Unit 2

The world of short

stories
Read this short story:

Robert and the Dog

by Ken Saro-Wiwa

Robert’s new employer was a young

medical doctor just returned from abroad.
He was cheerful, exuberant and polite. It
was obvious to Robert that he had not
been in the country for a long time.
Because he did not once lose his temper,
he did not shout at Robert, he called him
by his first name, and always asked him
about his wife, children and other
members of his family. Robert, accustomed to moving from household to household,
thought he had at last found fulfillment. The more so as the young doctor appeared to be
a bachelor.
Stewards, including Robert, prefer to serve a bachelor. Because every bachelor is as wax
in the hands of his steward. The latter determines what is to be spent on grocery, how
much food is to be served at meal times, what is to be done with the remnants of food. In
short, he holds the bachelor’s life in his hands. And that is tremendous power.
Robert quickly settled into his new situation and took full control of the house. Experience
had taught him never to occupy the servant’s quarters, which were attached to the main
house. It made dismissals or the abandonment of a situation rather messy. So it was that
Robert’s family lived in the filth and quagmire of Ajegunle, which the wags termed ‘The
Jungle’. In his one-bedroom apartment in The Jungle, Robert was king. And he always
repaired there nightly to exercise his authority over his wife and six children. The
experience he had gained in running his household helped him a great deal in organising
the life of each new employer. Robert was particularly happy in his new situation because
the young man was carefree and happy. There was, as has been said, no wife breathing
down Robert’s neck and limiting his abundant authority. There were no children whose
nappies and numerous clothes had to be washed. He did not have to cook several meals a
day. The young man ate but once a day, except for the cup of coffee and toast early in the
morning.
Trouble began when the young man announced after six months that his wife was about to
join him. Robert’s face fell visibly at the announcement. But he did not worry very much at
the expected curtailment of his wide powers. Who knew, the lady might not be an ogre
after all.
Which is precisely what happened in the event. The lady was as young and cheerful as
her husband. She, too, took an interest in Robert. She was European and excited about
her first visit to Africa. She appeared pleased to have Robert’s assistance. She spent the
day asking Robert about African food, watching Robert at work in the kitchen and lending
a helping hand where possible. She made sure Robert stopped work early so that he could
get home to his family, and she did not make a fuss if Robert turned up late some odd
mornings. And she got Robert paid every fortnight. She even offered to go and visit his
wife and family in The Jungle. Robert carefully and politely turned down her offer. He could
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not imagine her picking her neat way through the filth and squalor of The Jungle to the
hovel which was his home. Maybe, he thought, if she once knew where he lived and
sampled the mess that was his home, her regard for him would diminish and he might lose
his job. Yet the young lady extended every consideration to him. Robert began to feel like
a human being, and he felt extremely grateful to his new employers.
The only source of worry in the new situation was the dog. For the young lady had arrived
with a dog called Bingo. And Robert watched with absolute amazement and great
incredulity as the lady spoke tenderly to the dog. She ensured that he was well fed with
tinned food and milk and meat and bones. And she held the dog lovingly in her arms,
brushed his hair and tended him carefully. The dog appeared as important to the lady as
her husband and, indeed, Robert thought, in the order of things, the dog was more
important than himself. Try as hard as he might, he could not dismiss from his mind the
fact that the dog was doing better than himself. And he detested this state of affairs. He
could understand a dog being invited to eat up an infant’s faeces. He could understand a
stray, mangy dog with flies around its ears being beaten and chased away from the
dwellings of men. He could understand a dog wandering around rubbish heaps in search
of sustenance. But a dog who slept on the settee, a dog who was fed tinned food on a
plate, a dog who was brushed and cleaned, a dog who drank good tinned milk, was
entirely beyond his comprehension. On one occasion, the lady took the dog to a doctor.
And that was the straw that broke the camel’s back.
All that day, Robert felt his stomach turn. and when he got home in the evening and saw
his children, with distended stomachs, gambolling in the filth that simmered in a swollen
stream at his door, and watched them hungrily swallow small balls of eba, he asked
himself, ‘Who born dog?’ And all of a sudden he developed a pathological hatred for Bingo
the dog, his master’s dog. All night long, he saw in the eye of his mind, the dog cuddled in
the warmth of the settee, which he would have to clean and brush in the morning. And he
asked himself again and again, ‘Who born dog?’
The object of Robert’s hatred was totally oblivious of the feelings that he bred in the
cook-steward. He revelled in the love of his master and mistress. He ate his food with
relish and wagged his tail in contented gratitude. He loved and served the lady, doing as
he was bid. And he wagged his tail contentedly at Robert. He slept in the day and kept
watch over his owners at night. But each wag of his tail was like so many pinpricks in the
heart of Robert, who secretly vowed to ‘show’ the dog some day.
That day duly arrived and much sooner than Robert had expected. The young doctor
announced to him that they would be going away on holiday for six weeks. He wanted
Robert to take care of the house. As they would not be travelling with the dog, he would be
most delighted if Robert would be kind enough to take care of Bingo. They were going to
leave enough tinned food and milk for Bingo and some money so Robert could purchase
bones to supplement his food. He hoped Robert did not mind.
Not in the least, Robert replied. But in his innermost heart, he knew he had found the
opportunity he wanted.
After the departure of the couple, Robert, true to his training, obeyed his master’s orders to
the letter. On the first and second days. On the third day, watching the dog lap his milk
from a plate, a voice spoke to Robert. ‘who born dog?’ And to this ponderous question,
Robert could find no other answer than ‘Dog’. And the anger in him welled. He looked at

