英美短篇小 说Unit 2 The Interlopers

Unit2TheInterlopers——HectorHughMunro(Saki)Bornon18December1870inAkyab,BritishBurma.Diedon13November1916(aged45)PennameSakiOccupationAuthor,PlaywrightNationalityBritishThemasterofshortstoriesAbouttheauthor——HectorHughMunro(Saki)(1870-1916)HectorHughMunro,betterknownbythepennameSaki,andalsofrequentlyasH.H.Munro,wasaBritishwriterwhosewitty,mischievousandsometimesmacabrestoriessatirizeEdwardiansocietyandculture.Heisconsideredamasteroftheshortstory,andoftencomparedtoO.HenryandDorothyParker.InfluencedbyOscarWilde,LewisCarrollandRudyardKipling,hehimselfinfluencedA.A.Milne,NoëlCowardandP.G.Wodehouse.Besideshisshortstories(whichwerefirstpublishedinnewspapers,aswascustomaryatthetime,andthencollectedintoseveralvolumes),hewroteafull-lengthplay,TheWatchedPot,incollaborationwithCharlesMaude;twoone-actplays;ahistoricalstudy,TheRiseoftheRussianEmpire,theonlybookpublishedunderhisownname;ashortnovel,TheUnbearableBassington;theepisodicTheWestminsterAlice(aparliamentaryparodyofAliceinWonderland);andWhenWilliamCame,subtitledAStoryofLondonUndertheHohenzollerns,afantasyaboutafutureGermaninvasionandoccupationofBritain.HisLifeHectorHughMunrowasborninAkyab,BritishBurma.HewasthesonofCharlesAugustusMunro,anInspectorGeneralfortheIndianImperialPolice,byhismarriagetoMaryFrancesMercer(1843–1872),thedaughterofRearAdmiralSamuelMercer.Hernephew,CecilWilliamMercer,laterbecameafamousnovelistasDornfordYates.In1872,onahomevisittoEngland,MaryMunrowaschargedbyacow,andtheshockcausedhertomiscarry.Sheneverrecoveredandsoondied.CharlesMunrosenthischildren,includingtwo-year-oldHector,hometoEngland,wheretheywerebroughtupbytheirgrandmotherandauntsinastrictandpuritanicalhousehold.TheyoungHectorMunrowaseducatedatPencarwickSchoolinExmouthandthenasaboarderatBedfordSchool.OnafewoccasionsafterheretiredfromBurma,CharlesMunrotravelledwithHectorandhissistertofashionableEuropeanspasandresorts.In1893HectorMunrofollowedhisfatherintotheIndianImperialPoliceandwaspostedtoBurma.Twoyearslater,havingcontractedmalaria,heresignedandreturnedtoEngland.AtthestartoftheFirstWorldWarMunrowas43andofficiallyover-agetoenlist,butherefusedacommissionandjoinedthe2ndKingEdward'sHorseasanordinarytrooper.Helatertransferredtothe22ndBattalionoftheRoyalFusiliers,inwhichherosetotherankoflancesergeant.Morethanoncehereturnedtothebattlefieldwhenofficiallystilltoosickorinjured.InNovember1916hewasshelteringinashellcraternearBeaumont-Hamel,France,duringtheBattleoftheAncre,whenhewaskilledbyaGermansniper.Accordingtoseveralsources,hislastwordswere"Putthatbloodycigaretteout!"Munrowashomosexual,butinBritainatthattimesexualactivitybetweenmenwasacrime.TheClevelandStreetscandal(1889),followedbythedownfallofOscarWilde(1895),meant"thatsideof[Munro's]lifehadtobesecret".WRITINGCAREERThepenname"Saki"maybeareferencetothecupbearerintheRubáiyátofOmarKhayyam,apoemmentioneddisparaginglybytheeponymouscharacterin"ReginaldonChristmasPresents"andalludedtoinafewotherstories.ThisreferenceisstatedasfactbyEmlynWilliamsinhisintroductiontoaSakianthologypublishedin1978.