The Interlopers and The Consequences of Ignorance
The Interlopers depicts a deadly feud, bound to end in bloodshed, that in some unseemingly way ends in not only the friendship of the two nemesises, but ends in the irony of an unexpected death of something that the quarrellers both disregarded. Within the Interlopers, the conflict of a feud is the driving force between the actions of both Ulrich Von Gradwitz and Georg Znaeym. In an immeasurable amount of times in history, many have been blinded by rage and desire, from power-thirsty monarchs to common folk experiencing road rage. Saki, raised in a rigid household, uses his background and hatred of the house he was raised in as inspiration. Between the two families, the feud has continued …show more content…
Through the Interlopers, Saki uses the feud of the Von Gradwitz and the Znayems to portray the theme that when one holds hatred, they are blinded by accompanying dangers and consequences with the use of literary devices and immediate repercussions when the confrontation takes place.
Through the use of irony and the sardonic writing style, Saki develops the theme of ignorance of the dangers surrounding every action when one holds grudges and hatred close to their heart. Ulrich Von Gradwitz, a hunter whom is not given much background on, has an instilled hatred within him for the Znaeym family, particularly Georg Znaeym. When the two meet in the forest, both planning to hunt each other as if the counterpart were game, a torrential storm sweeps through the woodlands that contains the quarrellers. However, after a beech tree falls on the two, being on the brink of death gives them both the motivation to …show more content…
Although there are many minor instances of symbolism in the story, the major instances, the storm, the tree, and the wolves are all significant pieces of the story in their literal meanings as well as their figurative meanings. The storm let out a “fierce shriek” and the tree followed letting out a “splitting crash” and a “thundering down upon [Ulrich and Georg]” (1). The symbolism of the storm in this instance is everything in life that Ulrich and Georg have been ignorant to and taken for granted. Within the story, the two never considered nature a threat, and the storm is the symbol of the benign threats that lash out when one lets their guard down. In accordance with the storm, the tree represents many things, the most prominent being components that are only dangerous when one ignores something that could mangle it. For example, in the story, the two believe that nature isn’t of their concern, but once the storm begins ravaging, the once regal beech tree cracks and thunders to the ground on top of them because of their ignorance to nature. In an essence, the beech tree symbolises ignorance’s consequences and how these consequences have complete, undeniable power over man. The final symbol represented in the story, the wolves, symbolizes how deadly and obscure danger is as demonstrated with Ulrich’s,