I'd say it emphasizes the dreariness of life.
Since they are rented, if you want to highlight a book, don't. It would be much more wise to use highlighter tape instead.
Answer:
The two main conflicts in "The Interlopers" are between Ulrich von Gradwitz and Georg Znaeym, who clash over the ownership of the land, and between the two men and nature, when they are lost in the storm.
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