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Imagery
Definition of Irony
Irony is a literary device or event in which how things seem to be is in fact very different from how they actually are. If this seems like a loose definition... read full definition
Irony is a literary device or event in which how things seem to be is in fact very different from how they actually are. If this... read full definition
Irony is a literary device or event in which how things seem to be is in fact very different from how... read full definition
Irony
Explanation and Analysis—Vera's Tricks:
"The Open Window" features several instances in which the story's comic edge comes from the reader knowing more than some of the characters do. Initially, Vera tricks not only Mr. Nuttel but also the reader with her story about the three men who did not survive their fateful hunting trip three years ago. Eventually, however, the reader realizes that Vera has successfully tricked Mr. Nuttel. At whatever point the reader catches onto this, the rest of the story is extra funny because the reader, having been duped, now shifts from Mr. Nuttel's vantage point to Vera's.
Explanation and Analysis—Nuttel's Complete Rest:
Another example of situational irony that imbues "The Open Window" with humor is the effect of this visit on Mr. Nuttel. As he tells Vera and Mrs. Sappleton, he has come to the countryside to soothe his nerves.
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Explanation and Analysis—Empty Etiquette:
There is situational irony at play in "The Open Window," as Mr. Nuttel's attempts to be polite ultimately result in self-sabotage: he wants to be gracious in front of both Vera and Mrs. Sappleton, but he ends up sprinting out of the house without an explanation—which is, of course, not particularly polite. From the beginning to the end of the story, Mr. Nuttel's prospects of conversing and connecting with Vera and Mrs. Sappleton are stifled by his attempts at observing the meaningless rules of etiquette.
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