“The Open Window” by H H Munro (Saki), a clash of two generations?

 

 “The Open Window” by Saki (H. H. Munro) is often read as a satire on the shortcoming of the writer’s Edwardian society. In the story, Saki privileges a clash between a fifteen-year-old female and several adults. However, they cannot be taken as representative characters or that their actions were results of their intelligence or the lack of it. In addition, the story touches several other clashes such as appearance vs. reality, truth vs. deception, sanity vs. insanity and insider vs. outsider that transcend clashes between generations.  

Looking at the two characters Vera and Framton Nuttel, we cannot conclude that they are representatives of two generations. It is not possible to conclude that Saki meant for the reader to think that all children were imaginative, bold and amoral as there are no other young people of Vera’s age in the story for the reader to compare and contrast with. In fact, if the reader is to consider the depiction of children in general in Saki’s stories, only the protagonist has exceptional intellectual capacities (Nicholas in “The Lumber Room”). Framton Nuttle, his sister, Mr. and Mrs. Sappleton and her brothers are the adults in the story. While the reader does not get a chance to evaluate the intellectual capacity of Nuttle’s sister, all the other characters fall for Vera’s story. The reason for this belief can be gullibility or the desire to believe that children are incapable of guile. Philosopher’s like Rousseau promoted the idea that children were guileless. 

The story illustrates a clash between a precautions girl and several adults. Whether, they can be taken as representatives of two generations is highly problematic. However, the clash is not limited to a clash between adults and children. The story touches much wider themes such as the difference between appearance and reality, truth and deception, sanity and insanity and insider and outsider. Vera appears to be a guileless young woman entertaining a visitor; the reality is she is an amoral individual who enjoys discomfiting a total stranger for no apparent reason.  Also, the story is about truth and deception: Vera manipulates and reconstructs the reality of the open window to mislead her aunt’s guest. In the end, Nuttle believes the construct of the open window. The perceived reality of the open window frightens him. Vera uses the same technique in giving her aunt the reason for Nuttle running away: instead of telling her that she had scared him into running away she tell her that it was the sound of the dogs that had made him run away.

The story also illustrates a clash between sanity and insanity. Framton Nuttle comes to Vera’s village for a nerve cure. Even the name suggests that he might not be mentally sound: the term “nut” is used colloquially to indicate insanity. However, it is Vera who lies and frightens a guest to her house without a reason. Her actions are amoral and sadistic which indicates that she, not Nuttle, may not be altogether sane.  Finally, the story also deals with a clash between an insider and an outsider. Vera is the insider while both Nuttle and Mrs. Sappleton were outsiders. She uses her insider status to mislead both adults.

In conclusion, “The Open Window” is a clash. However, it is not just about two generations – it is also about appearance and reality, truth and deception, sanity and insanity, and the insider and the outsider. In reading the story as a clash between two generations, it is unwise to read Vera as a representative character of a particular generation. She is an exception, not the norm. She is precautions; however, that does not make the adults in the story stupid for they “fall” for her story only because they seem to abide by the social agreement that children spoke the truth and that people in general spoke the truth.