<u>Background:</u>
In the story <u>‘The Open Window’ </u>by <u>H. H. Munro (Saki)</u>, Mrs. Sappleton’s niece Vera, in the absence of the former constructs a fictitious story about her husband and her brothers, describing in detail their clothing and habits, and tells him that they went for shooting three years ago on that day, and were swallowed up by the treacherous bog. She also tells him that her aunt always kept the window in the room open in the tragic hopes that they’d come back through it, along with the brown spaniel who went with them. Mrs. Sappleton is unaware of the story that Vera had told Mr Nuttel.
<u>Explanation:</u>
The dramatic irony of the situation where the reader knows both the perspective of Mrs. Sappleton and that of Mr. Nuttel while they themselves were ignorant of the other’s perspective is what makes the interaction between them humourous.
The apparently delusional quality that Mr. Nuttel must have ascribed to Mrs. Sappleton’s cheerful way of talking about her supposedly dead kin like they were alive also adds humour to their talk.
Mr. Nuttel’s weak nerves were a significant aspect of the comic interaction, because it prevented him from confirming the story from Mrs. Sappleton, or to successfully change the topic that caused him such discomfort. Mrs. Sappleton didn’t pay much attention to Mr. Nuttel while talking and couldn’t understand or ask him about his discomfort, and thought that he could only talk about his illness.
At the end, the difference between their points of view shows them different worlds altogether, and Mr. Nuttel’s sympathy transforms into horror, and he runs out of the house in utter fright.
