The+Interlopers

Time-This story was most probably set sometime in the mid to late 1800s (similar to Mountain Journey). This can be inferred through the fact that Ulrich's last name directly means "of Gradwitz". The fact that he still lives in Gradwitz tells the reader that his particular last name was thought up a relatively short while ago. Last names became hereditary sometime during the 1700s, and, if one is to believe that this particular last name is over 3 generations old (his grandpa is mentioned), the guess of 1800s is not altogether bad. Also the fact that a sportsman's calendar exists gives one the feeling that, at the time, people knew when to hunt to prevent extinction of their game. Place- Most of the story is set under a beech tree in the barren outer strip of the lush forest lands of Gradwitz, which is in the eastern spurs of the Carpathians. It also happens to be a winter night. Mood-The reader is generally kept suspenseful in the beginning of the story, and right up until the end when you are left with the certainty that those poor guys are going to get eaten by wolves. pg1 para1 " ... a man stood one winter night as though listening for some beast of the woods to come within range of his rifle..." pg4 para8 "We have quarreled like devils..." pg2 para1"...the roebuck, which usually kept in the sheltered hollows during a storm-wind were running like driven things tonight" Though the author did not directly give a quotable metaphor, the tree falling on the legs of the two men is a metaphor as well as a symbol for the fact that the two men could not come together as friends without sense getting knocked into them. pg2 para2 "...wild night..." pg2 para 3"... restraining civilization..." pg2 para3"...Nature's own violence..." pg2 para 3" ...shriek of the storm..." pg5 para4 ( this sentence contains 4 personifications) " In the cold, gloomy forest, with the wind tearing in fitful gusts through the naked branches and whistling round the tree-trunks, they lay and waited for the help that would bring release and succor to both parties. See Metaphor The wolves were a symbol of the fact that everything is up to chance, and all of ones fortune can be lost in one fell swoop. Verbal: Georg Znaeym, states, after he is posed with the possibility of becoming the friend of Ulrich, states the irony of a time in which they might ride into the market square together, as friends. pg 2 para 3 "cold blood" Dramatic: The narrator in this story is not very open about what happens in the story, and one does not know what will happen until it finally does. I, for one, thought that Georg and Ulrich would end up finding a way to annoy or injure the other further. But hey, what do you know, they become best friends in the end. Situational: The first instance of situational irony is when the man that Ulrich is looking for most in the forest just happens to be around the beech tree from where he is standing. The second is shown when the tree falls on Ulrich in his own forest. This leads to the slightly messy situation of Ulrich getting ripped to shreds in his own forest. This shows that even if you might "own" a forest... the forest really owns you. pg2 para3"...wild night..." pg2 para 3"... restraining civilization..." pg2 para 3"...Nature's own violence..." pg2 para 3" ...shriek of the storm..." pg 2 all of para 3 (both begin to think about killing the other, when a tree falls on their legs) pg4 first 6 lines of para3 (Ulrich's struggle to get his wine-flask) pg4 para 7 "... the hollow screeching of the wind..."
 * Short Stories - Literary Devises Title:The Interlopers**
 * Point of View:** Third Person (omniscient)
 * Protagonist:** Ulrich von Gradwitz
 * What type of character is the Protagonist?** Round/Dynamic. As the story progresses, Ulrich's mindset changes from the fact that he hates Georg, to hoping that a friendship can sort all of the family problems out. As his outlook on his newly made friend changes, so does he. At least he appears to feel much less awkward than I would have been if I were trapped under a tree with a guy I had hated my whole life.
 * Antagonist:** Environment
 * Describe the setting**
 * Type of Conflict:** Man vs. Environment
 * Describe the main conflict:** The main conflict of man vs environment is portrayed by the beech tree falling on the legs of the two men in question, and stopping them from the satisfying proposition of killing the other. The tree, undoubtedly was the winner of the near fight to the death. But, on the bright side, "Ulrich's fractures weren't as bad as they might have been". The conflict stated before, led to the forced close proximity of the two men. This then brought about a new friendship between the two. Even though the friendship between these lifelong enemies is a positive outcome of this unfortunate situation, their deaths at the hands of wolves gives one the feeling that all of the effects are not positive. The above-mentioned tree was blown by the wind onto the legs of the unfortunate men, therefore restating the point that the environment causes the death (inadvertently) of these two hapless individuals.
 * Describe the Climax of the Story:** I feel as if the climax of the story is the point at which Ulrich notices that the "men" he called out to were wolves. The suspense that the author puts forth in his writing builds up, as one visualizes the men being saved. One wonders whether the men will be Ulrich's or Georg's, and what the outcome of the story might be in either case. //Then// when Ulrich discovers that these are not men, but wolves, the reader stares at the paper for one moment, and then thinks "Oh snap, those guys are getting eaten". The thing about the way the author ends the story at the climax, is that he allows the reader to invent -using their own imagination- the falling action.
 * How does the Protagonist change over the course of the story?** The protagonist (Ulrich) makes several changes to his thoughts and beliefs over the short span of time shown in the story. The beginning of the story show a disturbed man whose only goal is to find and kill his enemy, Georg Znaeym. Yet, over the course of this story, Ulrich becomes more thoughtful and kindly towards his sworn lifetime enemy. First, in offering the wine-flask, which was rebuffed by Georg, and then by directly asking for friendship. The latter was reluctantly accepted by Georg as the only way in which the two could desert that god-forsaken log. Georg and Ulrich, after their new friendship, both begin to realize the futility of their families' feud, and come to a conclusion as to how to compromise their individual lands.
 * Describe the relationship between the title and the theme.** The theme of the story, in my opinion, is that humans are predisposed to disliking, or hating that which they do not know. Ulrich and Georg are both predisposed to hating each other, because of their an**c**estors' feud, even though they do not know each other in the slightest. It is said in the beginning of the story that, as boys they thirsted for one another's blood. Only fermenting hatred over generations could cause such ill-will. Yet, as men when they are trapped under a log, do they really find out that the other is not such a terrible person. An interloper is a fancy word for an intruder, and usually intruders are not people you know very well.
 * How does the main conflict help to illustrate the theme?** The main conflict of man vs environment helps show the way that man perceives that which he doesn't know as bad. Humans have forever been strangers to the weather, and can never be sure of what it will throw at us. Farmers always fear and hate floods or droughts, and never know whether the weather will keep their heads above ground. Though they fear the weather, once they get to know it a little bit better, they find ways to harness, and become friendly (in a manner of speaking) with the weather.
 * How does the climax help to illustrate the theme?** The climax of the story is when Ulrich sees the wolves. Up until the point at which he notices them for what they are, Ulrich is glad, for he thinks that these are his own men, or Georg's men**.** Yet when he sees that they are wolves, he is naturally fearful, because he wonders if the wolves will eat him or not. Ulrich does not know if he will die or not, yet he expects the worst. Why? because he is afraid of the unknown hunger of said wolves.
 * Give examples of each of the following literary terms in the story (use quotes):**
 * Simile:**
 * Metaphor:**
 * Personification:**
 * Symbol:**
 * Foreshadowing (give both elements):** pg 191 paras 4-5- Both men say that //their// men will arrive first, and it is stated that either man's life will end if the others fellow foresters come first. However, the outcome of the situation is that neither of the groups of foresters come forth, and both men are devoured by wolves.
 * Irony:**
 * Imagery:**
 * Describe the relationships between the class theme and the story.** The class theme of choices relates to the story The Interlopers by the simple reason that if Ulrich had not chosen to go after his sworn lifelong enemy, he would not have gotten eaten. By making the choice to go out and fetch his interloping neighbor, he led himself to his own death. This just shows that everyone's individual choices can lead to -if not deaths- overall bad stuff. The story has an underlying point that for every bad choice you make ( Ulrich's choice was to hate Georg) there is an equally bad counter reaction.

