Sunday, July 22, 2012

Select a quote that shows how the narrator can influence the reader in "The Interlopers" by Saki?

At the beginning of the short story, Saki describes the bitter family feud, which manifests into Ulrich and Georg's rivalry. Ulrich and Georg both enter the disputed forest in search of one another, hoping they will be able to surprise their enemy hunting and kill them in the wilderness. The main focus of the story towards its beginning centers around Ulrich and Georg's enmity toward each other, and the two men eventually meet face-to-face in the disputed territory. Before either man has a chance to harm the other, a terrible storm unexpectedly knocks over a massive tree, which happens to land on both men. Saki writes,

"And before the moment of hesitation had given way to action, a deed of Nature’s own violence overwhelmed them both" (2).

Saki's quote influences the reader to view the story from a different perspective and consider the fact that humans have no authority over the natural world. The men who are engaged in a bitter territorial dispute cannot actually claim the land because they have no influence over the natural environment or nature itself. The tree's unexpected attack on the men initiates the theme of man versus nature, which is later depicted in the arrival of the wolves. Nature and its processes are depicted as working themselves out in the human world, regardless of Ulrich or Georg's designs or wishes. In the short story, Saki illustrates that human relations, institutions, and territorial claims have no dominion over the natural world.


The last line of Saki's short story "The Interlopers," is a quote that captures the power of the narrator to influence the reader. Throughout the story, the narrator is omniscient, or all-knowing, and the reader learns everything there is to know about the feud between Ulrich and Georg's families and their own animosity towards each other. The narrator provides clear descriptions of the setting, as well as full quotes spoken by both characters. The thoroughness of the narrator lulls the reader into a false sense of security. This omniscient voice of the narrator leads the reader to believe he or she has a full understanding of the situation, but this feeling of security is broken suddenly by the last line of the story.
At the end of the story, the narrator describes Ulrich's reaction to the noises coming closer to the men in great detail. Georg's responses to Ulrich make perfect sense, but when Georg asks, "Who are they?" the reader, like Georg, is unprepared for the answer: "Wolves."
This last line of the story shocks the reader as much as it likely shocks Georg. The power of this jarring realization lies in the power of the omniscient narrator who sets up a story so thoroughly that the reader is surprised by this outcome.

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