The Interlopers

“ The Interloper”- Analysis

Ever experienced that feeling of fear or dread while rambling through the forest? That creeping on the neck and hair-raising on the arms would not be a foreign sensation to the reader as Saki uses third person point of view, mood and setting to add a fearsome aura to the theme of the story, “The Interloper”.

The point of view greatly influences the plot by creating a feeling of the here and now. The reader is in this place at this time! By using this angle, the author draws us into the struggle of Gradwitz and Znaeym. This vantage point allows for an unbiased view into Gradwitz and Znaeym’s battle with anger, hate and retribution.

The reader joins this story on a cold winter’s night in a mountain range stretching from Slovakia and extending though Poland, the Ukraine, and Romania. The author has created a setting which quickly engages the reader, filling them with the same fear as the key characters. A mood of silence surrounds the dense woods and thick underbrush, all the while the moonlight illuminates the omnipresence of fear and hopelessness.

The third person point of view, an eerie mood, and a dark setting, heighten the unnerving feeling of terror and dread that follows through to the end. These three basic components combined create the atmosphere from which the author examines the power of greed led by hate. The events that portray an enemy becoming a friend unfold as hate leads to disaster. Saki has written, in story

form, an analysis into human behavior that affects all of mankind. Greed and hate are often the force behind many poor decisions made each day. Man is led to acts of evil for gain, and seeks out ways of revenge because of hate. By showing how greed and hate can lead to disaster, Saki helps people understand the problems that come with selfish choices.

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