Sunday 2 September 2012

Revision Questions

1. Search from the internet the short story entitled "The Open Window" by Saki. Read the short story  thoroughly.

2. Based on the short story answer the following:

a) Identify 3 literary devices in the short story and their significance.

b) Where is the climax in this story? How is this achieve?

c) Describe the setting.

d) What the lesson you can learn from the short story?

e) In the short story does Vera Sappleton shows hospitality to Framton Nuttel.

f) If she was a Malaysian, would she had responded in a polite manner, why?

g) If you were Nuttel, would you trust every word Vera said, why?

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Group Questions:

- Identify 3 literary devices in the short story and their significance. 

a) Foreshadowing

- It is stated that "Privately he doubted more than ever whether these formal visits on a succession of total strangers would do much towards helping the nerve cure which he was supposed to be undergoing." It gives us an idea that something will happen to Mr.Nuttel because he has a problem with his nerve.

  b) Flashback

- "Some of them, as far as I can remember, were quite nice."

 Mr. Nuttel's sister recalls back about the people in that area.

c) Irony

- The irony in this story is the the fraud spreads by Vera. This situation happened between Vera and Mr. Framton. It turns to irony when Mr. Framton believes Vera and let himself trapped in the Vera's fake story that caused him to run away without knowing the truth.


- Where is the climax in this story? How is this achieve?

b) The climax of this short story is when Mrs. Sappleton's husband, two brothers and the dog came back  home. When Mrs. Sappleton suddenly lost her focus towards Mr. Framton  and shouted happily about the arrival of Mr Sappleton, two brothers and the dog. We can feel the tense that the writer tried to show by the horror reaction of  Vera that caused Mr. Framton to turn around toward the direction.

- Describe the setting

c) - In an English-style house at a countryside.

"Her tragedy?" asked Framton; somehow in this restful country spot tragedies seemed out of place.

    - This story was set in the afternoon of October.

 "You may wonder why we keep that window wide open on an October afternoon," said the niece, indicating a large French window that opened on to a lawn.



Individual Questions:

- Hasfiyah


d) what I can learn from this short story is do not trust people easily. Even though Vera is only fifteen years old and looks so innocent, Mr. Nuttel cannot trust her easily. This is because Mr. Nuttel does not know her yet but he seems that he believes every single word that Vera said. If I was Mr. Nuttel, I will seek for the information about her aunt’s tragedy. So that, I can know whether Vera is lying with me or not.

e) Yes, Vera shows hospitality to Mr. Nuttel. We can see that she is welcoming Mr. Nuttel very warmly. Even though she is only fifteen years old, she managed to talk very friendly with Mr. Nuttel. The only disadvantage of her is she is lying towards Mr. Nuttel. Maybe she just wants to entertain Mr Nuttel while he is waiting for her aunt but it is inappropriate to lie with people.

f) No. In Malaysian culture, it is inappropriate if we are lying. We need to tell the truth. All she can do is she has to ask apologize to Mr. Nuttel. This is a polite manner which is to ask apologize. That is not a wasting action. Vera has to ask for apologize with sincerity.

g) If I was Mr. Nuttel, I will not trust every single words of Vera said. This is because I am the person who cannot trust person easily. I will search for the reliable information before I believe some news. Apart from that, Vera is only a very young girl. She can lie to us by acting naturally so that we trust her.


 Afiqah


d) The lesson that I learnt from this novel we cannot cheat others. As we lived in society we cannot spread a fraud, even for fun. This is because people will not trust us in the future. Besides, cheating is a negative value that we should avoid.

e) Yes, Vera treat her guest nicely and do not use harsh words. She also did not leave her guest alone and kept accompany him till her aunt came.

f) Yes, because we Malaysian practice a good manner. If she is a Malaysia, she would not lie to others.

g) No, I am not going to trust Vera easily. First, she is a young girl who is not mature enough. Besides, in a reality life we cannot trust foreigner 100% because we do not know them truly.


Izzah

d) I learnt that a joke has its limitation. Even though some stories are created for fun only, some people could  not take them as jokes. Besides that, we cannot trust people easily. Someone who looks good outside may not be good inside.

e) Yes. Vera shows hospitality towards Mr. Nuttel. She accompanied him while her aunt was not around. However, the way she treated Mr. Nuttel was not nice, which was by telling him lies.

f) Probably. This is because, it is well known that Malaysian people are very polite and they treat their guest nicely.

g) I would have trust her because she sounds so convincing about her story. As someone who is very new at the place, I would have trust everything that the people said to me.


Fatin

d) The lesson that I can learn from The Open Window is not to trust people easily without asking first. We should listen not to only one side but also from the other sides, so that we will know which one is true.

e) Yes. Vera shows hospital towards Mr. Nuttel as she treats him nicely. She does not feel awkward to talk with someone who is older than him and she knows how to treat someone who is elder than her while waiting for her aunt.

f) Yes. She would have responded in a polite manner because as Malaysian, she should treat guests nicely because that is what Malaysian people always do.

g) No. I would listen to her  but I might be suspicious listening to her story. This is because she is just a young teenager who maybe likes to tell stories just for fun without thinking about the truth.