Skip to main content

What are examples of foreshadowing in "The Open Window" by Saki?

In Saki's "The Open Window," there is foreshadowing—defined as clues that suggest events that have yet to occur—soon after Vera enters the room where Framton Nuttel awaits her aunt. Nuttel is unsure if such a visit with a stranger will do much for a nerve cure for him. When she asks Framton Nuttel if he knows the people from the area and if he knows much about her aunt, Nuttel answers "Hardly a soul."

At the time that Vera, "the very self-possessed young lady of fifteen," asks Nuttel if he knows anyone from the area and if he is acquainted with her aunt, Mrs. Stappleton, she wants to determine to what lengths her "[R]omance at short notice" can go. Therefore, after Nuttel replies that he knows almost no one in the area, Vera realizes that she can give full rein to her imagination and take advantage of the nervous little man across from her. Cleverly, she proceeds to weave a tale that has some veracity mixed in with fictitious tragic events.


Knowing that Mr. Stappleton and his wife's brothers will soon return from their outing, Vera tells Nuttel that he has arrived, coincidentally, on the "tragic anniversary" of the disappearance of Mr. Stappleton and Mrs. Stappleton's two young brothers, who went hunting but never returned. She weaves a horrific tale of their apparent deaths that Mrs. Stappleton is unable to accept. Instead, Vera claims Mrs. Stappleton continues to hope they will return. Using this backstory, Vera devises an explanation for why the window is open: "each evening the window is kept open until dusk" in the hope that the men will return through it.


As she expresses her pity for her "poor, dear aunt," Vera tells Nuttel that her aunt often relates how Ronnie, her youngest brother would sing, "Bertie, why do you bound?" She adds,



I almost get a creepy feeling that they will walk in through that window—



and then stops abruptly as Mrs. Stappleton finally enters the room. As Nuttel explains why he has come, Vera's aunt stifles a yawn. Then, she abruptly interrupts, "Here, they are at last!" adding that "they" are just in time for tea. When a voice chants, "I said Bertie, why do bound?" Vera feigns a "dazed horror" and a terrified Framton Nuttel rushes out of the house.

Popular posts from this blog

In chapter one of The Great Gatsby, what advice does Nick's father give him? How does this make him a good person to tell this story?

Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches... Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches into a discussion of how pe...

How did the United States become an imperial power?

"Imperial power" is a bit of a vague label. It tends to mean several things at once, so let's unpack it. In the sense of "this country was built on conquest by force," the "imperial power" part of America actually predates the United States proper. The territories that would become the United States were imperial colonies, established by the great European empires of the 17th and 18th centuries. Much of the US Constitution and American governance generally goes back to England, history's largest and most successful imperial power, but vital aspects of American culture come from other imperial powers, such as France and Spain. Much of American culture comes from sources other than the old empires, but they were key influences on what the United States became. In the sense of "this country treats conquest by force as a fundamental component of its culture, economy and politics," the United States has always been an imperial power. Even earl...

How and why does James Gatz become Jay Gatsby? Describe the young Gatsby/Gatz.

James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune,... James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune, whereas they arose from well-to-do families. Gatz became Gatsby through determination and discipline. At the end of the novel, the narr...