The Wrath Of Nature In Saki's The Interlopers

In the history of the world, man continually tries to tame nature. From venturing into previously undiscovered and uninhabitable land to claiming power over ecosystems, people often want what they do not have. The overwhelming force of nature often comes between men and their goal. They constantly try to find a workaround for this insane amount of power which controls every creature on this planet’s life. In a frenzy to do so people develop several precautions against nature. They build dams to stop floodings and develop new architectural designs for stronger and greater withstanding buildings. All of this serves one purpose alone, to overcome the restraint nature has over us. This is often shown in novels and short stories. The theme of the futile pursuit of taming the wrath of nature is especially prominent in Saki’s short story, “The Interlopers”. Nature’s power over man is often showcased in the short story. As shown in one particular instance, “And before the moment of hesitation had given way to action a deed of Nature's own violence overwhelmed them both. A fierce shriek of the storm had been answered by a splitting crash over their heads, and ere they could leap aside a mass of falling beech tree had thundered down on them” (Saki 34) the tree falling is unpredictable and unstoppable. There …show more content…
Its unpredictable qualities makes it impossible to completely prepare for. The men in the story had no way of knowing a tree would fall on them or that wolves would find them before their own men do. No precaution is ever foolproof. No dam or hurricane proof building comes with a guarantee. In a flash of light all of that can be destroyed. “The Interlopers” short story is a great example of this. They did not know what tragedy lay ahead of them. Nature can strike at any given point in time, and as much as people want to believe they do, no one can restrain this astonishing display of