What is a character trait of Mr. Framton Nuttel in "The Open Window"?

Mr. Framton Nuttel displays three main character traits: self-centeredness, gullibility, and fearfulness.

In terms of self-centeredness, he expresses with “distinct regret” that his sister had provided him with a way to meet some of the locals. This implies that he considers himself superior to others. Later, when Mrs. Sappleton makes her appearance, he swiftly changes the subject, telling her about his health and what the doctor has ordered. While he has good reason, thanks to Vera’s tall story, to not want to listen to Mrs. Sappleton talk about her husband and brothers’ return, he is abrupt and almost rude in the way in which he changes the subject. He assumes that Mrs. Sappleton will be interested in hearing about his health woes, even though she is clearly thinking about her husband’s imminent return.

Mr. Framton Nuttel displays his gullibility when he sees the men and dog returning from the marshes and approaching the window. Instead of thinking logically and realizing that young Vera had been having a good laugh at his expense, he assumes that what he is seeing is an apparition of a group of men and a dog returned from the dead.

Framton’s fear is palpable, and he is so fearful that he nearly causes a collision with a cyclist in the road as he hotfoots it out of there. A reasonable person would have realized quickly that a prank was underway, but Framton responds with extreme fear, to the point that he is unable to think clearly.

Mr. Nuttel is nervous, self-centered, and gullible. A nervous disorder has sent him on a sojourn to the country to take a rest cure. His sister has packed him off to stay with her distant friends.

Mr. Nuttel considers only what he thinks of other people but does not reflect at all on how other people might perceive him. He assumes, for example, that because he is minutely interested in his health problems, others will be, too, even if they have just met him. His hostess, Mrs. Sappleton, has to suppress a yawn when he starts going on about his doctor's advice.

Mr. Nuttel, in the same manner, thinks only about the effect of his visits on himself. He never stops to consider that his sister may be doing anything she can to get rid of him or that he might be burden to the people he imposes on to visit.

Mr. Nuttel's self-absorption leads to his gullibility. It simply never occurs to him that Vera might want to be rid of him and might have hit on an ingenious scheme to do so by lying to him blatantly to get him to flee the house in fear, ridding the household of a problem.

In "The Open Window," Framton Nuttel can be considered somewhat self-absorbed. Framton, on the advice of his doctors, is seeking peace and quiet to calm his fragile nerves. His sister provides him with letters of introduction, one of which he plans to give to Mrs. Sappleton. During his conversation with Mrs. Sappleton, he seems anxious to change the topic of conversation back to himself, as he finds her topic "ghastly." Framton proceeds to share his medical concerns with her and notices that she seems focused on other matters.

Framton can also be considered a nervous fellow. The reader learns early in the story that he seems to have fragile nerves for which he is seeking a calming environment. He is uncomfortable meeting strangers and even questions whether he can say the "correct something" that he should say to Vera. Believing Vera's story about her aunt's "tragedy," Framton flees the house when he sees the figures approaching the open window.

The character trait that best describes Framton Nuttel is neurotic. In the second paragraph the author writes:

Privately he doubted more than ever whether these formal visits on a succession of total strangers would do much towards helping the nerve cure which he was supposed to be undergoing.

Saki intentionally contrasts him with the girl playing hostess by describing her as

. . . a very self-possessed young lady of fifteen

Her self-possession makes Framton seem all the more nervous, while his nervousness makes her seem all the more self-possessed.

Then when Mrs. Sappleton appears, Framton explains in one paragraph what his problem is. This is all the information the reader will get about his condition and virtually all that the reader will get about his character.

"The doctors agree in ordering me complete rest, an absence of mental excitement, and avoidance of anything in the nature of violent physical exercise," announced Framton, who laboured under the tolerably wide-spread delusion that total strangers and chance acquaintances are hungry for the least detail of one's ailments and infirmities, their cause and cure. "On the matter of diet they are not so much in agreement," he continued.

