The Interlopers
Questions and Answers for The Interlopers
The Interlopers Themes
I would argue that the main theme of "The Interlopers" is the futility of conflict. Ulrich and Georg are waging a battle over a piece of land that their families have been fighting about for...
What is an interloper and who are the interlopers in the story?
The first poster covered the definition and three possible interlopers in the story. However, I would argue that Georg and Ulrich are interlopers themselves. Represented in the external conflict of...
In "The Interlopers," what is surprising and ironic about the ending? What did you expect to happen and what...
What is unexpected and ironic about the ending is that the men are fighting each other, but they both end up fighting wolves. This is situational irony. "The Interlopers" is a fable about two men...
What are examples of foreshadowing in "The Interlopers," and what are the themes?
The word interlopers is itself used as a form of foreshadowing in "The Interlopers." It is mentioned twice by Georg Znaeym, first when the two men are enemies and Georg wants to fight Ulrich with...
Latest answer posted October 8, 2020 2:00 pm UTC
In "The Interlopers," how does the natural setting, particularly the fallen tree, affect Ulrich and Georg?
In "The Interlopers," the natural setting is everything because the entire conflict upon which the story is built is based on the rightful ownership of a feud between the von Gradwitz and Znaeym...
What is ironic about the ending of "The Interlopers"?
The ending of "The Interlopers" provides an excellent example of situational irony (when the result of a situation is different from what you expect the result to be). In the story, Ulrich and...
Latest answer posted September 28, 2018 10:48 pm UTC
What are the two main conflicts in "The Interlopers," how are they related and how are they solved?
The two main conflicts in the story are man against man and man against nature. Specifically, the first conflict is Ulrich against Georg. Ulrich legally owns the land that once, three generations...
What are the internal and external conflicts in "The Interlopers"?
There are both external conflicts and internal conflicts in "The Interlopers." External conflicts: Ulrich von Gradwitz patrols a narrow strip of woodland where there is much game, the strip of land...
Latest answer posted October 6, 2017 5:27 am UTC
What is the theme of the story "The Interlopers" by Saki?
In the story The Interlopers, the main theme would be the enmity between Ulrich and Georg, which causes the two men to feud over the small stretch of forest land and become bitter enemies in the...
Latest answer posted January 13, 2016 5:00 pm UTC
The Interlopers Why Are The Von Gradwitz And Znaeym Families Fighting
The feud is caused by an old land dispute between the Gradwitz and Znaeym families. As the other educator pointed out, the feud is inherited by the succeeding generations of both families. The land...
What figurative language (foreshadowing, metaphor, etc.) is used in "The Interlopers"?
There are many literary devices in the story. First, there is personification. For instance, nature has a life of its own, and she is powerful. In fact, it is nature that pins them down underneath...
What is the point of view in the short story "The Interlopers"?
The point of view of "The Interlopers" is third-person omniscient narrator. For, the narrator taps into the thoughts and feelings of Ulrich von Gradwitz and Georg Znaeym, even though near the end...
Who were the interlopers in the story "The Interlopers"?
An interloper is an intruder. In the story it is Ulrich, Georg, and their families who are the intruders. Both men feel that the forest belongs to them. They look upon the land as a piece of...
In "The Interlopers," when the men first spot each other, why don't they immediately kill one another?
The feud between the Gradwitz and Znaeym families stretches back three generations and is inherited by the two main characters, Ulrich and Georg, who continue to quarrel over a narrow strip of...
What is 1 aspect of indirect and direct characterization in "The Interlopers"? Saki's "The Interlopers"
Characters in narratives are developed and revealed in a number of indirect ways: through a physical description of the character through the character's actions through the character's thoughts,...
What is the tone and mood of "The Interlopers"?
In the short story "The Interlopers," the tone is serious and defensive. Both characters, Gradwitz and Znaeym, have hatred one for the other. The setting affects the tone and mood. It is a dark,...
Are there any literary devices (such as idiom, imagery, simile, or personification) in "The Interlopers" by Saki?
"The Interlopers" by H.H. Munro (Saki) is a short story which is more about plot than anything else; however, it also contains some elements of figurative language, as you suggest. Idioms are the...
