The Interlopers

The beech tree is a major factor in this story with its broken branch crashing down upon the men and pinning them under it. It is a symbol of nature in the conflict of Humans Versus Nature, displaying unpredictability and potential danger. It also represents the land upon which they lie and over which their forebears squabbled for generations. When Ulrich has his change of heart, he criticizes the tree for not being able to withstand a “breath of wind” (19). However, the tree cracked in the storm just as the feud that lasted generations could not stand when Ulrich and Georg shared that space. Interestingly, British culture sometimes considers the beech tree to be a symbol of protection and nurturing, the “Mother of the Forest.” Here, the fallen branch, which is seemingly a danger, protects the men from their violent impulses and then nurtures the higher feelings of empathy and friendship between them—simply by keeping them caught beneath it. As it is a dispassionate element of nature, however, it also serves as a trap that could lead to their deaths. Saki shows two men struggling to make meaning of their lives and relationships in the