The Interlopers
How is their grudge resolved?
The interlopers
The interlopers
In The Interlopers, the man versus man conflict is resolved by the two men burying their hatred for each other and becoming friends. It the end they are both going to suffer the same fate of being eaten by wolves.
"The Intruders" is a short story by Saki that tells the story of two men, Georg Znaim and Ulrich von Gradwitz, who become involved in a long-standing feud over a land they both consider to be theirs.
In this story, Georg and Ulrich go out into the woods to hunt each other one night to settle the dispute once and for all. But before they can find each other, a tree branch falls on top of them, trapping the two below.
While trapped and unable to move, they start talking and realize that their animosity is petty and meaningless in the grand scheme of things. They also realize they have more in common with each other than they thought, including their love of nature and their desire for peace.
As soon as they start rewarding them, they hear voices in the distance and assume their respective hunting parties are coming to rescue them. However, it turns out to be a pack of wolves and the story ends with both men being killed.
The resentment between Georg and Ulrich is far from fully resolved, but their shared experience of dying together under a tree leads to a moment of understanding and eventual reconciliation. However, the story's tragic ending suggests that the chances for true reconciliation and peace were ultimately curtailed.