What is the central conflict of the story?
The central conflict in the story is between Ulrich and Georg over a virtually worthless piece of land. It is an example of a man versus man conflict. Their conflict with each other is as a result...
Latest answer posted November 5, 2007 1:35 am UTC
In "The Interlopers," what is Ulrich doing in the forest?
Ulrich von Gradwitz is in the forest to hunt down his archenemy Georg Znaeym in order to kill him. Both Ulrich and Georg despise each other from childhood and their antipathy for each other has...
What moment is the climax of "The Interlopers" by Saki?
Since there are two major conflicts, an argument can be made that there are two climactic moments. With the conflict of Man vs. Man, the climax comes when the two enemies, Ulrich von Gradwitz and...
What is the exposition of "The Interlopers"?
"The Interlopers" by H.H. Munro (whose pseudonym is Saki) is a relatively short, short story. The exposition is essentially the first three paragraphs of the selection, and it tells everything we...
Latest answer posted November 9, 2010 11:16 pm UTC
Saki writes, "Georg, who was blinded with the blood which trickled across his eyes, stopped his struggling for a...
In this line, Georg stops his struggling for a moment to listen to Ulrich. The struggling that he must stop is both a literal, physical kind of struggle as well as a figuritive, symbolic one....
What are some examples of symbolism in "The Interlopers"?
For generations, the Znaeyms and the von Gradwitzes have treated the natural environment as if it were nothing more than a piece of property. Readers never get any sense that these two feuding...
What is the surprise ending in "The Interlopers" by Saki and are it and the title appropriate?
Saki's short story "The Interlopers" ends ironically when the pinned-down characters realize that wolves are approaching them. To create a surprising, ironic ending like this, the writer has to set...
Latest answer posted July 4, 2016 1:31 pm UTC
In "The Interlopers", how does Georg Znaeym respond to both of Ulrich's offers?
While both men are pinned beneath a tree, Ulrich offers Georg some wine from his flask. Georg refuses his offer. He claims that he does not drink wine with his enemy: Ulrich manages to draw his...
When Ulrich offers to be Georg's friend in "The Interlopers" by Saki, what is Georg's reaction?
Everything that happens in "The Interlopers" by Saki is connected to one significant reality: Georg Znaeym and Ulrich von Gradwitz are the latest members of a three-generation feud and they detest...
Latest answer posted December 3, 2013 5:47 am UTC
What are three possible interpretations of "The Interlopers"?
It is interesting that the tree falling down is described as "nature's act of violence." This would support the views given above in #4 and #5. The men are the interlopers into a treacherous...
What happens at the end of "The Interlopers" by Saki?
"The Interlopers" was written by H.H. Munro, who went by the pen name of Saki. The story is set in the Karpathians, and the two protagonists are Georg Znaeym and Ulrich von Gradwitz. Since I am not...
Latest answer posted September 5, 2013 10:24 pm UTC
What is the moral or lesson in "The Interlopers"?
As with most texts, multiple themes are present. Here are a few ... 1. "Man is insignificant to nature." This is apparent when two very powerful men are trapped under a tree and then are...
How do Ulrich and Georg become friends in "The Interlopers"?
Ulrich is out patrolling his land, hoping to find Georg and perhaps catch him in the act of poaching. He and Georg meet and confront one another. Each man threatens the other. They seem poised for...
Latest answer posted March 5, 2016 9:37 pm UTC
What is the plot of "The Interlopers"?
As the story opens, Ulrich von Gradwitz is prowling on his land looking for his mortal enemy, Georg Znaeym. In the time of Ulrich's grandfather, the family of Georg Znaeym had lost possession of...
Latest answer posted February 4, 2017 12:54 am UTC
What is the rising action in "The Interlopers"?
The rising action of "The Interlopers" begins as Ulrich von Gradwitz and his men search for his enemy; soon, they confront each other face-to-face, but the beech tree around which they have moved...
In "The Interlopers," what is the subject for the theme? State the subject in one word.
