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The rifle that Ulrich von Gradwitz holds as he searches for Georg Znaeym, and the rifle that Georg also carries, represent the threat of death. The men probably acquired their rifles with the intention of hunting game, and not other men. The fact that the men now intend to shoot each other shows how the feud has corrupted their ambition and actions.
Rifles Quotes in The Interlopers
The The Interlopers quotes below all refer to the symbol of Rifles. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
The Interlopers
Quotes
But a man who has been brought up under the code of a restraining civilisation cannot easily nerve himself to shoot down his neighbour in cold blood and without word spoken, except for an offence against his hearth and honour.
Related Characters:
Ulrich von Gradwitz, Georg Znaeym
Related Symbols:
Rifles, The Beech Tree
Related Themes:
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Rifles Symbol Timeline in The Interlopers
The timeline below shows where the symbol Rifles appears in The Interlopers. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
The Interlopers
On a stormy, winter night, Ulrich von Gradwitz, holding his rifle, roams a narrow patch of forest on the outskirts of his property. He searches for...
(full context)
...around a huge tree, Ulrich meets Georg face to face. Also alone and holding a rifle, Georg, like Ulrich, feels intense hatred for his enemy, and wishes to murder him. However,...
(full context)