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the dog, and the dog looked at him, wagging his tail. ‘Well may you wag your tail,’ Robert
thought, ‘but I can tell you, I’m not going to waste my life taking care of you.’
He gathered up all the tins of dog food, all the tins of milk, tethered the dog to the settee
and walked off, out of the house and the job he had loved to do. He gave the milk and dog
food to his children when he got home.

And the dog died.

GUESS THE ENDING CHALLENGE!

What are the similarities / differences between this short story

and the fairy tales you read in Unit 1?
Think in terms of:
⮚ Setting
⮚ Plot
⮚ Theme
⮚ Character Development
⮚ Action Development
⮚ Ending
You can use a Venn diagram to see the differences and
similarities more clearly.

LET’S ANALYZE THE STORY IN DETAIL

1) What’s the setting in time and place?
2) What’s the plot? CHALLENGE: Can you say what the story is about in
no more than 6 lines?

3) Break the story into the different stages of the Freytag Pyramid.
4) Is there a twist at the end? Why (not)? If there isn’t a twist, can you create one?
5) Go to the GLOSSARY and read the information about the kinds of endings.
What kind of ending does Robert and the Dog have? Why?

6) a- Go to the GLOSSARY and watch the video. Revise how to find the theme in a
story.
b- Now that you have watched the video, decide what the theme in Robert and the
Dog is and write the theme(s).
7) Point of View: A- What is the point of view in the story? B- Pair up with a partner.
Imagine you are the husband and the wife in the story. You have just returned from your

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holidays and find your dog dead. What’s YOUR point of view on the whole situation?
Role-play their conversation. C- What would Robert’s point of view be? Act it out.
8) Atmosphere: Remember that the atmosphere is conveyed by the setting. Therefore,
what atmosphere(s) can you identify in the story? Account for your answer.

9) Tone is the author’s attitude toward a subject. Analyze the tone(s) in Robert and the
Dog.
10) Mood is the emotions evoked in a reader. Now that you know what mood is, read the
story again but this time focus on what YOU feel while reading it. A- Highlight / underline
the different parts of the story according to the feelings they arise in you. Use the colour
scheme below (add any other colours and emotions you feel necessary). Then share with
your partners.

TO SUM UP, tone and mood both deal with emotions centered around a piece of writing.
Though they seem similar and can in fact be related, they are in fact quite different.
TONE is the author’s attitude toward a subject.
MOOD is the emotions evoked in a reader.

B- TONE & MOOD: Complete the chart below:

The tone is… So I feel / My mood is…

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11) CHARACTERS:

a- Watch the video Protagonist and Antagonist.

b- Now decide: Who is the protagonist in Robert and the Dog? Who is the antagonist?

c- Describe Robert at the beginning of the story and at the end of the story. Think about
the following:

⮚ How did Robert feel at the beginning of the story? And at the end?
⮚ Would you say that Robert changed throughout the story or remained always the
same?
If you think that he remained the same from beginning to end, then his character is
STATIC.
If you think that he changed, then this character is DYNAMIC.

What is your final decision? ____________________________________

d- Now make a list of what you know about Robert, his employer and his employer’s wife:

ROBERT EMPLOYER EMPLOYER’S WIFE

Think:
⮚ Which character is described more fully and in detail? Which of the three characters
do you have more information about?
This character is ROUND.
⮚ On the other hand, the other two characters (the ones we don’t get much
information about) are FLAT.

Characters in the story: Watch the video Characterization in literature

Then analyze the characters in this short story:

⮚ Robert
⮚ The husband
⮚ The wife
⮚ The dog
How are these characters different from the ones in fairy tales?

