This once again reinforced the idea that women, especially forgetful women like Stella, were helpless without the protection of a man. Surely three women in a house - not counting an ill man in the upstairs bedroom - would not be considered 'alone'.
When a frightened Maud anxiously turns on all of the lights in the house Stella quickly hushes her and shuts them off, remarking that 'the darkness protects us, now if there is someone outside he can see in, and see that we are alone'. In one scene we see Stella, Miss Adams and Maud cowering in corners for fear of their lives, suspecting that the killer has snuck inside the house.
The concept of the defenseless female reverberates throughout 'An Unlocked Window'. This theme was emphasized brilliantly in Robert Siodmak's adaptation of White's novel, 'Some Must Watch', re-titled The Spiral Staircase ( 1945 ), where our heroine is not only a young, timid woman needing protection but a mute as well. Many of Ethel Lina White's books focused on the vulnerability of women. Alfred Hitchcock had previously used one of White's novels, 'The Wheel Spins', as a basis for The Lady Vanishes ( 1938 ). 'An Unlocked Window' was based on a short story written by Welsh novelist Ethel Lina White in 1939.
