Question

How does characterization drives the story in The Open Window

Answer 1

Basically, there's the character of a young person with a creative imagination and a gift for narrative.  Then there's the character of an adult, a stranger in the home of this young person, who's a fairly nervous character and has actually suffered an illness because of this nervousness. To assist recuperation from this illness our stranger is meeting new people with the aim, apparently, of gaining improved self-confidence.  And then there's the bright young person's aunt, who the stranger has come to meet, about whose character we learn little except that she, like the stranger, is extremely self-absorbed, both of them giving their attention almost completely to their own thoughts.  The other characters are simply props, providing essential illustration.  The main characterizations driving the story are those of the youngster and the stranger; however the aunt's character is vital - or pivotal, if you prefer - to the tale because without her presence in the manner in which she's portrayed, there'd be no story to tell.  Like all Munro's work, the characterizations are strong and acutely perceived; with his wit and his sense of fun they make his short stories, in particular, rewarding entertainment.

Not my work.