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Jun 22, 2017 · With him, and many like him, the Edwardian way of life that Saki so ruthlessly skewers in his stories would die, too. But ‘The Open Window’ remains more than a window (to reach for the inevitable metaphor) onto a vanished world. It is a timeless tale about truth and fiction, and, yes, a parable without a moral.
- The Open Window
The Open Window - A Summary and Analysis of Saki’s ‘The Open...
- Saki
By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University) Saki, real...
- Short Fiction
Short Fiction - A Summary and Analysis of Saki’s ‘The Open...
- The Lumber-Room
A man, dressed in the hunting costume of some remote period,...
- His Classic Werewolf Tale ‘Gabriel-Ernest
It’s as if Oscar Wilde had been crossed with M. R. James or...
- Hector Hugh Munro
Hector Hugh Munro - A Summary and Analysis of Saki’s ‘The...
- Tobermory
Before he can cause any more embarrassment among the guests,...
- The Open Window
Vera makes the open window a symbol of Mrs. Sappleton’s (supposed) insanity, as she believes her dead loved ones will walk through it. We would generally expect an open window to symbolize transparency, honesty or freedom. Saki (and Vera) cleverly uses these associations to add to the veracity of the story.
This is the first mention of the titular open window, which Vera transforms from a mundane household object into a centerpiece of tragedy. Her use of specific details makes her story more believable. The men’s manner of death is so absurd, however, as to be farcical; Saki is satirizing elements of traditional tragic romances.
Historical Context of The Open Window. Saki wrote “The Open Window” during the Edwardian period in England, roughly corresponding to the reign of King Edward VII from 1901 to 1910, but often extended to include the 1890s to the start of World War I. The new millennium brought with it a relaxing of much of the rigidity of the prior Victorian ...
- Plot
- Social Conventions Provide "Cover" For Mischief
- Smooth Storytelling
- The Duped Reader
Framton Nuttel, seeking a "nerve cure" prescribed by his doctor, visits a rural area where he knows no one. His sister provides letters of introduction so he can meet people there. He pays a visit to Mrs. Sappleton. While he waits for her, her 15-year-old niece keeps him company in the parlor. When she realizes Nuttel has never met her aunt and kno...
The niece uses social decorumvery much to her favor. First, she presents herself as inconsequential, telling Nuttel that her aunt will be down soon, but "[i]n the meantime, you must put up with me." It's meant to sound like a self-effacing pleasantry, suggesting that she isn't particularly interesting or entertaining. And it provides perfect cover ...
The niece's prank is impressively underhanded and hurtful. She takes the ordinary events of the day and deftly transforms them into a ghost story. She includes all the details needed to create a sense of realism: the open window, the brown spaniel, the white coat, and even the mud of the supposed bog. Seen through the ghostly lens of tragedy, all o...
One of the most engaging aspects of this story is that the reader is initially duped, too, just like Nuttel. The reader has no reason to disbelieve the niece's "cover story"—that she's just a demure, polite girl making conversation. Like Nuttel, the reader is surprised and chilled when the hunting party shows up. But unlike Nuttel, the reader final...
The Open Window Summary and Analysis of The Open Window. Summary. Framton Nuttel is a single man in a new town. His sister has arranged for him to meet several of her acquaintances to prevent him from becoming lonely there. On one such visit, Vera, the 15-year-old niece of Framton’s latest host, Mrs. Sappleton, invites him to sit and wait ...
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The Open Window Summary. Framton Nuttel is visiting the quiet English countryside in the hope of curing his nerves. Upon arriving at Mrs. Sappleton ’s home, he is greeted by her self-assured 15-year-old niece named Vera. Mr. Nuttel searches in vain for the proper greeting for a teenage girl, while privately lamenting that these meetings with ...
