The Open Window Questions and Answers
The Open Window
What does "Romance at short notice was her specialty" mean in "The Open Window"?
In the context of “The Open Window,” a romance isn't a love story; it's any kind of fictional tale showing signs of a vivid imagination. An elaborate ghost story or tall tale would be an example of...
The Open Window
Write a character sketch of Vera in the story "The Open Window" by H. H. Munro.
Vera is the fifteen-year-old niece of Mrs. Sappleton. In contrast to the high-strung and anxious Framton Nuttel, Vera is described within the narrative itself as "self-possessed," and as the story...
The Open Window
Why does Framton Nuttel visit Mrs. Sappleton?
Mr. Nuttel visits Mrs. Sappleton because of his exhausted nerves. During the late 1800s, a long recuperative stay in the country was considered a great restorative for one's mental health. Nuttel's...
The Open Window
Why does Framton Nuttel leave in such a hurry and how does Vera explain it?
In "The Open Window," Framton Nuttel flees in terror from what he probably believes are ghosts, but Vera credits his flight to a fear of dogs. Vera, a fifteen-year-old girl whose name hints at...
The Open Window
What is the moral lesson of "The Open Window"?
If there is a moral lesson to be taken from Saki’s humorous short story “The Open Window,” it is that gullible people—those who take things at face value and believe what they are told without...
The Open Window
In "The Open Window," what did Mrs. Sappleton talk about to Framton and how did he react to her conversation?
In "The Open Window," Mrs. Sappleton begins having a conversation with Framton. She explains why the window is open. She is expecting her husband and brothers at any moment. They have been hunting...
The Open Window
What is a character trait of Mr. Framton Nuttel from "The Open Window"?
One of the most important character traits of Framton Nuttel is his painful shyness. Among other things, this makes it difficult for him to connect with other people, which in turn prevents him...
The Open Window
What is the irony in the story "The Open Window"?
“The Open Window” by Saki provides readers with an excellent example of what is called situational irony. This is where something happens that is completely the opposite of what one would normally...
The Open Window
Explain the title of the story "The Open Window."
Saki’s short story “The Open Window” concerns a nervous young man called Framton Nuttel who has been given a letter of introduction by his sister to Mrs. Sappleton, a woman he has never met. As the...
The Open Window
What is the significance of the title "The Open Window"?
The title "The Open Window" suggests danger of some unknown kind. It should intrigue the reader sufficiently to want to read the story. Something is going to come through that open window....
The Open Window
"Romance at short notice was her speciality." Justify this observation about Vera.
The term "romance" is usually associated with love stories, but the definition of the word, according to the Merriam-Webster online dictionary includes these meanings: a (1) : a medieval tale...
The Open Window
What is the point of view of "The Open Window" and how can you tell?
In the short story, "The Open Window," by Saki, the author uses a third-person omniscient point of view. What this means is that the narrator is a not a part of the story but can share what the...
The Open Window
In "The Open Window," why does Vera ask Mr. Nuttel if he knows her aunt?
Mrs. Sappleton's mischievous niece Vera inquires about Framton Nuttel's background in order to play a cruel prank on him. As soon as Vera lays eyes on Framton Nuttel, she views him as a plausible...
The Open Window
What is one example of irony in "The Open Window," and what type of irony is it?
Situational irony plays on our expectations of what should be or what will happen by having something different or opposite occur. An example of this story's situation irony comes from the...
The Open Window
What is the "great tragedy" that Vera relates to Mr. Nuttel and that makes her aunt keep the window open?
The great tragedy to which Vera refers in the story "The Open Window" is entirely fictional. It is a made-up story that she is able to pull out instantly since "Romance at short notice was her...
The Open Window
The Open Window Plot Diagram
Although "The Open Window" is a very brief short story, it demonstrates the five elements of plot as it tells a humorous tale about human gullibility. The exposition or background to the plot is as...
The Open Window
What is the climax of the story "The Open Window"?
In a work of literature, the climax is the moment of the most tension in the story, the result of the conflict between the protagonist and the antagonist. In this story, that moment arrives when...
The Open Window
Describe Mr. Nuttel's character from "The Open Window" by Saki.
