The Interlopers Quiz

What is the setting of "The Interlopers?"

• a forest in the Carpathian mountains

• Somewhere in Colorado, likely a ski resort

• A castle north of Hadrian's Wall in the Middle Ages

• Ancient Rome

Answer explanation

Specifically, it's wintertime in the Carpathian Mountains.

What is Ulrich von Gradwitz looking for?

• a human enemy

• his dad's rifle, which he lost

• the sacred white deer

• the animal that's been killing his livestock

Who is Ulrich von Gradwitz's enemy?

• Georg Znaeym

• Rudolfo Lennin

• Fydor Dostyevski

• Leonard Tolstoy

Answer explanation

Georg and Ulrich are about the same age!

What are Ulrich and Georg fighting over?

• Ownership of a piece of land

• A woman they both want to marry

• A position of power in the town

• They're not fighting???

Answer explanation

Three generations ago, Ulrich's family won the rights to the land in a lawsuit. Georg's family doesn't accept that.

How does the description of the roebuck running around and the windy weather add to mood of the setting?

• It shows that it's kind of creepy in the woods tonight.

• It shows that Ulrich is hunting deer.

• It shows that Georg is afraid of the dark.

• It shows that springtime is coming.

Answer explanation

This is the author telling us that something bad is going to happen without literally saying that in the story!

Why did the men not shoot each other immediately?

• They were raised to be more civilized than that.

• They wanted to be sure of each other's identity first.

• Each man dropped his rifle on accident.

• Some deer ran right between them.

Answer explanation

Georg and Ulrich are high class gentlemen who have a high standard of behavior. The fact that they even want to fight over this land shows how petty they truly are.

What happened to the two men while they were hesitating?

• A tree fell and pinned them to the ground.

• An avalanche came and trapped them under snow.

• Georg slipped on some loose rocks and slid down the mountainside.

• Some geese flew overhead and distracted them.

Answer explanation

A nice thing about the writing here is Saki said "a deed of Nature's own violence," which highlights how the men were so focused on fighting each other.

Why was Georg laughing after the tree fell?

• He sees the irony that Ulrich von Gradwitz was pinned down and injured in his own forest, which Georg believes belongs to the Znaeym family.

• He took a hard hit on the head and it rattled his brains a bit.

• It was so cold that Georg and didn't feel the pain from being pinned under the tree.

• He saw that Ulrich's rifle was broken.

Answer explanation

This is that moment when something bad happens to someone you don't like. A petty person might enjoy seeing the person they don't like having a misfortune.

While pinned under the tree, how do the men threaten each other?

• They each say their men (their employees) will rescue them first and beat up the other.

• They threaten to sue each other's families for the medical bills from the tree falling.

• They say if they get out, they will leave the other to die in the snow.

• They say if they get out, they will steal from each others' homes.

Answer explanation

Remember, these guys are high class (rich) European land owners. They have people who work for them to help run the farmland, manage family finances, and so on.

Why did Ulrich offer to share his wine with Georg?

• He felt bad for Georg.

• It was poisoned.

• He wanted to see how much Georg could move.

• If he stopped talking, he was afraid he would pass out.

Answer explanation

While the two men hate each other, they were raised to be gentlemen. They still have compassion and empathy, too.