Literary devices are the techniques the author uses to add texture and excitement to the story. A literary work that contains literary elements such as foreshadowing, imagery, and irony will enhance the reader’s imagination to visualize the story’s circumstances by providing a deeper meaning of the story. After reading “The Open Window” and researching the life of Hector Hugh Munro, one can determine that the most important literary elements of the story include the symbolism of the open window, various instances of irony, and foreshadowing.
“The Open Window” was written by Hector Hugh Munro, better known by the pen name Saki, who was born in 1870 in Burma to a military policeman father. After the sudden death of his pregnant mom, Munro and his siblings moved to England to live with their grandmother and aunts. In his early career, he returned to Burma, where his father had decided for him to enlist in the military police. However, he only served in the military for a short time due to his illness with malaria. After returning home, Munro decided to seek a writing career as a journalist for newspapers. He wrote political satires for newspapers such as Westminster Gazette and Daily Express, and magazines such as Bystander and Outlook. In 1900, he published his first historical book known as The Rise
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Saki constantly refers to the open window throughout the story, which provides the reader an indication of something significant will happens in relation to the window. Another example of foreshadowing is Mrs. Sappleton’s comment when she enters the room saying, “I hope Vera has been amusing you?” (Munro 357). This indicates to the reader that Vera is an entertaining person that could be playing the trickster role to amuse the guest. Therefore, it provides a hint that the reader should not believe everything she says to be true because most of it might be fabricated