The Theme Of Controversy In 'The Interlopers'

One night in a dark forest two men, Ulrich von Gradwitz and Georg Znaeym, scouted for each other in hopes that death would fall upon the other in defense for property rights. The men are entangled in a three generations land dispute. When the two are trapped beside each other under a tree branch, which had collapsed on them, they are forced to let go of their bloodlust and be civil. In “The Interlopers” Saki conveys a theme of an unresolved feud can turn into a never-ending cycle.
Ever since the feud began it soon became worse with every passing year. Each of the three generations presented in their own drama into the feud, but the third generation had the greatest rivalry. In the text, the narrator indicates how “The neighbor feud had grown into a personal one since Ulrich had come to be head of his family; if there was a man he detested and wished ill to it was Georg Znaeym…” (2). This quote supports my theme because it lets the reader understand how the third generation had twisted their feud into a huge bundle of personal conflicts. The anger and disputes that had amplified for the past three generations had

While stuck under the branch with Georg, Ulrich, who had been silent for so long finally said “We have quarreled like devils all our lives over this stupid strip of forest… Lying here tonight thinking I’ve come to think we’ve been rather fools; there are better things in life than getting the better in a land dispute” (19). The quote works my theme because it shows how the families have been blinded by the feud and the history behind it that they didn’t stop and appreciate what they around them. Instead, the two have wasted their time and effort on the feud because of how it's become such a big part of their lives. The feud was now the norm for them and they didn’t realize how it was depriving them of their better