It is
easy to empathize with Framton Nuttle, thein H.H. Munro's short story .
Hardly courageous or particularly admirable in light of the little information provided
regarding his character, he is nevertheless a weak individual whose vulnerability should make
him a figure of pity rather than scorn. There is nothing intrinsically evil about him, but
neither is there anything worthy of emulation. He just exists. At the encouragement of his
unseen sister, Nuttle moves to the country in the hopes of finding the peace-of-mind that has
heretofore eluded him. He suffers from anxiety and anticipates a less stressful life in the
rural environment to which he as traveled. That he rapidly becomes the victim of a
fifteen-year-old girl's inclination to torment visitors to her family's home is illustrative of
his lack of mental fortitude, but his decision to flee rather than to stay and confront his
demons is reflective of his character. After all, he has fled the city in the hopes of more
restful existence; now, he has fled his relatives' home in order to distance himself from the
macabre circumstances in which he has now found himself. All in all, Framton Nuttle is scarcely
worth a moment's reflection, however pitiable he appears.
Vera is a more
complex character. She clearly has a vivid imagination and an interesting if potentially
psychotic sense of humor, but she is a compulsive liar with no regard for the feelings of those
around her. It's difficult to not enjoy the humor behind her pranks, but those pranks have 'real
world' implications. Nuttle's mental state is seriously upset, and her family has no knowledge
of the real reason their visitor has fled their house in terror. A teenager exhibiting such
characteristics is not particularly endearing. In short, she deserves some form of punishment
for her behavior, should the true nature of that behavior become known to her
parents.
No comments:
Post a Comment