Ulrich ** : ** pg3 para 6 "My men have orders to follow in 10 minutes time, seven of which have passed already..."
 * 1. What is Ulrich hunting for? ** According to the narrator (omniscient), Ulrich is not hunting for doebuck (his usual game), but for his multi-generational foe, Georg Znaeym.
 * 2. How did Ulrich come to own the property in question? ** Ulrich acquired the property from his father, who himself acquired it from his own father. Ulrich's grandfather won the property in the Courts (see below)
 * 3. Why do Ulrich and Georg hate each other? How did it all start? ** Ulrich's grandfather was caught up in a lawsuit with Georg's, and Ulrich's grandfather won. According to the story, Georg's relation was in illegal possession of said strip of forest. Goerg's family, who claimed that the strip of forest was rightly theirs, had been feuding with Ulrich's family for three generations.
 * 4. Identify the foreshadowing in the second paragraph. ** Ulrich states that he is looking for an intruder in the disputed strip of border forest. His reason for believing this is because of the running roebuck that he sees in the forest. The foreshadowing in this paragraph is the fact that he believes Georg is in his part of the forest. This, and the fact that he himself hopes to find Georg foreshadows a meeting of the two enemies in the future.
 * 5. Why did they not try to shoot each other the moment they saw each other? ** The author states that Ulrich and Georg were "brought up under the code of a restraining civilization", and therefore each man could not "shoot down hos neighbor in cold blood". It was considered decent, however to insult him thoroughly before blowing his head off.
 * 6. What saves Ulrich’s feet from being crushed? ** Ulrich's feet were saved by his heavy shooting boots.
 * 7. What lies do they tell each other after realizing they are both trapped under the tree? **
 * Georg:** pg3 para5 "I have men too(not a lie), in the forest close behind me **(** the lie)**"**
 * 8. Why does Ulrich change his mind about killing Georg?** Ulrich sees the futility of the feud over the small strip of non-profitable land and thinks that the fighting between the families is completely stupid. His anger at Georg is lessened because he thinks of the fact that trees in the useless forest cannot stand upright against gust of wind.
 * 9. What significance is there in the title of this story? What are some possible meanings of the title? ** The title (The Interlopers) relates to the story because technically both Georg and Ulrich are intruders on that strip of forest. Georg is an interloper, because the forest legally belongs to Ulrich. Then again, Ulrich too could be considered a trespasser, since the land was wrested from Georg's grandfather through a legal technicality. In the ironic ending, both interlopers are eaten by another set of intruders on the scene: A pack of wolves.
 * 10. In the end of the story why do each of the men hope that their men will come first to rescue him? ** Each man wishes to impress upon the other the hospitality and "honorable attention" that will be shown to them in the future. In other words, impress their new friend.
 * 11. Describe the irony in this story. ** See irony
 * 12. What metaphor can you find in relation to the tree pinning down the two characters? ** See metaphor
 * 13. Is the ending of this story effective? Why or why not? ** The ending of this story is a cliffhanger. Personally, I find cliffhangers an ineffective way to wrap up a story. I find, when reading a story, a cliffhanger leaves much to imagination, and does not really give the story a definitive ending. The story has a certain loss of flow, and gives the reader a sort of needing to know what happens afterward. The author does not give specifics as to how the two men died ( not that I want them) but rather does not give specifics as to whether or not they really did die. One wonders whether or not they really did die. The possibility, however slim still exists that they fought off the wolves, and somehow escaped. Personally, I am inclined to think that they indeed died, but who knows, maybe the wolves weren't hungry?

20/20