Let’s talk about grudges…Have you ever held a grudge against someone for something he/she did? If not, do you know of someone who has? Are you or this person still holding the grudge?

Pg. 426

Situational Irony When something happens in a story that is significantly different than is what is expected or considered appropriate.

Setting Dense forest on the slopes of the Carpathian Mountains which extend through Poland, Romania, and Ukraine.

KEY Main ideas Unknown words Literary elements Questions Connections

Reading Guide Who are the main characters in the story? What is Ulrich looking for in the forest? Why do the men hate each other? How long has the feud been going on? What happens to the two men as soon as they run into each other in the woods? After the accident, the men begin to talk. What happens? What does Ulrich offer Georg? Who do the two men believe will come to rescue them? What happens at the end?

With your group members, discuss the following questions about the story. Afterward, we will randomly choose one to write about.

Analysis Questions Explain Saki’s use of situational irony in the story. When the men first spot each other, why don’t they immediately kill one another? I don’t want you to quote this section of the story directly; instead, I want you to explain in your own words what Saki means here. Write down one story element that foreshadows the story’s tragic ending. You must write the complete sentence in which the foreshadowing element occurs. Then, explain why you believe this is, in fact, a good example of foreshadowing. On the second page, Saki writes, “Georg, who was blinded with the blood which trickled across his eyes, stopped his struggling for a moment to listen, and then gave a short, snarling laugh.” Symbolically, what’s interesting about this line? What might the broken tree branches symbolically represent? Nature is almost a character herself in this story. She sends the branches falling to the ground and the wolves to finish the job of killing the two men. What message might Saki be sending to the reader about Mother Nature? For this story, Saki chose an omniscient point of view, which uses an outside narrator who knows everything that happens, what the characters are thinking and feeling, and why. Explain why this type of narrator was the best choice for this story.

a topic sentence that is on topic 2-3 pieces of evidence from the text Is Ulrich a round or flat, static or dynamic character? Write a response to the prompt in which you have: a topic sentence that is on topic 2-3 pieces of evidence from the text a concluding sentence