The Surprising Ending of "The Open Window"

Did the ending of the story surprise you?

What point in the story did you realize that Vera had fooled Nuttel and perhaps the reader as well?

The ending of "The Open Window" may surprise readers when they realize Vera fooled Nuttel and the reader.

Saki achieves this through irony and foreshadowing.

The ending of the story "The Open Window" by Saki may surprise some readers. The realization that Vera had fooled Nuttel and the reader occurs when Nuttel sees the supposedly dead men that Vera had made up in her story enter the house. The author, Saki, achieves this surprise ending by using irony and dramatic irony throughout the story, foreshadowing elements, and manipulating the reader's expectations.

Irony plays a significant role in the story as Vera's initial innocent appearance contrasts with her mischievous and manipulative nature. The foreshadowing elements, such as Vera's detailed storytelling and Nuttel's increasing unease, build up to the unexpected twist at the end. By playing with the reader's expectations and leading them down one path only to reveal another, Saki masterfully crafts a surprising and memorable ending.