anyone there. Of course, I would trust

her since her look can be very deceiving too, 15 years old.

-SHERREY-

If I were Nuttel, I would most definitely not trust every word Vera said. I would, perhaps, be partially hooked

to her words initially, but I wouldn't completely trust her every word.

Firstly, because she is only 15 years old. Despite the fact that she is very persuasive, I still wouldn't trust a 15

year old that easily unless if I've got some other sources of information which back up her words.

Secondly, I would surely confirm the situation with Mrs Sappleton. After all, I would be moving in with them

and  so, I should have the right to know the truth from a reliable source and therefore, I wouldn't hesitate to

ask. I wouldn't just jump into conclusions.

- Shanu -

Summary:

The Open Window tells about Framton Nuttel who went to countryside

to rest his nerves. His sister had said beforehand that his nerves

would worsen and had given introduction letters to people there.

There he was talking to Vera, a 15 year – old girl. She is a niece of

Mrs Sappleton, a woman to whom Frampton has been given a letter of

introduction by his sister. She told him that there was a tragedy befell

to Vera’s aunt. Her aunt’s husband and her two young brothers were

drowned, died in the marshes while out shooting several years ago.

The tragedy sent the aunt out of her mind, and she always keeps the

French window (glass door) into the garden open, believing that they

will come back.

Mrs. Sappleton then arrived, apologized that she was late. She

mentioned about the window to Nuttel and she waited for her

husband, two young brothers and her dog. Nuttel felt a horrible

atmosphere when he heard it. Then Nuttel looked through the window

and found out that there were three men walking towards that window,

looking exactly how the neice described them. He runs away in panic;

the husband and brothers arrive, very puzzled by the guest’s strange

behaviour. Vera calmly tells them that it must have been the dog; he

told her he was terrified of dogs after being attacked by wild dogs in

India.

Vera is very good at making up stories quickly.

 

Intrinsic Elements

A. Plot

The plot is well – structured and unified. In the beginning the

protagonist, Frampton Nuttel, met and had a chat with Vera in a

countryside house. He went there because he wanted to rest his

nerves.

The conflict begins when she told him about a tragedy of her aunt’s

husband and younger brothers. The complication takes place when

Mrs. Sappleton, Vera’s aunt, told him about his family which made

Nuttel frightened. Then the climax is when Nuttel saw three men and a

dog resembled the ones in the story made him ran away because he

thought that they were supposedly dead.

The story end with confusion among the inhabitants of the house and

Vera explained why Nuttel ran away. In the last sentence the narrator

told us that they all just made up stories from Vera who is good at

making up stories.

This is a good plot because Vera, as the main character, who sets this

story from the first place until the end. Vera seems to be truthful when

she tells Nuttel the story of Mr.Sappleton and the hunting party, but in

the end it was just a lie.

B. Character

1. Vera (Main/Major Character): Self-possessed /

confident,intelligent and allert, shrewd, creative and

imaginative, a fine actress. Vera is the major character

or she is the center of this story because she is the

one who sets this story from beginning until the end.

And the theme of this story matches with Vera’s role

in this story.

2. Framton Nuttel (Dynamic, Minor Character): A shy, nervous man

due to both his medical condition and having to meet many people he

doesn’t know. He is a dynamic character because in this story his

characteristic is changed after he faced an event. Nuttel has neural

problem which makes him cannot think logically and makes him easily

believed in Vera’s story.

3. Mrs. Sappleton (deutragonist)

4. Nuttel’s sister (tritagonist)

5. Mrs. Sappleton’s husband (tritagonist)

6. Mrs. Sapleton’s brothers (tritagonist)

7. A pet, spaniel dog (tritagonist)

This story uses dramatic method in the portrayal of its

characters.

This story has no protagonist or antagonist because

Vera as the main character doesn’t face any conflict.

 

C. Setting

1. Place: In a countryside house

2. Time: October evening

3. Weather: Warm

4. Mood or Atmosphere: quiet, somewhat ghastly and creepy

In this story the setting is important, especially the time and the

atmosphere of it. It takes place on a quiet evening that makes it

seems creepier and Vera ingeniously take full advantage of her

surrounding to deceive Nuttel. Not only to deceive Nuttel but it also to

deceive the reader that the atmosphere is creepy so the reader

believe that she is telling the truth but in the end it is actually not

D. Point of View

            This story uses limited omniscient narrator point of view,

because the narrator knows the characters action and some of

Nuttel’s feeling and thought, but he doesn’t know all of the character’s

feeling. The narrator doesn’t explain what is in Vera’s mind when she

tells Nuttel and her family a tale.

