NCERT Class 8 English Chapter 7 The Open Window
NCERT Solutions for Class 8 English It So Happened Chapter 7 The Open Window
Comprehension check – I
Question 1.
Why had Framton Nuttel come to the “rural retreat”?
Answer:
Framton Nuttel came to the “rural retreat” to cure his nerves. He was a bundle of nerves, and needed some rest and fresh air.
Question 2.
Why had his sister given him letters of introduction to people living there?
Answer:
His sister used to live there four years ago, and knew some people. She told him to meet people there instead of moping so that he felt at ease. This is why she gave him letters of introduction to people living there.
Question 3.
What had happened in the Sappleton family as narrated by the niece?
Answer:
The niece told Framton Nuttel that three years back, her aunt’s husband along with her two ‘ young brothers went off for their day’s shooting, but they never came back. She said that in crossing the moor to their favourite shooting ground they were engulfed in a dangerous bog. Their bodies were never recovered, as well as that of their little brown spaniel that had gone with them.
Comprehension check – II
Question 1.
What did Mrs Sappleton say about the open window?
Answer:
Mrs Sappleton apologized to Nuttel for the open window, and told him that her husband and brothers would be home directly from shooting. She said that they always came in this way.
Question 2.
The horror on the girl s face made Framton swing around in his seat. What did he see?
Answer:
Framton turned and saw that in the deepening twilight three figures were walking across the lawn towards the window. They all carried guns under their arms, and one of them was carrying a white coat over his shoulders. A tired brown spaniel was following them. As they approached towards the house, one of them began to sing: “I say, Bertie, why do you bound?”
Comprehension check – III
Question 1.
Why did Framton rush out wildly?
Answer:
Framton rushed out wildly because he thought that he had seen the ghosts of Mrs Sappleton’s husband and two brothers. He was already nervous, and this shot up his anxiety levels. This is why he left Mrs Sappleton’s place as fast as he could.
Question 2.
What was the girl’s explanation for his lightening exit?
Answer:
The girl tells her aunt that Framton was terrified of dogs because one time he was hunted into a cemetery somewhere on the banks of the Ganges by a pack of dogs. She said that he had to spend the night in a newly dug grave with the scary dogs snarling and grinning and foaming just above him. This is why, she claimed, Framton left at lightning speed.
Exercise Question and Answer
Discuss in small groups.
Question 1.
Is this a mystery story? Give a reason for your answer.
Answer:
Yes, this is a mystery story because it is only at the end that we discover the truth. We as readers are as gullible as Framton himself. We believe and invest in the story of the niece as much as he does. We feel sympathetic towards Mrs Sappleton when we see her telling Frampton about her husband’s shooting excursion.
We are equally engulfed in the mystery behind what happened to the three men and why their bodies were never discovered. It is only at the end that we realize that the men are not ghosts and that the niece has made up the story.
Question 2.
You are familiar with the ‘irony’of the situation in a story. Which situation in ‘The Open Window ’are good examples of the use of irony?
Answer:
The story is full of irony. Irony is when we expect something, but its opposite happens. For instance, we know that Frampton has come to the neighbourhood to treat his nerves. However, we are certain that he would leave the place even more anxious than he was when he came. This is so because of the effect that the niece’s story has on him.
Similarly, it is ironic that the three men arrive home while Framton is still there. They could have easily arrived after he had left, and the niece’s story would not have had any effect on him. Another example of irony in the story is that Mrs Sappleton also talks about the open window to Framton, and inadvertently supports her niece’s story.
Question 3.
Which phrases/sentences in the text do you find difficult to understand? Select a few and guess the meaning of each. Rewrite a simple paraphrase of each.
1. Phrase/Sentence: Framton Nuttel endeavoured to say something which should duly flatter the niece of the moment without unduly discounting the aunt that was to come.
Paraphrase: Framton Nuttel tried to have a pleasant conversation with the niece without disregarding the aunt who he was going to meet soon.
