Have you ever wondered how certain people can come up with lies as if they grabbed them out of thin air? H. H. Munro's short story, "The Open Window" indeed gives us insight into that "how" aspect. Due to the fact that Mr. Nuttle has a nerve condition, Vera, the manipulative 15-year-old niece of Mrs. Sappleton, uses that to her advantage to scare the man half to death. The events that happen quickly let the reader know that Mr. Nuttle might not be so bright. Beforehand, Mr. Nuttle's sister wrote him letters of recommendation to people who were pretty nice as far as she knew. Unexpectedly, he was in for a terrifying awakening. As the story progresses, Munro uses language, character development, time manipulation, setting, and conflict to push along the unfolding plot.
Language and character development play a key role in how the story flows together. When Vera says, "In the meantime, you must try and put up with me," it gives way to a bit of her personality (Saki). Her statement foreshadows that she might intentionally give Mr. Nuttle a hard time. Following what she says, she goes on to ask him what he knows about her aunt and then proceeds to tell him about her (all of which are lies). This goes to show the conniving character of Vera and how she is good at what she does. All the while, she is making the already nerve-shot Mr. Nuttle get swept under her lies. Vera's manipulation of Nuttle's condition shows how he has a gullible and naive character. The story also explains that when Vera was describing her aunt's tragedy she spoke wit...
