What is the role of setting in "The Open Window"?

There are
a few different aspects to the setting in this story. The first point to note is that the
residence that the , Framton, arrives at, is described as a "rural retreat" and a
"restful country spot." This seemingly idyllic setting lures the reader, and Framton,
into a false sense of security. Accordingly, the macabre story that the niece relates seems all
the more sinister because it seems so out of place.

Within the niece's story,
we also have the settings of the moor and the marshes. Moors and marshes are settings often used
in ghost stories (The Woman in Black, Wuthering
Heights) and evoke a sense of isolation and eerie, untamed wildness.

Finally, the time of day at which Framton sees the three ghost-like figures walking
towards the open window is also significant.sets this moment in "the deepening
twilight." Twilight in literature is often used to evoke an ominous , because it is the
time of the day when light is fading and darkness is taking over. Therefore, twilight is the
perfect time (from a writer's perspective) to have the three ghostly figures return. It suggests
that they are figures of the night, and of the darkness.