Summary Of The Interlopers By Rena Korb

Do we as humans have any right to lay claim to land that has been the home of other animals for centuries? In Rena Korb’s critical essay on “The Interlopers,” she argues that land ownership is just an illusion, and the wilderness is a cold place in which only the strongest are fit to survive. Written in 2002 in Detroit, Michigan, Korb’s critical essay was published in the magazine Short Stories for Students. The essay provides an illuminating analysis on the role of the wolves in the story, as well as additional insight into what exactly the author was trying to convey through his story. I chose this essay for my rhetorical analysis because Rena Korb provided a unique perspective on Saki’s short story “The Interlopers” by focusing on the wolves

Rena Korb seems to feel sympathetic, not to the men for being eaten alive, but for the wolves themselves. In the analysis, she refers to the wolves as having their land stolen, and she says that Ulrich and Georg had no claim to the land that they both fought over. In the analysis, Korb says,” The men tried to tame the area, but their claim on the land derives only from the authority of civilized society, not from any real sense of belonging or unity.” Korb views Ulrich and George as weak and stupid, and she regards nature and the wolves simply as survivalist, who do what is necessary. The men were unable to kill each other when they had the opportunity, and the analysis states that the wolves were only taking advantage of Ulrich and Georg’s missed opportunity. So according to Korb, the Interlopers in the story are both Ulrich and Georg, and the wolves were the only hunters defending their territory all along. She seems to condone the men to death, as if they deserved their fate for attempting to seize the wolves land. I’m not sure that I agree, but I enjoyed hearing her perspective. Korb attempts to persuade us to feel sympathy for the wolves by using negative word choice in regards to Ulrich and Georg. When referring to nature or the wolves however, she uses words such as magnificent, swift, and primacy, which all have more positive connotations. I did find it

For example, the bias against Ulrich and Georg is an opinion, but it is supported by quotes such as when Ulrich says “So you are not killed, as you ought to be, but you’re caught anyway. There’s justice for you!” This quote demonstrates Ulrich’s foolishness because they are both trapped under the same tree, so there isn’t really any justice for Ulrich, and it’s understandable why Korb may think of the two men as ignorant. In addition to quotes, previous works of Saki are also used by Korb to show logos. By comparing “The Interlopers” to other works of Saki’s with similar themes of animal superiority, it seems more believable that Saki himself would have favored the wolves, thus supporting