[9]However,"Saki"mayalsoorinsteadbeareferencetotheSouthAmericanmonkeyofthatname,whichatleasttwocommentators,TomSharpeandWillSelf,haveconnectedtothe"small,long-tailedmonkeyfromtheWesternHemisphere"thatisacentralcharacterin"TheRemouldingofGrobyLington".MunrostartedhiswritingcareerasajournalistfornewspaperssuchastheWestminsterGazette,theDailyExpress,theMorningPost,andmagazinessuchastheBystanderandOutlook.HisfirstbookTheRiseoftheRussianEmpire,ahistoricalstudymodelleduponEdwardGibbon'sTheDeclineandFalloftheRomanEmpire,appearedin1900,underhisrealname.From1902to1908MunroworkedasaforeigncorrespondentfortheMorningPostintheBalkans,Warsaw,Russia(wherehewitnessedBloodySunday),andParis.HethengaveupforeignreportingandsettledinLondon.ManyofhisstoriesfromthisperiodfeatureReginaldandClovis,youngmen-about-townwhotakemischievousdelightinthediscomfortordownfalloftheirconventional,pretentiouselders.ShortlybeforetheFirstWorldWar,when"invasionliterature"wassellingwell,Munropublisheda"what-if"novel,WhenWilliamCame,subtitled"AStoryofLondonUndertheHohenzollerns",imaginingtheeponymousGermanemperorconqueringandoccupyingBritain.Saki'sshortstoryisverypopularamongEnglishreaders,whileinChina,thereislittlestudypapersaboutSakiandhisworks.Althoughhisshort-storyTheOpenWindowsisveryfamiliarforChinesereaders,butthenameofSakiseemsdidn'tearnitsduereputation.Nevertheless,hispositionintheEnglishliteratureisimpregnableaslongasthesunshines.Hisshortstory,characterizedbyingeniousconception,rigorousstructure,acrimonioustoneandpungentsatirecontributetohisreputationasthemasterofshortstoryinEurope.IMPORTANTWORKS"Dogged"(shortstory,appearedaswrittenbyH.H.M.inSt.Paul's,18February),1899TheRiseoftheRussianEmpire(history),1900"TheWomanWhoNeverShould"(politicalsketchintheWestminsterGazette,22July),1902TheNotSoStories(politicalsketchesinTheWestminsterAnnual),1902TheWestminsterAlice(politicalsketcheswithillustrationsbyF.CarruthersGould),1902Reginald(shortstories),1904ReginaldinRussia(shortstories),1910TheChroniclesofClovis(shortstories),1911TheUnbearableBassington(novel),1912WhenWilliamCame(novel),1913BeastsandSuper-Beasts(shortstories,including"TheLumber-Room"),1914"TheEastWing"(shortstory,inLucas'sAnnual/Methuen'sAnnual),1914"TheInterlopers"AshortstorywrittenbySaki.contraststheconventionsandhypocrisiesofEdwardianEnglandwiththeruthlessbutstraightforwardlife-and-deathstrugglesofnature.Naturegenerallywinsintheend.PLOTSUMMARY"TheInterlopers"isastoryabouttwomen,GeorgZnaeymandUlrichvonGradwitz,whosefamilieshavefoughtoveraforestintheeasternCarpathianMountainsforgenerations.Ulrich'sfamilylegallyownstheland,butGeorg,believingthatitrightfullybelongstohim,huntsthereanyway.OnewinternightUlrichcatchesGeorghuntinginhisforest.Neithermancanshoottheotherwithoutwarning,astheywouldsoiltheirfamily’shonour,sotheyhesitatetoacknowledgeoneanother.Asan"actofGod"atreebranchsuddenlyfallsoneachofthem,trappingthembothunderalog.Graduallytheyrealisethefutilityoftheirquarrel,becomefriendsandendthefeud.Theycalloutfortheirmen’sassistanceand,afterabriefperiod,Ulrichmakesoutnineortenfiguresapproachingoverahill.ThestoryendswithUlrich’srealisationthatthe"interlopers"onthehillareactuallywolves.ANALYSISInternalconflictsv.sExternalconflictsInternalconflictsoccurswithinacharacterwhoexperiencesoppsongideasorfeelings.Externalconflictsoccursbetweencharactersorbetweenacharacterandaforceofnature.Directv.sIndirectcharacterizationDirectiswhenanauthordirectlystatesacharater'spersonalitytraits.Indirectiswhenawriterusesacharacter'sactions,thoughtsandfeelingstosuggesttheirtraits.Whatisthecauseforthefeud?Alawsuitoveranarrowstripoflandisthecauseforthefeud.Thereisapersonalhatredbetweenthetwomenwhichkeepsthefeudgoing.Istheconflictinthisstoryinternalorexternal?External.Theconflictisbetweenacharacterandanothercharacter.Beforetheycanshooteachother,atreefallspinningbothofthemdown.Whathappenedtothemenwhentheymeetfacetoface?Howdoestheconflictchange?Boastaboutwhattheirmenwilldototheotherman.UlrichoffersthewinetoGeorg.UlrichofferspeacetoGeorgresolvingtheconflict.Theybecomefriends.TheuseofsettingGeographicalLocationThegeographicallocationofTheInterlopersis“theeasternspursoftheKarpathianMountains〞.Actually,Sakipurposelytrumpsup"Karpathian〞accordingto"Carpathian"astheplaceinwhichthestoryoccursfortworeasons.Primarily,heintendstosatirizetheFirstWorldWar.TheCarpathianMountainsarearangeofmountainsforminganarcroughly1,500kmlongacrossCentralandEasternEurope,makingthemthesecond-longestmountainrangeinEurope.TheyprovidethehabitatforthelargestEuropeanpopulationsofbrownbears,wolves,chamoisandlynxes,withthehighestconcentrationinRomania.AswellasoveronethirdofallEuropeanplantspecies.Itistheepitomeofthedarkdayswhenimperialistsbarbarouslyandferociouslycarveuptheworldthroughviolence.ThestoryiswrittenwhenSakiwasservingonawarshipinFrance.Therefore,thetwomaincharactersofthestory--UlrichvonGradwitzandGeorgZnaeym--symbolizestheimperialistsintheFirstWorldWarmercilesslyplunderingthecoloniesandfightingbecausetheydidnotsplituptheprofitfromobeyequally.AndtheKarpathianisasymbolofthemaraudedcolonies.Asaresult,SakiingeniouslyemploysthevariationofCarpathiantosatirizetheFirstWorldWar.Secondly,theauthorchoosesKarpathianasthesettingstofuzzifyandglobalizethestory.Ifthetimeandspaceofthestoryiscertainandspecific,itisratherdifficultforthereaderstoconnecttheplotofthestorywiththeirownlifeandthesenseofvalue.Therefore,SakipurposelyuseKarpathianratherthanCarpathianspecificplaceintherealworld,asthesettingthestorytakenplace,becausehewantstoremindthereadersthatthestoryofTheInterlopermayoccuraroundusatanytime.Inthesense,thereaderscanfindtheKarpathianaroundthemwhichmakestheplotofthestoryglobalizedanduniversalized.HistoricalPeriodAccordingtothestoryandourknowledgeabouttheauthor,wecanimplythatthehistoryperiodofthestoryisduringTheEdwardianerawhichisaperiodoftimecoveringthereignofKingEdwardVII,1901to1910,andissometimesextendedbeyondEdward'sdeathtoincludeyearsleadinguptoWorldWarI.Theerawasmarkedbysignificantshiftsineconomyandpoliticsofthesocietythathadbeenlargelyexcludedfromwieldingpowerinthepast,suchchangesincludedrisinginterestinsocialism,attentiontotheplightofthepoor,andthestatusofwomen,includingtheissueofwomen'ssuffrage,togetherwithincreasedeconomicopportunitiesasaresultofrapidindustrializationHowever,thepoorwerestillfrowneduponandsegregatedandthegovernmentinthiserawasverystrictwiththeirlaws.Manypeoplebelievedthatiftheyownedsomething,forexample,land,thatnooneelseshouldusethatlandwithouttheowner'spermission.Inthisway,itisnotdifficultforustounderstandthebasicconflictbetweenthecharactersinthestory.Also,thewoodlandcanbeseenasthesourceofconflict.InTheInterlopers,forthreegenerations,thefamilyofUlrichvonGradwitzandGeorgZnaeym,drivenbythefrenziedhatred,havebeendisputedoverauselesswoodland.whilejustasUlrichacknowledgedthat“itwasnotremarkableforthegameitharboredorshootingitafforded,butitwasthemostjealouslyguardedofallitsowner?sterritorialpossessions〞,bothofthemregardeachotherasthe“interlopers〞.Itindicatesthatanyformsofconflictandhatreditselfispointlessandevenstupid,anditmakesnodifferencetothematterwhenthereconciliationisonlyreachedthedaybeforethedisasterindeedcomedown.Inasense,italsocanbeseenastheconflictoriginsoftheFirstWordWar.Asweallknow,thesparkoftheFirstWorldWaristheassassinationofArchdukeFranzFerdinand,heirtotheAustro-Hungarianthrone,inSarajevoon28June1914.Ferdinand'sdeathatthehandsoftheBlackHand,aSerbiannationalistsecretsociety,setintrainamindlesslymechanicalseriesofeventsthatculminatedintheworld'sfirstglobalwar.Iftheyouthcanexpresshispoliticalopinionbyothermeans,theFirstWorldWarwouldn?tbreakoutinaninstant,andnumerousinnocentpeoplewouldn?thavebeeninvolvedinthedreadfulandbrutalwar.Sakiintendstotellusthattheoriginofanyconflictitselfmayofnopragmaticallysignificancetobothpartyinvolved,instead,itistheinconsequentialsparkle,flamedbyvanity,absurdness,selfishnessandjealousy,thateventuallyleadstothelossofmillionsoflives.PhysicalEnvironmentTheauthorpresentsavividpictureofthephysicalenvironmentofstorythroughhismeticulousanddetaileddescription.TheInterloperstakesplaceina"darkforest,"a"narrowstripofprecipitouswoodlandthatlayonitsoutskirt"which,ironically,isawastelandthatofnorealusestobothofthembutisthesourceoftheirdisputeandcontinuingfeud.Aswithmanyshortstories,nospecifictimeismentioned,butwedoknowthattheauthorlivedfrom1870to1916andthatinthestorynight---“awind-scourgedwinternight〞---"thewhistlingandskirlingofthewindandtherestlessbeatingofthebranchesforsightandsoundofthemarauders"--“littlesnowhadfallenasyet〞--isapproaching.ThebadweatheranddesolatedenvironmentaddsadditionalmoodandcomplicationsforthecharactersinTheInterlopers.Italsoarousesthecuriosityofthereaders?speculationtothedestinyofthecharactersinthenovel.Theauthorusesplentyofsubtletouchesdepictedavividpictureofthephysicalenvironment,whichisingeniouslyinlinewiththedevelopmentoftheplot.Inthestory,itisa"wind-scourgedwinternight"thatcauses"unrestamongthecreaturesthatwerewonttosleepthroughthedarkhours."The"disturbingelementintheforest"pushesUlrichtowish"ifonlyonthiswildnight,inthisdark,lonespot,hemightcomeacrossGeorgZnaeym,mantoman,withnonetowitness."Thewildnessofthewinterwindaccentuatesthewildnessfeltbythecharacter.Therefore,thecharacteristicsoftheprotagonistsinthestorygraduallyemergeandbecomemoreobviousanddistinct."Reliefatbeingaliveandexasperationathiscaptiveplightbroughtastrangemedleyofpiousthank-offeringsandsharpcursestoUlrich?slips."Aretheyyourmen?’herepeatedimpatientlyasUlrichdidnotanswer.""Eachhadarifleinhishand;eachhadhateinhisheart,andmurderuppermostinhismind.""’Idon?tdrinkwinewithanenemy.’"