E. Style and Tone

            In this story Saki uses irony. Some of the characters

demonstrate a mirror image of their names and their personalities. On

the other hand, other character’s names are the complete opposite of

their personalities.

Vera’s name comes from words that mean truth or honesty, while in

reality Vera lies and manipulates the truth due to the circumstances of

her situation. Mr. Nuttel’s name on the other hand is ironic in the

sense that it comes from words that mean crazy, mentally unstable,

nuts, etc. and that is exactly how his character is described in the

story.

Theme

            The theme of this story is deception; while the moral value of

this story is never believe something that you heard without clear

evidence or make sure beforehand. Rechecking the information will

avoid us from being deceived. It is a sarcastic to people who easily

believe to anything from anybody.

Discussion

          We use eclectic approach, both historical and formalism

approach.

Saki’s real name was Hector Hugh Munroe. He was born in the

Asian country of Burma, now called Myanmar. When he was a

toddler his mother was killed by a charging cow. His father sent Saki

and his older brother and sister to live with relatives in England.

They were raised by their grandmother and two very strict aunts.

The aunts has many rules. Saki didn’t like the rules, but he had to

obey. He was not allowed to play outside very often. The windows in

his house were never even opened. Saki rebelled against this

strictness when he grew older. He wrote many short stories about

clever youths who trick the mean people in their lives.

Saki’s experiences inspired his view of the world. He wrote stories that

mock the world he grew in. He showed the contrast between the way

people seem to be and the way they really are. Saki grew up among

rich people in England in the late 1800s. At that time, rich people

followed strict rules of proper behavior in public, but they could play

mean tricks on each other while pretending to be polite. Saki knew

that children could sometimes be as mean as adults. His view on the

world can be seen vividly in “The Open Window.”

We can see Saki’s reflection in Vera’s personality in The Open

Window story. She deceives all of the adults around until the end of

this story. In this story no one knows about her true intention but the

reader and the narrator; Nuttel who runaway before saw the reality

and Mrs. Sappleton’s family who don’t know the exact event.

Vera is the portrayal of Saki’s childhood when he wants to rebel

against his aunt. He wants to take vengeance to the adults by

deceiving them. This story’s theme, deception, is related to Saki’s

feeling when he was a child.

Saki uses “The Open Window” as the title because when he was a

child his aunt was very strict and didn’t allow him to play outside. The

windows of his aunt’s house were never opened. By making “The

Open Window” as the title, he wants to be sarcastic of her aunt’s

strictness. Even the content of this story is the deception which is

made by a child to the adults

The irony in “The Open Window” is the open window itself. The open

window is symbolic of honesty, yet it is used to deceive Mr. Nuttle with

the story of Mrs. Sappleton’s lost husband and brothers who left

through the window and never returned.

The niece is playing on poor Mr. Nuttle who is “resting” due to some

type of mental instability. It is further ironic in that everything Mrs.

Sappleton remarks about her husband and brothers out hunting is

taken differently by Mr. Nuttle. He is horrified at the glibness of her

tone because he believes that they have suffered a tragedy.

The sudden reaction and departure of Mr. Nuttle when the men return

through the window is ironic, as well. The niece is able to explain his

fight by saying he merely was afraid of the dog, while in reality he

believes they have come from some other realm.

Conclusion

The Open Window is a good story because not only provides good

tone but also gives an unpredictable plot. As we will see through the

analysis of the plot, this story is a striking example of the right way to

use irony. We may think the story in some way, but in the end it turns

out to be different than we originally thought. We need to comprehend

every single element of this story it also contains moral value for us to

consider.

THE OPEN WINDOW- H. H. MUNRO (SAKI)

Summary of Story: H.H. Munro's (Saki) "The Open Window" brilliantly portrays how one's nerves affects his/her personality. As Framton embarks on a trip intended as a "nerve cure," he finds himself in an unfamiliar situation that ultimately has a negative effect on his seemingly nervous personality.

