Literature and Composition
Day 35
19 May 2016
The Machine that Won the War vs. The Interlopers
Short stories are appealing because they are both succinct and direct, as well as
wonderful opportunities for utilizing literary devices. The Machine that Won the War by
Issav Asimovs, and The Interlopers by Saki, represent two suitable examples. They both
contain literary devices, however, they present them slightly differently.
Both of these stories contain a commonly used literary device, namely, suspense. The
Machine that Won the War is full of suspense caused by a slow trickle of information that
eventually reveals the climax. On the other hand, The Interlopers has a gloomy setting, as
described here:
The roebuck, which usually kept in the sheltered hollows during a storm wind, were
running like driven things tonight, and there was movement and unrest among the
creatures that were wont to sleep through the dark hours. Assuredly there was a
disturbing element in the forest … 1
Long periods of waiting separate each major event in The Interlopers, also adding to the
suspense.
Another device frequently discovered in these works is drama. The Machine that
Won the War creates this by causing each progressing revelation to be surprising to the
reader. The Interlopers has several major occurrences, such as when the two principle
characters meet suddenly and “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.”1 This unexpected occurrence obviously trapped them, and
it cannot be disputed that this happened suddenly, thus making it noticeably dramatic.
The authors of these stories incorporate irony into their texts by creating an
unexpected conclusion. Here is how The Machine that Won the War begins:
The celebration had a long way to go and even in the silent depths of Multivac's
underground chambers, it hung in the air ... Yet now, for a day, perhaps for a week,
even Multivac might celebrate the great time, and rest. 2
Rejoicing and triumph that Multivac won is the feeling at the start of this story, although
the secret of the actual victor and similar disturbing facts slowly appear with each
personal revelation of those who had tampered with and/or mistrusted the machine. In
The Interlopers, however, once the lifelong enemies are finally reconciled, a group of
hungry wolves approach them in their helpless predicament.
These are well-written stories that display the best of the several literary devices
mentioned above. The devices included reveal themselves subtly but strongly while the
story’s conclusions differ significantly. I personally prefer The Machine that Won the
War, since the ending is neither fatal or depressing but merely amusing and unexpected.
Works Cited
Saki, “The Interlopers,” anderson.k12.ky.us, Anderson County Schools. n.d. Web.
Accessed 19 May 2016.
http://www.anderson.k12.ky.us/Downloads/The%20Interlopers[1].pdf
Asimovs, Issav “The Machine that Won the War,” olivenri.com, Olivenri. n.d. Web.
Accessed 19 May 2016.
http://www.olivenri.com/machine_won_files/The_Machine_that_Won_the_War01.pdf
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