Irony of the Interlopers Essay Example
Irony of the Interlopers Essay Example

Irony of the Interlopers Essay Example

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In the narrative "The Interlopers," Ulrich von Gradwitz and Georg Znaeym, who are enemies, meet in Ulrich's forest. Both men have hatred and killing in their hearts, but they are both trapped beneath a fallen beech tree and cannot escape. They both have help on the way, but it is uncertain whose help will arrive first. While they argue, Ulrich decides to be the bigger person and offers friendship to Georg. He suggests that if his men arrive first, they will help Georg first as though he were a guest. Ulrich realizes that the quarrel over the strip of wood they have fought over for so long has been foolish, and there are more important things in life than winning a boundary dispute. Georg accepts Ulrich's offer of friendship and agrees to be civi

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l with each other. He promises that he would never shoot on Ulrich's land unless invited as a guest, and he invites Ulrich to come and hunt with him in the fens where there are no obstacles to making peace.I never thought I would ever want anything other than to hate you all my life, but now I think I have changed my mind about things too. This all happened within the last 30 minutes, and then you offered me your wine flask, Ulrich von Gradwitz. I will be your friend." While in silence, thinking about the changes this reconciliation would bring, Ulrich suspects he sees his men. There are about nine to ten figures coming through the forest, but is it what he thinks it is? The author of this story, Saki, used irony to comment on human nature by makin

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the reader believe that Ulrich and Georg were going to be rescued when in reality, they weren't. Saki made the reader suspect that what Ulrich saw in the distance was his men coming to help him and his new friend out from under the tree. In reality, the figures that Ulrich saw were wolves coming to eat the two troubled men. This is ironic because before Ulrich and Georg became friends, they were arguing about whose men would come first and who would be left for dead. After becoming friends and seeing the wolves, the two men realize that they are both being left for dead and neither one of them will be saved. Additionally, in the beginning of the story, Ulrich thinks to himself, "If only on this wild night, in this dark, lonely place he might come across Georg Znaeym, man to man, with none to witness - that was the wish that was uppermost in his thoughts." This is ironic because not even two minutes later...He encounters his enemy near a large beech tree. This crucial moment leads to both men glaring at each other silently and then becoming trapped under the massive tree, unable to escape.

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