An analysis of the characters’ names in “The Interlopers” reveals the class dynamics at work in this short story. The name "Urlich von Gradwitz" contains within it a nobiliary particle (von), which in certain societies is reserved exclusively for the nobility (Rabkin and Willis). According to the story, the von Gradwitz family won claim to the land through a court order.
In contrast, Georg Znaeym’s first name means farmer or earth worker (Rabkin and Willis). The Znaeyms are regarded as “petty landowners,” denoting a sense of low status or insignificance. Though they lose in court, they refuse to surrender the lands to the von Gradwitz family.
These names may ultimately be a distinction without a difference since the two men share a tragic fate in the forest. However, in creating the distinction between them, Saki may be offering readers a commentary on property ownership more generally. In particular, he may be cautioning others that no matter your class – high or low – you stand to lose equally in a battle against nature. This is just another example of nature’s complete lack of regard for the affairs of man.