“Soyou?renotkilledasyououghttobe,butyou?recaught,anyway,〞hecried;“caughtfast.〞“Let'sshoutforhelp,〞hesaid;“inthislullourvoicesmaycarryalittleway.〞“Theywon'tcarryfarthroughthetreesandundergrowth,〞saidGeorg,“butwecantry.Togetherthen.〞FromthesesentenceswecanseethatUlrichvonGradwitzisastubborn,selfishmanatfirst,butwithfurtherdevelopmentinthestoryhebecomesmoreopen-minded.HeistheonewhoiswillingtobecomingfriendswithGeorg,hisworstenemy.Ontheotherhand,GeorgZnaeymishardheadedandself-centeredlikeUlrich.HeisjealousofUlrichbecausehehasabundantlandandhuntinggrounds.EventuallyhebecomesopentobeingfriendswithUlrich.SettingShiftAlthoughtheoverallsettingforTheInterlopersremainsthesame,itshiftsinthesensethatitbecomesmorenarrowedandfocused."AdeedofNature'sownviolenceoverwhelmedthemboth.Afierceshriekofthestormhadbeenansweredbyasplittingcrashovertheirheads,anderetheycouldleapasideamassoffallingbeechtreehadthundereddownonthem,“pinningbothcharacterstotheground.Thesettingthenreflectsthecharacters'ownrelationship:"Allaroundthemlayathick-strewnwreckageofsplinteredbranchesandbrokentwigs."Thecharacters'immobilityillustratesamoreimmediatesettingastheylaysidebyside,nearlyabletotoucheachother.IronyinSettingThefinaluseofsettinginTheInterlopersoccursshortlyafterZnaeymandGradwitzbecomepinnedbythefallentree.Afterhailingcursesdownoneachother,thetwoeventuallyrealizethattheirfeudoverauselessbitofwildlandispointless.Thecold,desolate,unfriendly,isolatedwinterweatherhasactuallybroughtthetwomenclosertogether.Thefinalironyisthatinthiswildsetting,therearenaturallywildcreatures,andafterfinallyendingtheirfeud,ZnaeymandGradwitzwereabouttofinallyendthislongquarrelbetweenthetwofamiliesandbecomefriendsinstead,theygotconfrontedbywolves,signifyingthattheirlivesendedonthenighttheydecidedtomakepeacewitheachother.ThisremindsmeofthemanytimesthatIhavehadtoworktogetherwithotherpeopleonlyatamomentwhenourfatehangsinthebalanceliketheyaregoingthroughrightnow.However,atthattime,itcannotmakeanydifferencetorewriteourdestiny.However,thereisalsoanotherkindofironyattheendofthestory,becauseitwasrevealedtousthatthetwomen?sfateweredeterminednotbytheirmenastheythoughtwouldbe,butinsteadonabunchofinterlopers,thewolves.Thisisanironiceventsincethereweretwomentionsof“nointerlopers〞inthedialoguebetweenthetwomen,oncewhentheywerestillenemiesandoncewhentheybecamefriends,butintheenditwas“theinterlopers〞whocamefirstandsupposedlyendedtheirlives.Atthebeginning,ZnaeymandGradwitzareconfidentabouttheircapabilitytocontrolnature,forthem,natureisonlyaplaything.However,itisexactlynaturethatoverwhelmsanddestroysthem.Thankyou~