Framton seems to have enough money to be able to consult several doctors on a regular basis and to take time off from whatever work he does, if any, in order to spend time vegetating in the country. Saki created this character to be the perfect victim for the mischievous young Vera. Framton is going to experience just the opposite of what the doctors have advised him to do. He will probably not have "complete rest" for a long time after his encounter with the supernatural. He will get plenty of "mental excitement" when the three "ghosts" appear heading towards the open window carrying guns. He will also get a great deal of "violent physical exercise" when he flees.

Framton grabbed wildly at his stick and hat; the hall-door, the gravel-drive, and the front gate were dimly-noted stages in his headlong retreat. A cyclist coming along the road had to run into the hedge to avoid an imminent collision.

The sentence about the cyclist coming down the road creates an impression of Framton running for his life for several miles back along the country road. He would have no means of transportation except his own legs, especially with night coming on. Perhaps the frightening experience and the violent exercise would be good for him. For one thing, he might realize after running for several miles that he actually felt better than he had in years, and he might begin to suspect that the doctors were all wrong.

In that case, Vera might have been doing him a favor by concocting her ghost story. Franton might very likely make some inquiries about the Sappletons and find out that he had been the victim of an elaborate practical joke. In that case, he might be able to laugh at himself, which would be a good way to cure his neurosis.

Saki himself seems to have been a vigorous, self-reliant person. He fought in the trenches during World War I, even though he was in his early forties and not subject to conscription. He probably had little sympathy for neurotic, dependent men like Framton Nuttle or for the doctors who all had different theories about how to diagnose and prescribe for them.

Describe the character of Mr. Framton Nuttel in "The Open Window".

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 leaves names and addresses for him to call upon for company.

Nuttel makes a call upon Mrs. Sappleton:

Mr. Framton Nuttel suffers from an undisclosed nervous ailment and comes to the country in hope that its atmosphere will be conducive to a cure. He brings a letter of introduction to Mrs. Sappleton in order to make her acquaintance for his stay in her village.

While he is waiting for her to come down to meet him, Mrs. Sappleton's niece tells Nuttel a tall tale. She tells Nuttel that Mrs. Sappleton is awaiting her dead husband and brother to walk though the open window at any minute. Already the nervous type, he has a nervous breakdown when he sees the long lost husband and brother of Mrs. Sappleton coming toward the open window.

Clearly, the niece Vera suspects that Nuttel is on edge and she plays a trick on his already tense, nervous condition. Nuttel falls for Vera's tall tale:

He believes her story, that the window remains open in hopes that Mrs. Sappleton's husband and brother, who the niece says are long dead, will one day return.

When Nuttel looks out the open window, he sees two gentlemen coming toward the house. He believes he is seeing the ghosts of Mrs. Sappleton's husband and brother coming toward the open window. He has a nervous breakdown. He rushes from the house in a state of panic:

Later, when Nuttel looks out the window and sees figures approaching who match the descriptions of the long-dead hunters in the niece's story, he suffers a mental breakdown and flees the house.

No doubt, Nuttel leaves Mrs. Sappleton's house in worse condition than when he arrived. He flees in an effort to avoid interaction with the ghosts of Mrs. Sappleton's husband and brother. Vera plays a terrible trick on Nuttel. He falls apart at the thoughts of seeing what he believes to be the ghosts of Mrs. Sappleton's husband and brother:

It is this story, of the death of some relatives who went hunting long ago, that eventually causes Framton Nuttel's breakdown.

In "The Open Window" by Saki, what details about Framton are given in the second and third paragraph?

The first, second and third paragraphs of "The Open Window" by Saki comprise the exposition to this delightful story.  Framton Nuttel is a man sent to the countryside by his sister, accompanied with letters of introduction.  There he is to get some much needed rest and fresh air as "a nerve cure."  Confronted upon his arrival at the home of strangers by a "very self-possessed young lady of fifteen," Nuttel is rather ill at ease as he tries to "duly flatter" her without "unduly discounting the aunt that was to come."  He wonders how Mrs. Stappleton will be, hoping that she will be nice.  Clearly, Framton Nuttel is a nervous and rather insecure man.

As well as the physical description, thoughts, and words of personages in narratives, the names of these characters often figure into their characterization.  In Saki's story, the name Framton Nuttel certainly suggests the nervous and fragile disposition of the main character. 