"Possession," "pride," and "greed" are all good single words that sum up the theme of "The Interlopers." Pride becomes possibly the best summation term, as it has a long literary tradition as the...
How does Ulrich change his attitude toward his rival?
Faced with possible death, Ulrich von Gradwitz decides to no longer hold onto his animus. Instead of this enmity toward Georg Znaeym, who is pinioned beside him by the fallen tree's branches,...
Latest answer posted January 24, 2016 12:06 am UTC
In Saki's short story "The Interlopers," why does Ulrich's and Georg's attitude toward each other change?
"The Interlopers" by Saki is often taught in schools because it is such a striking example of plot twist--the main characters, bent on killing each other for so long, come to an agreement to end...
How does "The Interlopers" end?
Saki's short story "The Interlopers" has a tragic, poignant ending as Georg and Ulrich helplessly await their brutal deaths as a pack of wolves runs towards them. In the story, Georg Znaeym and...
In "The Interlopers," after Ulrich and Georg lie trapped, what sort of threats do they make?
Before their surprising reconciliation, Ulrich and Georg make one main threat to each other whilst they are trapped underneath the tree that has effectively prevented them from killing each other...
At the beginning of "The Interlopers," what is Ulrich's wish? Does it come true? What's ironic about this?
Ulrich's wish is to meet Georg in a deserted spot in the forest and end Georg's life. Half of his wish comes true, as he does indeed meet Georg "man to man" and "face to face." He does not kill...
Is there a protagonist and/or antagonist in "The Interlopers"?
There are, indeed, protagonists and antagonists in Saki's "The Interlopers," although these roles change during the narrative. In the exposition and rising action of the plot of "The Interlopers,"...
List three adjectives you would use to describe "The Interlopers."
One adjective that can certainly be applied to Saki's short story "The Interlopers" is ironic. In Saki's story, two antagonists who would gladly preside over each other's deaths arrive at a state...
What figurative language is used in "The Interlopers" by Saki?
The narrator describes the wind as "whistling and skirling," comparing it, via metaphor, to the bagpipes. The action of skirling is most typically ascribed to this instrument. Further, the...
What message might Saki be sending to the reader about Mother Nature in the short story "The Interlopers" ?
One message that Saki may be sending to the reader about Mother Nature is that she is opportunistic, and she can override any decisions that man can make just on her whims. When Ulrich Gradwitz...
Why is the ending of "The Interlopers" considered a surprise ending? "The Interlopers" by Saki
In the story "The Interlopers," in addition to the unexpected appearance of the wolves is the surprise to the reader that he or she is surprised for the second time. That is, "the fierce shriek of...
In "The Interlopers," what caused the men's relationship to change?
The change in the men's relationship is primarily due to Ulrich's generous overtures to his archenemy, Georg. After being pinned down by the beech tree, the men remain stubborn, despite their...
What are the internal and external conflicts in Saki's "The Interlopers"?
The main external conflict is the long-running feud between the Znaeym and von Gradwitz families. They've been at each other's throats for years, and all because of a remote patch of forest. This...
How are Georg and Ulrich similar, and how does the omniscient narrator show their thoughts?
Georg and Ulrich are similar in that both men have participated in a generational feud for much of their lifetime. As the other educator mentioned, both men are also stubborn, proud, and strong....
With whom did you sympathize: Ulrich, Georg, neither, or both? Why?
This is a great question. I sympathize with Gerog more than I sympathize with Ulrich. From the beginning of the story, in my opinion, the reader sees Georg in a better light. First, though it is...
When and where does the short story "The Interlopers" take place?
The short answer to your question can be found by reading the very first sentence in the story: "In a forest of mixed growth somewhere on the eastern spurs of the Karpathians, a man stood one...
Latest answer posted February 18, 2016 7:01 pm UTC
What message is delivered to the reader in the story "The Interlopers"?
There are at least two main messages being delivered to readers in "The Interlopers." First, the author is trying to tell us that it is important to let go of our grievances before it is too late....
What are two character traits of two different characters from "The Interlopers"?
Interestingly, this story only contains two characters, and both are so similar in terms of their traits that they would be hard to distinguish from each other. The only thing that seems to...