Literary Analysis Of The Interlopers

An Old Rivalry Under a Beech Tree
The short story “The Interlopers” by H. H. Munro examines how forgiveness is often clouded by pride, but when an individual puts their ego aside, even they are given the opportunity to show compassion. The conflict of the story revolves around the rightful ownership of a strip of land that has “embittered the relationships between families for three generations” and that the “feud might…been compromised” if not for the “ill will of the two men” (Munro 34). This disagreement has pushed on for quite a long time, and has negatively affected many people. Georg and Ulrich are fully aware of this, yet they choose to stay arrogant and continue this rivalry. They are prideful, as each man does not want to admit his
Despite Georg’s refusal for the wine, Ulrich feels “the old fierce hatred…dying down” (36). He even goes on to admitting that they have “quarrelled like devils all [their] lives over this stupid piece of land” and that there are “better things” than holding grudges (36). Following Ulrich’s speech, Georg agrees to be his “friend” (37). The adversaries have stepped down from their prides, and acted humbly by admitting their foolishness. Their admittance shows that they were irrational to allow the piece of land to intervene in their relationship in the first place, and that they must swallow their arrogance. They demonstrate forgiveness by letting of the resentment that was once divided them as foes, and agreeing to be friends. Through forgiveness and acceptance of their own faults, they were given the opportunity to start a new amiable love; a friendship. Although Georg and Ulrich were able to come to peaceful terms, they never had a chance to celebrate, as Ulrich described figures of “wolves” approaching them (37). This troubling resolution comes to show that people can be prideful, and they tend to believe that only their opinion is correct. When they realize that they might have been wrong, it’s too late, and their chance