The Open Window

“Framton wondered whether Mrs. Sappleton, the lady to whom he was presenting one of the letters of introduction came into the nice division.”

According to the rules of Edwardian society, letters of introduction allowed visitors to call on strangers connected only by a common acquaintance. Saki highlights the absurdity of this custom when he indicates that not only is Framton unfamiliar with his hostess, but so is his sister, who provided the letter of introduction—so much so that he cannot be sure whether she is known to be a kind woman who will be receptive to his visit.

“‘Do you know many people round here?’ asked the niece, when she judged that they had had sufficient silent communion.”

By mentioning the “sufficient silent communion,” Saki again highlights the absurdity of Edwardian etiquette. A proper hostess would not allow the conversation to lapse uncomfortably while a child of Vera’s age would likely not be welcome to initiate a conversation with strangers, especially without a proper introduction. Additionally, Vera’s pointed question foreshadows that she is attempting to uncover what her unwitting victim knows of the family so she can create a convincing story.

“Poor dear aunt, she has often told me how they went out, her husband with his white waterproof coat over his arm, and Ronnie, her youngest brother, singing ‘Bertie, why do you bound?’ as he always did to tease her, because she said it got on her nerves.”

The description provided in this sentence adds validity to the story that Vera weaves. Because she provides such specific detail as the coat her uncle carries and the song Ronnie sings, when the men make their return, appearance and reality are blurred for Framton. He believes, because of her accurate description, that he is seeing ghosts when the men are just returning from their day’s hunt.

“It was a relief to Framton when the aunt bustled into the room with a whirl of apologies for being late in making her appearance.”

Despite hearing Vera’s horrific story about her aunt, Framton is initially relieved by her entrance, indicating that some part of him felt like what he heard was no more than a story. Her “whirling” and “bustling” into the room characterize her as a busy, no-nonsense woman. However, her delay indicates that she has fallen short of the Edwardian hostess standard. Based on Vera’s story, she is the antithesis of what is expected. Rather than grief-stricken and trapped in mourning, she is fast-paced and lively.

“‘I hope Vera has been amusing you?’ she said.”

The diction used in this sentence includes verbal irony and foreshadowing. This is the first sentence where the niece is named, and her given name means truth. However, Mrs. Sappleton’s diction in using the word “amusing” tells us something about her expectations for her niece’s behavior. The word amusing connotes an idea of entertaining by way of humor or trick. This indicates that her aunt knows her to be a trickster. Therefore, anything Vera says should be examined through the lens of one who tries to entertain.

“‘I hope you don’t mind the open window,’ said Mrs. Sappleton briskly; ‘my husband and brothers will be home directly from shooting, and they always come in this way. They’ve been out for snipe in the marshes today, so they’ll make a fine mess over my poor carpets.’”

Mrs. Sappleton’s explanation for the open window is more concise than Vera’s. There is no sentimentality, which would be expected if Vera’s account is true. Instead, she speaks briskly and comments on the cleanliness of her carpets. For Framton, a member of the Edwardian upper class, the mention of the carpets is either horrifically insensitive on the anniversary of the death of the men or a sign that grief has made Mrs. Sappleton insane. He does not realize that her version of events is far more believable than Vera’s.

“He was conscious that his hostess was giving him only a fragment of her attention, and her eyes were constantly straying past him to the open window and the lawn beyond.”

All of Mrs. Sappleton’s actions confirm Vera’s story in Framton’s mind. Because Saki employed frame and embedded narratives, he can present information from multiple perspectives that the reader must sift through. Here, Mrs. Sappleton is simply looking through the open window to see what is to be expected, but Framton believes what she is looking for is impossible, making the eventual appearance of the men unexpected.

“‘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 labored under the tolerably widespread delusion that total strangers and chance acquaintances are hungry for the least detail of one’s ailments and infirmities, their cause and cure.”

The sentence serves to characterize Framton and satirize Edwardian etiquette. Framton’s sudden interjection of his infirmities into the conversation adds to his characterization as nervous or anxious because the abruptness connotes jumpy, frantic thinking. He likely made his announcement hoping to cause Mrs. Sappleton to stop talking about the hunting party that Framton presumes dead. At the same time, Saki’s description of “the tolerably widespread delusion” regarding the sharing of infirmities states how he feels about the societal standard of sharing information as boring as one’s ailments. He also indicates that the consumers of such information are “hungry,” which insinuates that he sees the Edwardian upper class as likely to gossip about it later. Saki’s diction indicates his displeasure at such company.

“‘No?’ said Mrs. Sappleton, in a voice which only replaced a yawn at the last moment.”

Again, Saki satirizes Edwardian etiquette. Here, his hostess—who must feign interest in all her guest discusses to be considered good in her station—can barely contain her boredom at playing the role that she must to remain in good social standing. The custom of letters of introduction brings together people who might otherwise have no interest in each other.

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

Vera is referred to as “the child” here, a name that begins to occur in the story when she deceives Framton. It alerts readers to the fact that she is playing a game. Additionally, her glance toward the open window evokes the window’s symbolism of her vast and expansive imagination, which she utilizes to create horror stories.

“In the deepening twilight three figures were walking across the lawn towards the window, they all carried guns under their arms, and one of them was additionally burdened with a white coat hung over his shoulders.”

Saki’s diction creates an eerie mood as he describes the returning hunting party as if they were ghostly specters rather than men. The “figures” approach in “deepening twilight.” The time of day is associated with the supernatural through coming darkness or evil, and describing the men as “figures” makes them seem incorporeal. Additionally, the presence of “white,” while sometimes symbolic of purity, here symbolizes something cold and distant, like the ghost of a man who died three years prior. Saki utilizes these descriptive elements along with his unreliable narrator to make Vera’s story seem believable.

“‘A most extraordinary man, a Mr. Nuttel,’ said Mrs. Sappleton; ‘could only talk about his illnesses, and dashed off without a word of goodby or apology when you arrived. One would think he had seen a ghost.’”

Mrs. Sappleton’s description of Frampton displays the lack of connection in the appearance-driven community of the Edwardian upper class. Her lack of interest in Frampton is put on display—an improper thing for a hostess to allow—even as she seemingly admonishes his improper exit from the home. She also, without meaning to do so, states the reason Framton fled so suddenly, which is an example of both verbal and dramatic irony.

“‘I expect it was the spaniel,’ said the niece calmly; ‘he told me he had a horror of dogs. He was once hunted into a cemetery somewhere on the banks of the Ganges by a pack of pariah dogs, and had to spend the night in a newly dug grave with the creatures snarling and grinning and foaming just above him. Enough to make anyone lose their nerve.’”

As the niece creates a new story to explain away the effects of her first, she describes a scene related to the one that just occurred. In the second embedded story, the dogs hunting Framton symbolize Vera. Like the dogs, she trapped him in a state of terror that worsened the nervous condition he already experienced.