The Open Window Summary in English
In the story, Framton Nuttel who is suffering from nervousness goes to a calm and quiet place for his treatment. He calls on a family friend there. He meets a fifteen year old girl, Vera. She is a very calm and confident girl. She tells Framton that her aunt, Mrs. Sappleton will soon come downstairs. He had with him the letters of introduction given to him by his sister. His sister told him that in the countryside, he will meet only a few people. If he feels unhappy there, his condition may deteriorate.
Vera asked him whether he knows many people there. He replied to her that he did not know anybody here. His sister who visited the place four years back gave him letters of introduction to some of the people. He said that he only knew her aunt’s name and address.
Vera told him that about three years ago, her aunt’s husband and two brothers have gone out for shooting. She pointed to a large window that opened in the lawn. She told him that they had all gone out through that window and never returned. The wet spongy ground swallowed them and also their bodies were never recovered.
She further said that Mrs. Sappleton always keeps this window open until it is dark in the hope that they would come back someday. Sometimes, Vera also feels that someday they will come through that window along with their dog as they did before.
In the meantime, Mrs. Sappleton came and apologized for being late. She said that her husband and brothers had gone for shooting birds. She told Nuttel that she had kept the window open for them to enter the house so that they do not spoil the carpet with their muddy shoes.
Nuttel tried to change the topic but she continued talking about shooting and shortage of birds. He realized that her eyes were directed to the window and lawn and was paying only a little attention to him. Suddenly she looked towards the window and cried that they were on time for tea. Framton shivered with fear and turned towards Vera to express sympathy. But she was looking through the window with horror in her eyes.
He swung in his chair and looked towards the window. He saw three figures carrying guns walking across the lawn towards the window. A brown coloured dog was with them. Nuttel hastily came out from there. The man came in through the window and asked Mrs. Sappleton who rushed out of the house. She said that he was Nuttel who talked only about his illness. He ran as if he saw some ghosts.
However, Vera said that he was afraid of dogs as once a group of dogs chased him into a graveyard. He spent a night in a newly dug grave and the dogs started growling all around him.
Comprehension Check (Page 57)
Questions:
Why had Framton Nuttel come to the “rural retreat”?
Why had his sister given him letters of introduction to people living there?
What had happened in the Sappleton family as narrated by the niece?
Answers:
Framton Nuttel was suffering from some nervous disorder and worry. So he decided to spend a few days in some village and relax in peace.
His sister knew that Framton would meet very few people in the countryside. He would feel lonely and bored. His condition could grow worse. So she gave him letters of introduction to all people she knew there. One was addressed to Mrs. Sappleton.
The niece played a practical joke on Sappleton when she came to know that he was a total stranger. She said that her aunt’s husband, two brothers and a dog had gone for hunting through the window three years ago. They never returned. But the aunt was still hoping to see them back through the open window.
Comprehension Check (Page 60)
Questions:
What did Mrs Sappleton say about the open window?
The horror on the girl’s face made Framton swing around in his seat. What did he see?
Answers:
Mrs Sappleton said that her husband and brothers would be entering the house any time. The window was kept open till it was dark. They would enter through the open window
Framton swung around to know the reason for the girl’s horror. Soon he saw three figures coming towards the window.
Comprehension Check (Page 61)
Questions:
Why did Framton rush out wildly?
What was the girl’s explanation for his lightning exit?
Answers:
The niece had told Nuttel that her aunt’s husband and brothers had been missing, for three years. When Framton saw them coming, he thought they were ghosts. So he rushed out wildly in fear.
The girl explained that Framton had a bitter experience of the dogs. So he made a sudden exit on seeing the dog.
Exercise (Page 61)
Discuss in Small group
Question 1:
Is this a mystery story? Give a reason for your answer.
Answer:
The open window is not truly a mystery story. It shows the fertile imagination of a young girl. She plays a practical joke on Framton and tells a cooked up story. Poor Framton falls a prey to her prank and runs out of the house hurriedly.
Question 2:
You are familiar with the ‘irony’ of the situation in a story. (Remember the cop and the Anthem in Class VII Supplementary Reader!) Which situations in The Open Window’ are good examples of the use of irony?
Answer:
“Irony’ refers to the contrast between what is intended or expected and what actually occurs. The open window has irony of situation. Poor Framton goes to countryside for rest and relief from his nervousness. But Mrs Sappleton’s niece plays such a joke that he suddenly rushes out. He mistakes Mrs sappleton’s husband and brother as their ghosts.
Question 3:
Which phrases/sentences in the text do you find difficult to understand? Select a few and guess the meaning of each. Rewrite a simple paraphrase of each.
Answer:
Came into the nice division – The category of nice people.
Masculine habitation. – The room seemed to suggest that there lived some male persons there.
“Bertie, why do you bound? – Bound means ‘jump’. But here it means a person whose behaviour is unpleasant to other people.
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