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12) There are big contrasts and differences in this short story. Use the Ying and Yang
sample below to show them through the words and phrases used by the author. On one
side, include all the vocabulary with a negative connotation while on the other side include
the vocabulary with a positive connotation. Use an appropriate font and colour scheme to
show the correct atmosphere and tone in the part of the story where those words/phrases
are used.

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 Pre-reading activity:
● Close their eyes, suppose it is now an
October afternoon, and imagine what you can
see through the window.
● Share what you have seen through your
minds’ eyes.
● Remember: everyone will have different
appreciation toward one object, and that is
due to your mood at that moment as well as
your past experiences.

Now read this short story:

The Open Window

by Saki

My aunt will be down presently, Mr. Nuttel,"

said a very self-possessed young lady of
fifteen; "in the meantime you must try and
put up with me."

Framton Nuttel endeavoured to say the correct something which should duly flatter the niece of the
moment without unduly discounting the aunt that was to come. 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.

"I know how it will be," his sister had said when he was preparing to migrate to this rural retreat;
"you will bury yourself down there and not speak to a living soul, and your nerves will be worse than
ever from moping. I shall just give you letters of introduction to all the people I know there. Some of
them, as far as I can remember, were quite nice."

Framton wondered whether Mrs. Sappleton, the lady to whom he was presenting one of the
letters of introduction came into the nice division.

"Do you know many of the people round here?" asked the niece, when she judged that they had
had sufficient silent communion.

"Hardly a soul," said Framton. "My sister was staying here, at the rectory, you know, some four
years ago, and she gave me letters of introduction to some of the people here."

He made the last statement in a tone of distinct regret.

"Then you know practically nothing about my aunt?" pursued the self-possessed young lady.
"Only her name and address," admitted the caller. He was wondering whether Mrs. Sappleton
was in the married or widowed state. An undefinable something about the room seemed to suggest
masculine habitation.
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 "Her great tragedy happened just three years ago," said the child; "that would be since your
sister's time."

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

"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.

"It is quite warm for the time of the year," said Framton; "but has that window got anything to do
with the tragedy?"

"Out through that window, three years ago to a day, her husband and her two young brothers
went off for their day's shooting. They never came back. In crossing the moor to their favourite
snipe-shooting ground they were all three engulfed in a treacherous piece of bog. It had been that
dreadful wet summer, you know, and places that were safe in other years gave way suddenly
without warning. Their bodies were never recovered. That was the dreadful part of it." Here the
child's voice lost its self-possessed note and became falteringly human. "Poor aunt always thinks
that they will come back someday, they and the little brown spaniel that was lost with them, and walk
in at that window just as they used to do. That is why the window is kept open every evening till it is
quite dusk. Poor dear aunt, she has often told me how they went out, her husband with his white
waterproof coat over his arm, and Ronnie, her youngest brother, singing 'Bertie, why do you bound?'
as he always did to tease her, because she said it got on her nerves. Do you know, sometimes on
still, quiet evenings like this, I almost get a creepy feeling that they will all walk in through that
window - "

She broke off with a little shudder. It was a relief to Framton when the aunt bustled into the room
with a whirl of apologies for being late in making her appearance.

"I hope Vera has been amusing you?" she said.

"She has been very interesting," said Framton.

"I hope you don't mind the open window," said Mrs. Sappleton briskly; "my husband and brothers
will be home directly from shooting, and they always come in this way. They've been out for snipe in
the marshes today, so they'll make a fine mess over my poor carpets. So like you menfolk, isn't it?"

She rattled on cheerfully about the shooting and the scarcity of birds, and the prospects for duck
in the winter. To Framton it was all purely horrible. He made a desperate but only partially successful
effort to turn the talk on to a less ghastly topic, he was conscious that his hostess was giving him
only a fragment of her attention, and her eyes were constantly straying past him to the open window
and the lawn beyond. It was certainly an unfortunate coincidence that he should have paid his visit
on this tragic anniversary.

"The doctors agree in ordering me complete rest, an absence of mental excitement, and
avoidance of anything in the nature of violent physical exercise," announced Framton, who laboured
under the tolerably widespread delusion that total strangers and chance acquaintances are hungry

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for the least detail of one's ailments and infirmities, their cause and cure. "On the matter of diet they
are not so much in agreement," he continued.

"No?" said Mrs. Sappleton, in a voice which only replaced a yawn at the last moment. Then she
suddenly brightened into alert attention - but not to what Framton was saying.

"Here they are at last!" she cried. "Just in time for tea, and don't they look as if they were muddy
up to the eyes!"

Framton shivered slightly and turned towards the niece with a look intended to convey
sympathetic comprehension. The child was staring out through the open window with a dazed horror
in her eyes. In a chill shock of nameless fear Framton swung round in his seat and looked in the
same direction.

