The open window {notes}

The Open Window by Saki is a short story about Framton Nuttel, a man who goes away for
his nerves, and the family he meets on a retreat — only two of whom he was expecting to
meet. Saki, or Hector Hugh Monroe, was a British writer, most prolifically of short stories.
'The Open Window' was published in 1914 in his short story anthology "Beasts and
Superbeasts".

Framton Nuttel, suffering from the effects of a nervous breakdown, goes on vacation. He
spends part of it calling on the Sappleton family, acquaintances of his sister. When he
arrives, Mrs. Sappleton is momentarily detained, so he ends up in the parlor with Vera, her
15-year-old niece. Vera makes small talk with Framton, then tells her of an awful tragedy
that befell her aunt — her husband and brothers were sucked into a bog while out on a
snipe hunt three years ago on that very day. All three died, and no one ever found the
bodies. Vera says her aunt has a hard time accepting that they are dead and keeps the large
French windows of the parlor open every day, expecting her husband and brothers to
return from hunting, just as they did three years ago before their death — singing to tease
Mrs. Sappleton, a small dog at their heels, and with Mrs. Sappleton's husband with his coat
slung over his arm. Vera tells this tragic tale with a great deal of feeling, and thoroughly
unsettles Framton, especially when Vera says that sometimes she gets a creepy feeling as if
their ghosts are about to walk through the windows.

Mrs. Sappleton comes in, apologizing for her absence, hoping that Vera has managed to
entertain him. She points out the open windows and asks him to please not mind them, for
her husband and brothers will return shortly from a snipe hunt, and she keeps the French
door windows open since they always come in that way, tracking mud all over the carpet.
This completely freaks out Framton, as does the way Mrs. Sappleton keeps looking out the
window, and he wishes he had not come to visit on the anniversary of the accident.

They make small talk, and Framton is not particularly at ease — until Mrs. Sappleton
brightens, and calls out the windows to her husband and brothers. Framton looks at Vera in
pity for her aunt and finds Vera staring in horror out the window. He turns and sees three
men, one with a coat over his arm, and a dog, coming over the lawn and up through the
window. Upon seeing what he believes to be ghosts, Framton grabs his things and sprints
out, not looking back. When he enters, Mrs. Sappleton's very alive husband asks who that
was who ran out of the house in such a hurry, and Vera tells him that Framton had told her
he was terribly afraid of dogs after being trapped in an open grave by a pack of vicious dogs.
Saki concludes the story by telling the reader that Vera has a talent for making up stories on
short notice.

Central Idea of The Open Window

The central idea of The Open Window is in the use of dramatic irony. For most of the story,
we believe what Framton believes, despite a masculine presence in the decoration of the
parlor contradicting Vera's story. But once Framton darts out in shock, we know what he
does not, and may never — Vera was lying to him. At that moment, we also know more than
Mr. and Mrs. Sappleton, for Framton did not run because he was afraid of dogs; he left
because he suddenly saw a sad gesture by a lonely widow transform into a portal to the
undead.

The door symbolizes the line between truth and fiction, and while Framton (and the reader)
are in the parlor they don't know the difference. But once the husband and brothers cross
that line, the ruse is up and the lie is obvious. By playing with the trust that readers have in
characters, Saki comically disorients the reader, making the reader laugh at their own
mistake, and inviting them in on the joke that Vera plays on the Sappletons.

The open window summary offers a great way of learning about the
story in brief. It follows the life of Framton, who moves into a new
town. He wishes to cure his nerves and his sister helps him as she
lived there. She arranges a meeting with one of her acquaintances,
Mrs Sappleton. On reaching her house, he encounters her niece,
Vera. She points to an open window and tells him about the reason
behind it. She tells Framton that her aunt’s husband and his two
brothers got killed in a tragic hunting accident.

Moreover, she warns him that Mrs Sappleton anticipates their return
so she keeps the window open. Finally, Mrs Sappleton comes to meet
him and tells him that she is waiting for her husband. This disturbs
Framton and he gets horrified when he sees three male approaching
him in hunting gear. Thus, he flees the house.

The Open Window Summary in English

The open window summary takes us through Framton Nuttel’s

arrival at a new town. The story is written by Saki. Framton is not a
social man so his sister has set up him to know her acquaintances.

He arrives at her acquaintance’s house, Mrs Sappleton. Her niece,

Vera, greets him. She entertains him till the aunt arrives to greet him.
During this encounter, we learn a few things about the Sappletons.

When talking to Vera, Framton reveals to her about his lack of social
skills. Thus, she starts telling him about the story of the open
window. She says it was a great tragedy which took place in her
aunt’s life.

The open window summary explains the great tragedy that took place
three years ago. Vera points at the large French window which was
open even in the chilly weather. Thus, she begins to tell all about it.

Mrs Sappleton’s husband and her two brothers left through the same
window for hunting. However, she says the earth swallowed them up
as they never returned. Thus, her aunt still in grief keeps the window
open waiting for them to return.

She describes the same exact way in which they left. Her husband
was carrying a white coat. At this point, her aunt comes in to greet
Framton. She apologizes for being late and hopes Vera amused him
meanwhile.