Plot-

Frampton Nuttel suffers from a nervous condition and has come to spend some time alone. His sister sets up introductions for him with a few members of the community. His first visit is to the Sappleton house where he meets fifteen-year-old Vera, the niece of Mrs. Sappleton. Vera keeps Nuttel company while he waits. Upon hearing that Nuttel

has not met the Sappletons, Vera tells Nuttel some information about the family. Vera says that three years ago to the date, Mrs. Sappleton's husband and two younger brothers went on a hunting trip and never returned. Vera goes into detail about the clothes they were wearing, the dog that accompanied them, and the song that Mrs. Sappleton's brother sang upon their return. Vera says that her grief-stricken aunt watches out the window expecting their return. When Mrs. Sappleton enters, she tells Nuttel that she expects her husband and brothers to return at any moment. Nuttel listens, thinking that Mrs. Sappleton has in fact gone crazy. Suddenly, Mrs. Sappleton brightens as she tells Nuttel that they have returned. Nuttel turns only to see the "dead" hunters. He becomes frightened and leaves in a rush. Mrs. Sappleton doesn't understand Nuttel's strange behavior, but Vera replies that he is deathly afraid of dogs.

Not until the end of the story does the reader realize that Vera has tricked Mr. Nuttel. This is revealed with the last line of the story: "Romance at short notice was her [Vera's] specialty."

Vocabulary:

snipe - a type of wading bird

rectory - a home occupied by a minister or clergy

moor - a broad area of open land, often high but poorly drained, with patches of heath and peat bog

bog - soft, waterlogged ground; a marsh

spaniel- a breed of dog

falter - to be unsteady in purpose or action, as from loss of courage or confidence; waver

infirmities - frailties; disabilities 

imminent - about to occur; impending

pariah - member of lowest class in India; a social outcast

Characters

Framton Nuttel’s Sister

Framton Nuttel’s sister once spent time in the same town to which Framton has come for relaxation. She has given him a number of letters of introduction with which he is to make himself known to a number of people in the town. Mrs. Sappleton is the recipient of such a letter, and it is this that brings Nuttel to her home.

Mr. Framton Nuttel

Mr. Framton Nuttel suffers from an undisclosed nervous ailment and comes to the country in hope that its atmosphere will be conducive to a cure. He brings a letter of introduction to Mrs.

Sappleton in order to make her acquaintance for his stay in her village. While he waits for Mrs.Sappleton to appear, her niece keeps him

company and tells him a story about why a window in

the room has been left open. He believes her story, that the window remains open in hopes that Mrs. Sappleton’s husband and brother, who the niece says are long dead, will one day return. Later, when Nuttel looks out the window and sees figures approaching who match the descriptions of the long-dead hunters in the niece’s story, he suffers a mental breakdown and flees the house.

Ronnie

Ronnie is Mrs. Sappleton’s younger brother, who, with Mr. Sappleton, has been away on a hunting expedition.

Mr. Sappleton

Mr. Sappleton is Mrs. Sappleton’s husband. He has been away during most of the story on a hunting expedition with Mrs. Sappleton’s younger brother, Ronnie.

Mrs. Sappleton

Readers are first led to believe that Mrs. Sappleton is a widow, keeping vigil for her

departed husband and brother, who have disappeared during a hunting trip. She lives with her young

niece.

Vera

Vera is the niece of Mrs. Sappleton, the woman to whom Framton Nuttel plans to give a letter of

introduction. She is a teller of tales, a young woman whose forte is “romance at short notice.” She is an exquisite and intuitive actress, equally skilled at deceit and its concealment. While Nuttel waits with her for Mrs. Sappleton to appear, Vera relates an elaborate story surrounding a window in the room that has been left open. It is this story, of the death of some relatives who

went hunting long ago, that eventually causes Framton Nuttel’s breakdown. She tells Nuttel that the window is left open as a sign of her aunt’s hope that the dead hunters will one day come

home and provides a detailed description of the men, their behavior and attire. After Nuttel flees upon seeing these men return, just as Vera has described them, Vera invents a story

explaining his departure as well. Saki refers to Vera as “self-possessed,” which literally means that she has self-control and poise. In the context of this story, it is clear that this is the quality

that allows her to lie so well — Vera’s self-possession allows her to maintain a cool head and calm believability while relating that most outlandish of tales.

Plot Summary

Framton Nuttel has presented himself at the Sappleton house to pay a visit. He is in the country undergoing a rest cure for his nerves and is calling on Mrs. Sappleton at the request of his sister.