2. Phrase/Sentence: … engulfed in a treacherous piece of bog.
Paraphrase: … stuck terribly in the marshes that were full of danger.
3. Phrase/Sentence: Here the child’s voice lost its self-possessed note and became falteringly human.
Paraphrase: At this point, the child’s voice was no longer composed, and sounded a little disturbed and overwhelmed.
4. Phrase/Sentence: She rattled on cheerfully …
Paraphrase: She continued to chat happily …
5. Phrase/Sentence: announced Framton, who laboured under the tolerably widespread delusion that total strangers and chance acquaintances are hungry for the least detail of one’s ailments and infirmities, their cause and cure.
Paraphrase: said Frampton, who was under the impression that complete strangers and chance acquaintances are dying to know the smallest details about our health and illnesses, their symptoms and cures.
6. Phrase/Sentence: Romance at short notice was her specialty.
Paraphrase: She had the gift of recounting stories at the drop of a hat.
MORE QUESTIONS SOLVED
I. SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS
Question 1:
What is the significance of the window in the story’?
Answer:
The window in the story, reveals niece’s habit of playing jokes and pranks. The window is central to the story. Through it the aunt’s husband along with his two brothers-in-law had gone out hunting. Framton is frightened to see them coming towards the window. Taking them for ghosts, he rushes out of the gate.
Question 2:
What was Framton Nuttel suffering from?
Answer:
Framton Nuttel was suffering from nervous disorder and excitement. The doctor advised him complete rest and relaxation in the countryside.
Question 3:
Why does Framton retire to the countryside?
Answer:
Framton retires to the rural retreat on the doctor’s advice. He needed rest and relief from mental excitement.
Question 4:
Whom does Framton contact in the rural resort?
Answer:
Framton goes to Mrs Sappleton’s house in the countryside. He carries an introduction letter from his sister. But he first meets Mrs Sappleton’s niece, Vera.
Question 5:
What did Framton admit as well as notice in Mrs Sappleton’s room?
Answer:
Mr Framton tells Vera that he doesn’t know anybody in that village. He wondered whether the lady was married or a widow. But he did notice that some male member has been living in the room.
Question 6:
What sort of tragedy had happened in Mrs Sappleton’s life, as narrated by the niece?
Answer:
Vera told Framton about a family mishap three years ago. Mrs Sappleton’s husband, along with her two brothers had gone for shooting. They were caught in a wet marshy land. They never returned. But the aunt was still hoping that they would return home and enter through the open window.
Question 7:
What did Framton notice about host’s chief concern?
Answer:
Framton noticed that the host was turning her eyes constantly towards the open window. She was giving very little attention to his story of sickness. Her chief concern was to notice her husband’s returning home.
Question 8:
What did the aunt and her niece say about Framton’s sudden exit?
Answer:
Mrs Sappleton and her niece told different stories why Framton had run out of the house in such a hurry. The lady called him an extraordinary man who talked only about his illneses. Perhaps he had seen a ghost, so he had dashed off. But Vera said that the caller had a horror of dogs. So the sight of spaniel made him push out.
II. LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS
Question 1:
Who was Vera? What joke did she play? What was its outcome?
Answer:
Vera was the niece of Mrs. Sappleton. She was a young girl of fifteen. She was fun loving and mischievous. She knew how to oust a stranger from the house. She played a joke on him (Framton) and made him run out. She narrated a cooked up story about her aunt’s husband, her two brothers and the open window. She told him that three years ago her aunt’s husband along with her two brothers had gone for shooting. They were caught in a wet marshy land. They never returned. But the aunt, Mrs. Sappleton, was still hoping that they would return home and enter through the open window. When Mrs. Sappleton came to Framton, she also confirmed the story of the hunting party. This story had a deep effect on Framton. He was frightened to see them coming towards the window. Taking them for ghosts, he rushed out of the gate in great hurry.