Formation Neuter, the main character in Saki’s “The Open Window” is gullible and naive because he believes all that the highly imaginative Vera, the niece of Mrs.. Seaplanes, divulges to him. Additionally he has anxiety issues which cause nervousness becoming his reason for his trip to the country to relieve some of those feelings. Vera speaks of a great tragedy in which Mrs.. Seaplanes lost her husband and two younger brothers. She further goes on to say that her aunt keeps the window open in hopes of their return. Formation Neuter, after spying three figures who match the characteristics of Mrs..
Capstone’s husband and brothers walking across the lawn, runs way from the house, forever remaining credulous. Although Vera is aware of Formation Neuter’s condition she sees an opportunity when he tells her that he has no knowledge of her aunt or her life to tease him and as a reason to drive him off. Formation Neuter, on the other hand, is very gullible and believes such an outrageous story. As Mrs.. Seaplanes enters and bustles about speaking of her husband as if he is alive, r-random is aghast at her reaction,”… O Formation it was all purely horrible… T was certainly an unfortunate coincidence that he should have paid his visit on this tragic anniversary” (820). He believes that she is in shock of their death and is acting as if they are still around. Formation Neuter is also revealed to being jumpy and nervous as he is when he sees Mrs.. Seaplanes discussing of her husband and brothers In such a way that it suggested that they were alive. In order to evade the situation he begins talking of his own health problems which makes him seem jittery, “‘… Actors agree in ordering me complete rest, an absence of mental excitement… Announced Formation, who labored under the tolerably widespread delusion that strangers and chance acquaintances are hungry for the least detail of one’s ailments and infirmities, their cause and cure” (820). Formation in order for the topic to be shifted begins talking of his own health problems which bores Mrs.. Seaplanes. Being as naive as he is, Formation Neuter is horrified when he sees the three figures walking across the misty lawn towards the window. He believed that these men were dead and that the figures were actually ghosts.
His immediate reaction is to flee the house and never look back, “Formation grabbed wildly at his stick and hat; the hall door, the gravel drive, and the front gate were dimly noted stages in his headlong retreat” (820). Formation runs off because he has seen what he believes to be a terrible sight. Fraction’s sudden departure surprises everyone except for Vera, who of course had been planning this all along. Mrs.. Seaplanes explains to her husband and brothers that he was a visitor who had come to treat his crosier but all he would talk about was his illness, A most extraordinary man, a Mr..
Neuter,’ said Mrs.. Seaplanes; ‘COUld only talk Of his illnesses and dashed off without a word of goodbye or apology when you arrived. One would think he had seen a ghost”‘ (820). This is ironic because he had seen a ghost or his reaction was true in that he believed he had seen a ghost. Kaki develops the main character, Formation Neuter, who has a case of the nerves by explaining his personality and portraying him as a very naive sort of frazzled person who believes in mostly anything.