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 additionally burdened with a white coat hung
over his shoulders. A tired brown spaniel kept close at their heels. Noiselessly they neared the
house, and then a hoarse young voice chanted out of the dusk: "I said, Bertie, why do you bound?"

Framton grabbed wildly at his stick and hat; the hall door, the gravel drive, and the front gate
were dimly noted stages in his headlong retreat. A cyclist coming along the road had to run into the
hedge to avoid imminent collision.

"Here we are, my dear," said the bearer of the white mackintosh, coming in through the window,
"fairly muddy, but most of it's dry. Who was that who bolted out as we came up?"

"A most extraordinary man, a Mr. Nuttel," said Mrs. Sappleton; "could only talk about his
illnesses, and dashed off without a word of goodbye or apology when you arrived. One would think
he had seen a ghost."

"I expect it was the spaniel," said the niece calmly; "he told me he had a horror of dogs. He was
once hunted into a cemetery somewhere on the banks of the Ganges by a pack of pariah dogs, and
had to spend the night in a newly dug grave with the creatures snarling and grinning and foaming
just above him. Enough to make anyone lose their nerve."

Romance at short notice was her specialty.

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LET’S GET STARTED!

Reconstruct the storyline of “The Open Window”. Can you put the events in the story in the
correct chronological order? The first and the last events are given.

1- Framton Nuttel's sister spends some time in a rectory in the country.

_____- Mrs. Sappleton arrives and introduces herself.
_____- Vera tells Framton the story of the great tragedy that happened to Mrs. Sappleton. Three
years ago her husband and brothers went hunting and never returned.
_____- Framton is met by Vera, Mrs. Sappleton's niece.
_____- Mrs. Sappleton says that Mr. Framton Nuttel was a most unusual man who could only talk
about his illnesses and left without saying goodbye.
_____- Mrs. Sappleton announces the arrival of the hunters.
_____- Framton Nuttel notices Vera staring out the window in horror and turns to look for himself.
_____- Framton's sister sends him with some letters of introduction to people she knows in the area.
_____- Mr. Sappleton comes in through the window and asks who just left.
_____- Mr. Sappleton and his two brothers-in-law go hunting in the morning.
_____- Framton decides to travel to a rural retreat near the rectory to take a rest.
_____- Mrs. Sappleton opens the window for their return because they always come back through the
window.
_____- Framton Nuttel grabs his walking stick and runs out of the house.
_____- Framton Nuttel comes to visit Mrs. Sappleton with his letter of introduction.
_____- Mrs. Sappleton apologizes for the open window and explains why it is open and that her
husband always comes in through the window when he returns rom hunting.
_____- Mrs. Sappleton talks about hunting, and Framton tries to direct the conversation to other
topics, mainly his health.
_____- Framton Nuttel is told by his doctor that he must have complete rest, an absence of mental
excitement, and avoidance of any violent physical activity to deal with his nerve problems.
18- Vera makes up another story about Framton Nuttel. He is afraid of dogs because of a horrible
experience he had in a cemetery.

NOW LET’S UNDERSTAND THE STORY:

1- Explain the title of the story. Why is the open window essential?
2- Why do you think Saki has named the characters Vera and Mr. Nuttel? Analyse their meaning.
3- In your opinion is Nuttel or Vera the more likeable character? Why?

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4- Why does Framton need to take a journey to the country?
5- What makes it possible for Vera to fool Nuttel?
6- What is Vera´s reaction to the appearance of the three men returning from the moor? How do
you think this contributes to Nuttel reaction?
7- What causes Nuttel´s sudden reaction? What explanation does Vera give?
8- How and when do you as a reader realize that Vera has been lying? Once it is revealed that
she has been lying, can you find anything earlier in the story that might seem to be a clue to her lying.
9- Saki subtly plays with the idea of hunting in the story. How is Vera like a hunter and Framton
like her prey?
10- How would Saki´s story be different if it were told from Vera´s point of view?
11- What do you think the author means when he says Romance at short notice was her specialty?

NOW LET’S ANALYZE THE SHORT STORY:

1- What is the setting of the story?

2- What is the plot of The Open Window by Saki?
3- What is the main theme in the story? Why?
4- Describe the atmosphere and tone in the story. Account for your answers.
5- What is the point of view? Tell the story from Mr. Nuttel’s point of view.
6- Analyze the characters.
7- Is there a twist in the story?
8- What type of ending does the story have?
9- Go to the GLOSSARY and read about irony in literature. Then think about The Open Window
and give examples of irony in the story.
10- Watch the video based on the short story we’ve read. The Open Window

Discuss the similarities and differences between the short story you have read and its movie
version. Which one did you like best? Why?

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