What is the indirect characterization of Framton Nuttel in "The Open Window" by Saki?

First, one needs a definition of indirect characterization.  This is the kind of characterization inferred from the way other characters act in the story towards a specific person.  The author gives some direct characterization at the beginning of the story, when he states that Mr. Nutell is at the manor for a rest cure.  

 Even in indirect characterization, one gets an idea that Mr. Nuttel is quite high-strung.  Early in the story he receives letters of introduction "so that he will not mope."  Also, Vera waits until they have "silent communion"; one gets an idea that something is going to happen to Mr. Nuttel at that point.  Vera then goes on to tell Mr. Nutell this tragic story about three men going shooting in the marsh, and the poor man believes it entirely.  Vera even leads him to believe it further when she calls his attention to the open window.  

We learn much about Mr. Nuttel in an indirect way in the third paragraph from what his sister has to say. She fears that he will "bury" himself "down there" and not speak to anyone. He accepts her negativity without protest. She offers to give him letters of introduction because she feel he is to shy to introduce himself.

It is a good bet that the niece has been told something of Mr. Nuttel's condition because from the start, she tries to feel him out with questions like "Then you know practically nothing about my aunt?" Each answer that he gives her allows her to prey on his weakness. 

What does Mr. Framton Nuttel's name signify in "The Open Window"?

While a literal meaning for the selection of the name is not something Saki ever explains in detail, the reader can make several connections, drawn by a combination of a play on sounds, words, and traits that help further distinguish the Framton Nuttel's character traits.

First, we must note that there is no physical description of Framton, except that he suffers from a nervous condition that renders him awkward and unable to conduct himself with the social decorum expected by one who is going to ask for an act of kindness from a stranger. He is odd from the very start, when he "endeavoured to say the correct something which would flatter the niece of the moment without discounting the aunt that was to come."

Based on just that, we can say that the man is frazzled enough to go on a frenzy at any moment. We could assume that words such as frenzied, frazzled, and frumpy are backdrops to the name "Frampton."

As far as the last name "Nuttel" goes, it is generally accepted that Saki uses the root "nut" in the form of an adjective that may help describe Framton as someone "nutty," or about to go crazy. 

The etymology of the word "crazy" dates back to 1846, 24 years before Saki's birth in 1870. The the earlier version of the word was the 1785 word "nutt," as in the phrase "to be nutts upon," which meant "to be fond of" something. The phrase to be "off one's nut" (head) itself dates back to 1846, so Saki was amply exposed to that terminology prior to the start of his writing career. 

Conclusively, Framton Nuttel's strange name is meant to label him as a strange man. Whether the name Frampton is allusive to the man's frazzled state of mind, the last name "Nuttel" is more than likely used on purpose to definitely describe Framton as a true "nutcase."

Who greets Framton Nuttel in Saki's "The Open Window"?

In plotting his story, Saki must have given lengthy consideration to the questions of who would greet Framton and what that character would tell him. Framton probably expects to be greeted by Mrs. Sappleton, but there was no way that Saki could get this lady to tell a wild ghost story. It seems plausible that Mrs. Sappleton would send her adolescent niece down to get a little experience playing hostess, and it also seems plausible that Vera would resent being employed in that role. Vera is young and mischievous. She doesn't want to be turned into another hothouse flower like Mrs. Sappleton. Vera knows she is being prepared for a dreary future in which she will become a country housewife who has little to do but make small talk and serve tea. Saki characterizes Mrs. Sappleton brilliantly in one sentence:

"No?" said Mrs. Sappleton, in a voice which only replaced a yawn at the last moment.

No doubt the aunt has had to suppress many yawns over the years.

Vera knows that Framton doesn't have to be greeted the moment he arrives. He could be left to sit there for the few minutes it takes her aunt to arrange her hair and powder her nose. As as fictional character, Vera is a good creation. She makes an excellent contrast to Framton, so that it is easy for the reader to picture the two of them and even to imagine the sounds of their voices. Framton is a nervous wreck, Vera is consistently described as cool and self-possessed. Sakl actually uses the term "self-possessed" three times in describing her; this is to prepare the reader, as well as Framton, for the change when the precocious girl pretends to be amazed and terrified by the arrival of the three hunters outside.

