Ambiguity
The deliberate openness of a word, phrase, or work to more than one interpretation.
Ambiguity leaves meaning unsettled, allowing two or more readings to coexist. Writers use it to enrich a text, capture life’s uncertainty, and invite readers to interpret rather than simply receive. Unlike mere vagueness, purposeful ambiguity adds depth.
Example
The story never settles whether the ghosts are real or the governess’s delusion, an ambiguity that makes the horror linger.
The Turn of the Screw · Henry James
See it in action
Analyses on StoryBites that use ambiguity:
The Lady, or the Tiger?Frank StocktonYoung Goodman BrownNathaniel HawthorneThe Minister's Black VeilNathaniel HawthorneThe Legend of Sleepy HollowWashington IrvingWhere Are You Going, Where Have You Been?Joyce Carol OatesA Respectable WomanKate ChopinMarkheimRobert Louis StevensonThe AwakeningKate Chopin