THE OPEN WINDOW- H. H. MUNRO (SAKI)
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Summary
of the Story
"The Open Window"
beautifully portrays how Vera, a fifteen year old girl makes up
stories at will, mindless of their outcomes. Framton Nuttel sets out on a
trip intended as a "nerve cure". He finds himself in a
strange situation that ultimately has a negative effect on his
apparently nervous personality. Vera tells two stories; one to Nuttel, and the other to her family. Both the stories are convincing and imaginative ones, and thus justifies the conclusion made by the author; 'romance at short notice was her speciality'.
Plot
of the Story
Framton
Nuttel suffers from a nervous condition and has come to a village to
spend some time alone as prescribed by the doctor. Nuttel's sister
sets up introductions for him with a few members of the community as
she used to live there earlier.
His first visit is to the Sappleton
family where he meets a fifteen-year-old girl named Vera, the niece
of Mrs. Sappleton. The self possessed girl elegantly keeps Nuttel
company while he waits. Vera conveys Nuttel some information about
the family knowing that Nuttel has not met the Sappletons before .
Vera informs Nuttel that three years before to the date, Mrs.
Sappleton's husband and two younger brothers had gone on a hunting
trip and had never returned. Vera gives descriptions about the
clothes they were wearing, the dog that accompanied them, and the
song that Mrs. Sappleton's younger brother sang on their way. Vera
says that her grief-stricken aunt keeps the window open and watches
out the window expecting their return.
Coming downstairs Mrs.
Sappleton tells Nuttel that she expects her husband and brothers to
return at any moment. Nuttel listens to her, thinking that Mrs.
Sappleton has in fact gone crazy. Suddenly, Mrs. Sappleton brightens
as she tells Nuttel that they have returned from hunting. Nuttel
looks at Vera and sees a shocked look on her face. She looked as if
she has seen ghosts. This makes Nuttel worried and curious as he was
facing opposite to the window. He turns only to see the "dead"
hunters approaching the house. He becomes frightened and leaves the
house in a rush without a word.
Mrs. Sappleton doesn't understand
Nuttel's strange behavior, but Vera explains the reason for his
behaviour; that he is deathly afraid of dogs.
Not
until the end of the story does the reader come to know that Vera has
tricked Mr. Nuttel. "Romance at short notice was her speciality" is the last line of the story which reveals the very theme of the story, and unveils the character Vera.
