The Open Window is a short story by Saki. I read The Music on the Hill by Saki sometime back, and I really liked it, so picking up another of his short stories was an easy task. This story follows Framton Nuttel, who arrives in a new countryside town to help calm his nerves in a peaceful environment. His sister previously lived here and introduced him to Mrs. Sappleton.
The story begins with Framton arriving at Mrs. Sappleton’s house. He meets Vera, her young niece, while they await her aunt. The setting of the story by this point depicts a calm countryside house, but then the tone of the story changes. Vera tells Framton about the tragic death of Mrs. Sappleton’s husband and her younger brothers, along with their dog, as they headed for a hunt. She narrates how grief-stricken her aunt is by these deaths and leaves the window open so that she can see them when they return. Framton is taken aback by the information about the deaths in the family. When Mrs. Sappleton arrives to greet Framton, he seems unsure about how to behave with her. Framton is further confused about the way she speaks of her husband and brothers, like they will be back for supper.
Framton is a newcomer to this town and does not know anyone other than Mrs. Sappleton, who knows his sister. He is anxious and nervous, plus in the story, he is an outsider to this setting. He talks about his nerves and also how he hopes this place helps him feel better. His nervous behavior plays right into Vera’s hands as she can easily spin tales and manipulate his perspective. It highlights the gullibility. On the other hand, Vera is a teenager who notices the awkwardness and gullibility of Framton and plays an unfortunate prank on him. Her storytelling skills and ability to maintain her composure during it is remarkable.
The theme that stood out prominently for me was the power of storytelling. Vera proves how a well-developed and believable narrative is easily accepted as the truth. The way she tells the story of her relatives’ death and her aunt’s grief, Framton never stops to think that it might not be true. The confidence in the narrative of the storytelling often overrides any reasoning or logical skills. Another aspect is the appearance vs reality that plays out. There is no clear distinction for a while between what is true and what appears to be true in the story. The open window is a symbol that tethers the line between reality and the imagination.
The final twist of the story is not something I had expected, and it left me pleasantly surprised. The story goes from humorous to supernatural and back to humorous. I loved reading The Open Window by Saki. The author is somehow able to blend the elements of horror, irony, and humor together. I enjoyed reading this story a lot.
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