Saturday, February 7, 2015

Who are the protagonist and antagonist in "The Open Window"? Which one is dynamic?

The protagonist of the short story "The Open Window" is Framton Nuttel. Framton is a man who visits the Sappleton family in the country in order to get some rest, as he suffers from a nervous condition. He is recommended to the family by his sister, who met the Sappletons in the past. 


The antagonist of the story is Vera. Vera is the 15 year-old niece of Mrs. Sappleton. She is a girl described as "self-possessed." This means that, even though she is young, she still has good control of her actions.  


The antagonist is the character or circumstance that acts against the protagonist as an adversary. Vera's character is the antagonist of Framton Nuttel because she tells him a fake story about her aunt's husband and two brothers, which worsens Framton's nervous condition to the point of sending him off running out of the house. 


Out of the characters, Framton would be dynamic because he changes: He goes from bad to worse. He had arrived in the house somewhat composed, and was sociable enough. He was able to carry a conversation with Vera, and kept control of himself until he saw, through the open window,  the supposed dead men arriving from their deadly hunting trip, which was Vera's fake story. 


This is when Framton cannot take it anymore and leaves the premises in horror. The rest of the characters would be static, or non-changing. 

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