The Open Window

Vera, whose name ironically means truthful, apparently spins highly imaginative stories for fun, taking advantage of Framton’s lack of familiarity with her family for her enjoyment. She then explains away his apparent lack of etiquette with another colorful tale. Although “The Open Window” is not quite a horror story, its ghostly and surreal elements create a spooky atmosphere before the narrative comes to a humorous conclusion.

The three conflicts in the story create a chaotic mood that allows for moments of humor, horror, and the surreal. A central conflict is man versus self—Framton versus his nerves. This conflict sees no resolution through Framton’s story arc. He begins as a nervous visitor to the countryside made more anxious by interacting with strangers as Edwardian etiquette demands, becomes increasingly agitated by the horror of the tragedy he believes has befallen the home, and eventually succumbs to anxiety, fleeing the house after seeing the “ghosts” returning to the open window.

A second conflict takes place between a person, Vera, and everyone else—person versus person, or people. Vera’s conflict is expressed by her habit of escaping the mundane through her imagination. She uses storytelling for enjoyment and to alter the appearance of reality and gain control over others—something she would otherwise lack. Vera first pits herself against Framton, using his nerves against him by employing her gift for creating dramatic tales. Once she has conquered Framton by causing him to flee, she turns to the remaining adults, once again altering reality through storytelling and creating her version of the truth.

Saki uses elements of the surreal to make the reader question truth. As it slowly becomes clear that all is not as it seems to be, the question becomes what is truth and what is fiction. Vera deceives Frampton and the Sappleton family by weaving narratives that fit the facts they know but are entirely fictitious.

The third conflict is man versus nature, a conflict Saki explores frequently in his works. While the hunting party did not perish in a bog three years earlier, when they return through the window, they are “fairly muddy,” indicating that though it did not kill them, nature left its mark on the men (Paragraph 26). In her second story, a pack of wild dogs hunts Framton into an open grave, holding him hostage “snarling and grinning and foaming just above him” overnight (Paragraph 28). Again, nature does not prevail, but it leaves its mark—this time in the form of nerves. Ironically, the countryside where Vera weaves stories about nature’s danger is both peaceful and restful. Her storytelling makes the mood dark and treacherous despite the serene physical setting. The men are alive, but Vera’s stories of tragedy highlight nature’s potential impact on humankind. Even when nature is overcome by man in the story, its dark power and possibility linger.

Vera’s storytelling, in addition to allowing her to escape from her position in society, provides a method of control uncommon for young women of the period. During the era, a 15-year-old girl would not participate in adult conversation, because entrance into “society” did not occur until around age 18. Even when she is introduced into society, Vera’s role will be that of the good hostess. Women had few rights, did not receive a formal education, and were often treated as ornaments. Vera, desiring control over her life and future, appears as a rebellious figure. While she has likely been trained to maintain appearances, she uses that training to construct and control them instead.

Losing control or having chaotic situations unfold, especially in front of a visitor, would have been considered a major faux pas, so maintaining the appearance that all was well was of utmost importance. Saki uses the character of a girl not yet introduced into society to subvert that ability and display the absurdity of the Edwardian period’s insistence on maintaining social niceties. He portrays what little control is possessed by those who believe they have it.

Vera represents a generation and class that fought to expand the gender and class norms that kept lower classes and women confined to limited roles. The Edwardian era was filled with those who fought for change by thinking about new possibilities. The open window in the story represents endless possibilities. For Vera, imagination frees her from the constructs placed upon her. Figuratively, it also represents the possibilities open to those who seize control of their destinies rather than allowing themselves to be controlled by the current narrative.

Saki’s story utilizes surreal elements and clever plotting to create a satirical, humorous version of the horror story with an ironic plot twist that might encourage readers to start from the beginning and seek the clues or foreshadowing they missed. The creative use of frame and embedded narratives allows the reader to be swept along by Vera’s prank just as Framton is. The thin line between appearance and reality reveals how simple it is to control the narrative people believe and alter the truth they see, while Vera simply enjoys her escape from dull reality.