Though she does not know Mrs. Sappleton well, she worries that her brother will suffer if he keeps himself in total seclusion, as he is likely to do. Fifteen-year-old Vera keeps Nuttel company while they wait for her aunt. After a short silence, Vera asks if Nuttel knows many people in the area. Nuttel replies in the negative, admitting that of Mrs. Sappleton he only knows her name and address. Vera then informs him that her aunt’s “great tragedy” happened after his sister was acquainted with her. Vera indicates the

large window that opened on to the lawn. Exactly three years ago, Vera recounts, Mrs. Sappleton’s husband and two younger brothers walked through the window to go on a day’s hunt. They never came back. They were drowned in a bog, and their bodies were never found. Mrs. Sappleton thinks they will come back some day, along with their spaniel, so she keeps the window open. She still talks of them often to her niece, repeating the words of one of her brother’s favorite songs, “Bertie, why do you bound?”

Vera herself admits to sometimes believing the men will all come back through that window. She then breaks off her narration with a shudder. At that moment, Mrs. Sappleton enters the room, apologizing for keeping him waiting and hoping that Vera has been amusing him. Mrs. Sappleton excuses the open window, explaining that her husband and brothers will be home soon, and she continues to talk on quite cheerfully about shooting. Nuttel finds this conversation gruesome and attempts to change the subject by talking about his rest cure, a topic which bores Mrs. Sappleton tremendously. But she suddenly brightens up, crying ”Here they are at last!” Nuttel turns to Vera to extend his sympathy, but Vera is staring out through the open window with a look of horror in her eyes. Nuttel

turns around to the window and sees Mrs. Sappleton’s husband and brothers walking across the lawn, a spaniel following them, and hears a voice singing “Bertie, why do you bound?” Nuttel grabs his hat and walking stick and flees from the house. Mr. Sappleton comes through the window and greets his wife. Mrs. Sappleton muses over

Nuttel’s departure that was so sudden it was if he had seen a ghost. Vera says that she believes it was the spaniel that frightened him; she tells her aunt and uncle that Nuttel is terrified of dogs ever since being hunted into a cemetery in India by wild dogs and having to spend the night in a newly dug grave.

As Saki remarks at story’s end, making up stories that add a bit of excitement to life, “romance at short notice,” is Vera’s specialty.

The Open Window (Setting, Plot, Characters) by H.H. Munro's (Saki)Setting, Plot, Characters of the Open Window

Setting: A Real world, nervous conditions, early 1900s, a residence in the countryside of Great Britain.

Plot: A new neighbor named Frampton Nuttel visits and a young girl named Vera entertains him with a ghost story of her aunts’ life. When he observes the "ghost" he leaves in a fright and we find out the girl (Vera) is just very good at making story. Frampton Nuttel is suffering from nervous problems and trying to spend some time in the countryside of Britain. However, the other characters are not that much active in the story.

Characters:

In the story Vera is the most active characters and she is the master story teller. At the end of the story she makes the readers confused.

In The Open Window, A new neighbor named Frampton Nuttel visits a young girl named Vera who entertains him with a ghost story of her aunts’ life. When he observes the "ghost" he leaves in a fright and we find out the girl (Vera) is just very good at making story. Frampton Nuttel is suffering from nervous problems and trying to spend some time in the countryside of Britain. In that storey the readers were in confusion until the last part was read. I really disliked the point that the readers did not understand the flow of the storey. However, it is also awkward that Vera was lying and confusing Nuttel when he has come to her to cure his nervous problem. On the other way, I liked the storey, as it has a very strong effect in the readers and they must be involved until it is not finished. It is one of those short stories, where one or two characters make the story a successful one. 

The main character is Framptom Nuttell. He suffers from nervous problems, and loves talking about his illnesses. He is also very timid, and easily deceived as we see from how readily he believes Vera's story.

Vera is the other main character. She is clever, quick-witted, very inventive and has a cruel, ironical sense of humour. She enjoys terrifying Frampton (whose doctors have warned him not to get into frightening situations.) She is also a good actress - she manages to make Frampton believe that she is also terrified of the "ghosts", for instance.

Mrs Sappleton is kind, polite but quite absorbed in her own concerns. She isn't very interested in her visitor, but tries to be kind to him. We can guess that she is also fooled by Vera.

Mrs S's husband, and Frampton's sister, don't really appear enough in the story for their characters to be established.