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Post by dgarrett on Sept 21, 2015 1:35:44 GMT
Diction is another literary device used in "The Interlopers", and it helps the plot move along smoothly, but does it play any other important roles in the story?
In the beginning of the story, the author uses a lot of negative diction to express the hatred between Ulrich and Georg. Saki uses words and phrases such as "human enemy", "embittered", "thirsted for one another's blood", and "prowling thieves". As the men are coming to after the tree fell, their dialogues are described with words like "snarled", "retorted", and "fiercely". However, I noticed a shift in diction from negative to positive right after Ulrich drank from his wine flask. Some stand out phrases are "heaven-sent", "comfortable", "bury the old quarrel", "friend", and "together". Finally there was a small but sudden shift in diction at the end of the story when Ulrich notices the wolves. His feelings are changed from happy to "hideous fear".
This seems to be backing up the theme that people shouldn't hold grudges. The first diction change proves people can overcome hatred and become friends. What do you guys think the last shift means, if anything?
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Post by hopekim on Sept 22, 2015 2:04:52 GMT
I think that the last shift in the diction from positive to fearful really helps to reenforce the idea that people should not hold grudges. Ultimately, it supports the theme that people will eventually feel the consequences of holding grudges. Going from the positive diction used in the story to the horrified diction shift shows how terrified the characters were and the extent of their consequences after holding a grudge for such a long time.
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Post by nzglinicki on Sept 22, 2015 19:10:46 GMT
I noticed a shift in diction from negative to positive right after Ulrich drank from his wine flask.
Drinking from the wine flask could have been a big impact in the diction. If Ulrich had a wine flask on him that could mean he had been drinking from it all night. Also, we don't know how much he had in that draught alone or how long it was before he asked Georg if he would be able to reach the flask. He might not have been full out drunk, but if there was enough wine in his system he could have been feeling the affects of the alcohol. That might also be one of the reasons for his switch of diction when the wolves arrive. Fear could have turned him maniacal, but being under the influence of alcohol could have heightened his sense of fear as well.
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Post by Ms. McGettigan on Sept 23, 2015 14:55:19 GMT
Very interesting discussion here! The shift in diction is important and telling, and I love the idea that an event in the story (the wine flask) could have caused it. Yes, Ulrich could have been a bit drunk. Or, since we can see that the offering of the wine is a symbol for the offering of a truce, why else might Saki have changed his diction after that moment?
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Zachary Lloyd
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Runnin thru the six with my woes
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Post by Zachary Lloyd on Sept 23, 2015 16:24:54 GMT
Personally, my stance on this is that the change in diction reflects the change from prideful conflict between enemies to a fearful desire to preserve their own lives. As others have noted, to which I concur, the action around the wine flask was also critical to the shift in diction, but I also propose that of the shift in the mood of the story and in attitudes of the characters. Putting two and two together, I feel the author uses diction to transition the story (and the reader) to something feeling more 'human' or rather more crazed or wild or desperate in the hope of surviving. Does anybody feel the same? I know I did not notice the pointed diction change on my first read-through but recognized this later.
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Post by hopekim on Sept 23, 2015 22:08:34 GMT
Personally, my stance on this is that the change in diction reflects the change from prideful conflict between enemies to a fearful desire to preserve their own lives. As others have noted, to which I concur, the action around the wine flask was also critical to the shift in diction, but I also propose that of the shift in the mood of the story and in attitudes of the characters. Putting two and two together, I feel the author uses diction to transition the story (and the reader) to something feeling more 'human' or rather more crazed or wild or desperate in the hope of surviving. Does anybody feel the same? I know I did not notice the pointed diction change on my first read-through but recognized this later. If you are talking about after the wine flask exchange and truce, I also felt this when I first read the passage. When Ulrich first offered his wine flask while trying to reconcile, I thought that it was just a tactic to make Georg get him out first so that Ulrich could kill all of Georg's men and then Georg. Specifically, when he hesitates and stutters, "I - I will ask you to be my friend," I thought it was hesitation because he didn't mean it. However, upon further reading, when the author uses his word choices of "waited for the help that would now bring release and succour to both parties", "prayed a private prayer that his men would be the first to arrive", and "first to show honourable attention to the enemy that had become a friend", I realized that they were actually being truthful and sincere. The way that the author used his diction allowed me, the reader, to notice how sincere they were about becoming friends, which even more deepens the irony that they finally were able to honestly reconcile and were killed in the end anyway.
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Post by nzglinicki on Sept 24, 2015 20:21:12 GMT
I also propose that of the shift in the mood of the story and in attitudes of the characters. That's a good point Zach! That brings a new angle that we can look from. This feud has been going on for generations. That means Georg and Ulrich probably didn't have much of a choice in "inheriting" this feud. This could be where Ulrich and Georg are finally breaking off from their long, unwanted chore of keeping the "enemy" off of their land. Thinking through this I can find quite a few possibilities for why they continued it if they didn't really want to. - Their parent(s) are still alive and they expect them to keep fighting. Who would want to disappoint their parents in something their trusted to do?
- They have families of their own and they don't know if the other is going to attack their families if they're out near the undecided area. They obviously haven't been able to get to know each other very well and that could have led to some confusion.
- They grew up hunting one another, and when their parents stopped, it was too ingrained for them to be able to stop without really thinking about it. It had become a tradition.
- Etc.
This is a completely different side of this story that I hadn't thought of before. What do you guys think about this possibility and how it ties in?
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Post by porn hub on Feb 17, 2017 13:40:38 GMT
I noticed a shift in diction from negative to positive right after Ulrich drank from his wine flask.
Drinking from the wine flask could have been a big impact in the diction. If Ulrich had a wine flask on him that could mean he had been drinking from it all night. Also, we don't know how much he had in that draught alone or how long it was before he asked Georg if he would be able to reach the flask. He might not have been full out drunk, but if there was enough wine in his system he could have been feeling the affects of the alcohol. That might also be one of the reasons for his switch of diction when the wolves arrive. Fear could have turned him maniacal, but being under the influence of alcohol could have heightened his sense of fear as well.
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Post by plz get tf off this website on Feb 17, 2017 13:42:06 GMT
Very interesting discussion here! The shift in diction is important and telling, and I love the idea that an event in the story (the wine flask) could have caused it. Yes, Ulrich could have been a bit drunk. Or, since we can see that the offering of the wine is a symbol for the offering of a truce, why else might Saki have changed his diction after that moment?
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