After that, to Framton’s shock, Mrs Sappleton makes a remark on the

open window. She tells him it is open as she is waiting for her
husband and brothers to return from a hunting trip.

This convinces Framton even more of Vera’s story. He is shocked to

see her still fixated on their death. Moreover, Mrs Sappleton
continues looking at the open window anticipating their return.

But, what shocks Framton the most is the arrival of three men in
hunting attire. They approach the house and Framton is convinced
they are ghosts. Thus, he runs away frantically.

Finally, we see Vera has a story for this as well. Framton’s reaction
confuses Mrs Sappleton. But she assures her that Framton got scared
of the hunting dog because he has a phobia of dogs.
Thus, we look at how Vera is so good at spinning tales. She utilizes
the situation at hand and is quick to whip tales back to back without
any hesitation.

Conclusion of The Open Window Summary

The Open Window summary tells us about the ability of clever

people weaving deceptive stories to be manipulative to others.
Moreover, it also shows how tough it can be to determine the truth in
a story.

The story begins in medias res with Mrs. Sappleton’s niece, Vera, who is “a
very self-possessed young lady of fifteen”, who explains to Framton that her
aunt would meet him shortly. As Framton waits for Mrs. Sappleton, he is
unable to carry on a conversation with the young girl, being naturally shy and
introverted. He doubts if living with total strangers will cure his nerve
symptoms, but his sister had insisted on introducing him to the people that she
knew in the village. Vera asks him if he knows anything about her aunt, and
Frampton replies that all he knows about her is her name and address. He tries
to figure out if Mrs. Sappleton is married or widowed, and by observing the
room, he finds subtle signs of masculine habitation.
Vera suddenly mentions the ‘great tragedy’ that befell her aunt three years
ago, to attract his curiosity. It works, and Framton curiously enquires about the
tragedy. She draws his attention to the large French window in the room,
asking if he wondered why the window is open in a late October afternoon. He
asks if it is somehow connected to the tragedy. She explains that three years
ago, her aunt’s husband and two brothers had gone shooting along with
their dog, a little brown spaniel. In that “dreadfully wet summer”, they
drowned in an inobtrusive piece of bog, and none of their bodies could be
recovered.
Not being able to deal with the tragic demise of her husband and brothers, her
aunt still hopes for their return, keeping the window open every day in the
hope that they will return, as she still narrates the story of their departure
that day, her husband with a white coat over his shoulders, her youngest
brother singing “Bertie, why do you bound?” to deliberately annoy his sister.
At this point, Mrs. Sappleton herself comes down to greet her guest, hoping that
Vera had kept him amused in the meantime. She hopes that Framton will
excuse the open window, as her husband and brothers will return from their
snipe hunt in the marshes. Thinking that she is delusional, Framton attempts
to change the subject by narrating the details of his sickness. Suddenly, Mrs.
Sappleton cries, “Here they are at last!”, and Framton looks at her niece to nod
in sympathetic comprehension. However, seeing Vera looking out the window
with “dazed horror in her eyes”, he looks up at the window and sees three
figures walking towards the window in the deepening twilight, armed with guns
and a white coat flung over one of their shoulders, a tired brown spaniel at their
heels.

Thinking that he is seeing ghosts, Framton flees the spot terrified. As Mr.
Sappleton and his brothers-in-law enter the house, they ask who it was who
bolted out the door. A surprised Mrs. Sappleton is herself puzzled, unable to
comprehend Framton’s sudden, unexplained departure. Her niece, Vera,
however, explains that it must have been because of his fear of dogs, as he was
telling her that he was once chased by a pack of pariah dogs in India, being
forced to spend the night inside a dug grave which the dogs snarling and
drooling over him.

The last line explains that “Romance at short notice was her speciality.”

sThe humorous and ironic short-story explores the outstanding creativity of

a fifteen-year-old girl who is able to come up with thrilling, fictitious
explanations behind real events in a matter of seconds, fooling all adults
around her. While ethically, Vera’s actions constitute as lying, Saki is not
condemning the little girl’s habit, but taking an indulgent, paternalistic attitude
to her marvellous ability and creative genius. Even her acting skills are so
convincing that she changes her voice tone and expression according to the
demands of the situation, her body language shifting from her natural sense of
self-possession, to an expression of ‘dazed horror’ at will, making Framton
Nuttel completely forget about his own observations of the rectory that would
have helped him uncover Vera’s prank.
Naturally shy and timid, Nuttel completely forgets that he had seen signs of
‘masculine habitation’ in the house, or that there is a perfectly rational
explanation for keeping the window open in an exceptionally hot October.
Instead of reacting in a rational manner and enquiring about Mr. Sappleton
from her wife instead of relying solely on the words of a child, he is so
convinced by Vera’s story that he runs away in horror the moment he sees the
men return, not even providing an explanation to his hostess, or waiting for one
from her side. The comicality of the situation is strikingly in contrast to the
horrifying quality of Vera’s stories, and the audience, aware of the reality, is
able to enjoy the irony and humour of the story.

The last line “Romance at short notice was her speciality”, is an exceptional use
of a plot twist by Saki, successfully explaining the entire story in one brief line.