In Saki's short story "The Open Window," Mr. Nuttel is depicted as a neurotic, gullible man who is easily excited and falls for Vera's ingenious prank. Mr. Nuttel suffers from a severe nervous...
The Open Window
Write a detailed character sketch of Mr. Framton Nuttel.
Mr. Framton Nuttel is a nervous type fellow. He is suffering from a nervous ailment. That is what brings him to the area he is visiting. He is trying to get some rest and relaxation. His sister...
The Open Window
Why does Vera tell Mr. Nuttel the story about the hunters’ deaths in "The Open Window"?
Having noted Nuttel's discomfiture and ascertained his unfamiliarity with the people in the area, the obviously precocious and mischievous Vera tells Framton Nuttel the fabricated story of the...
The Open Window
What was the doctor's recommendation to Framton in "The Open Window"?
In Saki's short story "The Open Window," the neurotic Framton Nuttel takes a "rural retreat" to calm his nerves and arrives at the home of the Sappletons, where he meets Mrs. Sappleton's...
The Open Window
Why is Vera referred to as "a very self-possessed young lady" in "The Open Window"?
Saki emphasizes that Vera is "self-possessed." "My aunt will be down presently, Mr. Nuttel," said a very self-possessed young lady of fifteen; "in the meantime you must try and put up with me."...
The Open Window
What are the characteristics of Vera in "The Open Window"?
A chief characteristic of Vera—and the one that drives the story—is malice, which is the trait of doing evil for pleasure. Vera tells elaborate lies for the sense of enjoyment it gives her. This...
The Open Window
Imagine that you are Mr. Framton Nuttel in "The Open Window." You have realized that you have been fooled by a little...
Framton Nuttel is a flat character; his function in the story is to react to, and be fooled by, Vera’s elaborate inventions. The keynotes of his personality are nervousness and gullibility. He is...
The Open Window
What are words to describe Vera in "The Open Window"?
The author describes Vera as being self-possessed. This would be about the same as being poised, relaxed, self-assured, self-confident, and sophisticated. The author emphasizes these qualities to...
The Open Window
Why does Vera ask Mr. Nuttel what he knows about her aunt and family?
After Framton Nuttel arrives at the Sappleton home, Vera asks him several questions to gauge whether or not he is familiar with her aunt, her family, or the community. Vera is described as a...
The Open Window
Why does Framton run out of the house in the story "The Open Window" by Saki?
In plotting his ghost story, Saki showed his remarkable talent for details. The three men who appear at the end of the tale did not simply go out for a stroll. They were all hunters, which meant...
The Open Window
What is the point of view in "The Open Window" and does it change?
This story is told from a third-person limited omniscient point of view. This means that the narrator knows the thoughts and feelings of one character and can report them to us. Often this...
The Open Window
What is the purpose of "The Open Window"?
Saki's purpose for writing "The Open Window" was to entertain readers. This is a humorous story that doesn't end as expected. When Vera engages with Framton Nuttel, she masterfully generates an...
The Open Window
What reason did Vera give for keeping the window open?
Vera knows full well that her uncle and his brothers-in-law have gone off on a hunting expedition and that they'll be back at any moment. This gives her the opportunity to play a wicked prank on...
The Open Window
Who are the protagonist and antagonist in "The Open Window"? Which one is dynamic?
The protagonist of the short story "The Open Window" is Framton Nuttel. Framton is a man who visits the Sappleton family in the country in order to get some rest, as he suffers from a nervous...
The Open Window
The Open Window Theme
Under the broader theme of appearance versus reality, the story treats the theme of human gullibility. What is remarkable about the story is the ease with which both Mr. Nuttel (the nut) and the...
The Open Window
In Saki's "The Open Window," what reason did Mrs. Sappleton give for keeping the window open?
The reason why Mrs. Sappleton keeps her window open is because her husband and her brothers go hunting quite a lot (shooting). That particular day, the shooting party had been out in the marshes...
The Open Window
Identify some symbols in "The Open Window" and explain them.
In the story, the open window is symbolic, it is at the heart of the tall tale that Vera tells Framton Nuttel. She leads him to believe that the open window is a memorial, left open to honor her...
The Open Window
How is Vera an actress and a storyteller?
Mrs. Sappleton's fifteen-year-old niece Vera is depicted as a clever, intelligent girl with an affinity for "Romance at short notice" in Saki's short story "The Open Window." After a brief...
The Open Window
What was the best part of "The Open Window"? How was it?
I think the most clever part of the story is where Mrs.Sappleton finally comes down and begins talking about how she left the window open because he is expecting her husband and brothers to be...
The Open Window
In "The Open Window," why do you think Mr. Nuttel reacts so intensely to the appearance of the three figures?
Framton Nuttel reacts so intensely to the appearance of the three figures approaching the open window because he has been thoroughly convinced by Vera that the three male relatives are all dead....
The Open Window
In "The Open Window," why does Vera have to deceive Mr. Nuttel?
Vera doesn't have to deceive Framton Nuttel, but she does so anyway. She's a fifteen year old girl, and she still has a certain youthful exuberance and sense of fun about her. As we discover in the...
The Open Window
Are there any other reasons why Vera lies in the story besides simply enjoying it?
Vera's behavior in Saki's "The Open Window" suggests that she frequently makes up stories since she does so twice within the tale. When she lies to Framton Nuttel, Vera may be trying to...
The Open Window
Why does Framton leave the house so suddenly?
As Framton is talking to Mrs. Sappleton about his health, she remarks that the men of the household have returned from their shooting expedition just in time for tea. Vera has told Framton that the...
The Open Window
In "The Open Window," what is it about Mrs. Sappleton’s niece that causes Framton additional distress?
Mrs. Sappleton's fifteen-year-old niece, Vera, causes Framton Nuttel additional mental distress by telling him an eerie tale about the tragic deaths of her uncles, who she knows will soon return...
The Open Window
How do irony and humor make "The Open Window" by Saki interesting?
It can be argued that the only humor in "The Open Window" is ironic humor. If one were to analyze Framton Nuttel's escaping flight at the end as humorous, it would be at the expense of (1) ignoring...
The Open Window
What are examples of foreshadowing in "The Open Window" by Saki?
In "The Open Window" by Saki, Vera first provides detailed clues of the men who have gone hunting when she says the following: "Poor dear aunt, she has often told me how they went out, her husband...
The Open Window
What is an example of foreshadowing in "The Open Window" by Saki?
Twice, before she tells Framton the story about Mr. Sappleton and his two brothers-in-law, the narrator describes Vera as "self-possessed." This means that she is confident and able to control her...
The Open Window
What do you find out about Vera at the end of "The Open Window"?
In kind terms, we learn that "Romance was her specialty". In unkind terms, we learn that Vera is a habitual liar. Mr. Framton Nuttel is introduced as a nervous man seeking a calm place to restore...
The Open Window
In "The Open Window" by Saki, how does Vera make the story realistic?
The key to this answer is Saki's ironic last sentence: Romance at short notice was her specialty. Vera, whose name comes from the Latin word for truth, takes the truth and romanticizes it...
The Open Window
In "The Open Window," how do Mrs. Sappleton's comments about the hunters coming back contribute to the plot...
Vera has set Framton Nuttel up to believe that Mrs. Sappleton's husband and her two brothers were killed exactly three years ago when they were sucked into a bog while hunting on the moor. The...
The Open Window
In "The Open Window," what does Vera ask Framton Nuttel to break the silence?
Vera asks Framton Nuttel whether he knows many people in their locality. She asks him this to break the silence that ensues after she welcomes him into her aunt’s house. Moreover, it would appear...
The Open Window
How does Saki develop the characters of Nuttel and Vera in "The Open Window"?
Saki develops the characters of Framton Nuttel and Vera through the use of direct characterization. Direct characterization is when the narrator explicitly describes a character rather than...
The Open Window
In "The Open Window," why is it significant that Framton Nuttel is described as undergoing a "nerve cure"?
In the story, Framton Nuttel is described as undergoing a "nerve cure." This is significant because it highlights Framton's hypochondriac tendencies and foreshadows his later, agitated response to...
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