The child was staring out through the open window with dazed horror in her eyes.

Vera is young, Framton is middle-aged. She is a female, he is a male. He is nervous, she is relaxed. We can imagine her half-reclining on the sofa, while we can imagine the visitor, dressed in tight-fitting formal London attire, perched on the edge of his chair.

The reader doesn't actually realize that Framton has been taken in by Vera's ghost story until almost the very end of the story when Mr. Sappleton enters.

"Here we are, my dear," said the bearer of the white mackintosh, coming in through the window; "fairly muddy, but most of it's dry. Who was that who bolted out as we came up?"

Frampton Nuttel is the protagonist of Saki's short story "The Open Window." In this story, Frampton is traveling in order to find a quiet repose (one which will help calm his nerves). The opening line of the story defines the person Frampton first meets as he arrives at Mrs. Sappleton's home. 

The niece of Mrs. Sappleton is the first person Frampton meets. Readers are left uninformed about the name of the niece until Mrs. Sappleton enters the room, well into the story. Vera is the niece of Mrs. Sappleton who first meets Frampton, invites him into the house, and weaves a tale of utter horror. 

In the end, readers come to find out that Vera is not a very friendly young girl. Instead, she proves to be quite the trickster. 

How is Framton described in "The Open Window?"

The character of Framton Nuttel is characterized, directly and indirectly, as a man who was frazzled by a nervous condition from which he has not entirely recovered. 

He doubted more than ever whether these formal visits ... would do much towards helping the nerve cure which he was supposed to be undergoing.

Saki futher characterizes Nuttel indirectly by having him explain to Mrs. Sappleton the conditions under which he is visiting the country. This puts him in a position where he seems even weaker; he depends entirely upon the mercy, hospitality, kindness, and patience of others. After all, it was his sister who sent him off on this venture in the first place, hoping that he would quit his nervous "moping" condition.

The doctors agree in ordering me complete rest, an absence of mental excitement, and avoidance of anything in the nature of violent physical exercise

Additionally, you can add that Framton is impressionable, easily scared, and willing to believe in anything. He obviously was less self-possessed than Vera and, as a result, he was entirely at her mercy. 

Why did Saki name the visitor Framton Nuttel in "The Open Window"?

Framton Nuttel certainly is an unusual name. It helps to characterize the visitor as an odd and eccentric man. The last name of Nuttel must suggest to most readers that the visitor is a little bit nutty, just as Aunt Sappleton's last name suggests the woman is a bit of a sap. Saki may have had another reason for giving the visitor such an unusual name. Authors often have problems choosing names for their characters. If they choose a common name, such as "Bob Wilson," a number of male readers who happen to have that name (or people who know a "Bob Wilson") might think the author is writing about them! This is not important if the character is fairly innocuous. Framton Nuttel is not innocuous, though; he is depicted as an object of ridicule, so Saki probably gave extra thought to Nuttel's name and came up with a name that would keep Nuttel from being mistaken for any man in the general population.

As another example, Vladimir Nabokov created an outrageous character in his novel Lolita. Nabokov didn't want any living man to be offended, so he chose Humbet Humbert, a name that seems as weird as the protagonist and would be impossible to find duplicated in any phone book.

Who encourages Framton to journey in "The Open Window"?

The character of Frampton Nuttel in Roald Dahl's short story "The Open Window" is a man suffering from an apparent case of a nervous breakdown for which he makes the trip to the country side in aims of getting what the text calls "the nerve cure".

This visit is orchestrated by Nuttel's sister, who insists that if her brother remains in the current state that he is in, his condition will get worse. Hence, it is she who contacts the country relatives and even sends recommendations for him to take with him as assurance of his "good company" as they would say in those days.

"My sister was staying here, at the rectory, you know, some four years ago, and she gave me letters of introduction to some of the people here"

Therefore, Frampton's sister had already been a guest at the household of the Sappleton's and, for this reason, her word would have been considered as honorable in terms of her suggestion that they take her brother in for a prolonged period of time.