The Destructors by Graham Greene Essay Example for Free

The Destructors by Graham Greene EssayThe word exclusivelyegory means that which can be interpreted to identify a hidden meaning. These are typically moral or politically based works of writing, in this case. The Destructors explores and focuses on the former rather than the latter- the aforementi unmatchedd ethical motive. This is majorly done using microcosms to reflect on the condition of England and its people within the actions and thoughts of the characters. It may sound a bit complicated at first, but essentially the things that the characters in the story do and see are symbolic of the state of England at the time- after the second world war. Now, coming to the story itself- it follows the Wormsley Common Gang, a group of children living in Eastern London in 1956. The city is basically dreary, bleak, and leave outs any type of warmth or compassion. Yep, its down featherright dreadful. sweetheart is a thing of the quondam(prenominal) unheard of It is a word that belo ngs to the class world-which is now a joke, and parodied. This is where the new generation has grown up, and it is all that the children lose known.Greene begins the story in an almost childlike tone of voice, and establishes the sense of innocence that should be present in all of the children. But then he goes on to introduce the rabble and their lives, forcing the reader to winder about the circumstances which have led to these young boys acquiring qualities of danger, of the unpredict adequate. Greene then answers this question, going on to explain that the story is set in the place that has been the worst for wear- having been dealt the worst blow in the war- and will continue to suffer due to the aftermath of the war. hither he refers to the first blitz a period when London was continuously bombed and left in a state of disarray. Again, this is the environment that the children have been brought up in (not a very healthy one) without even the memories of the prosperous times that they missed. This- the memory of better times- is a key element in the story and will rail later, so keep it in legal opinion.The gang consists of several characters with highly contrasting attitudes except for one shared suasion (Im legitimate youll be able to identify it as the story progresses). The most fascinating character is probably that of T., short for Trevor, who is introduced as the new recruit- someone of little importance- who never wastes a word and is a typically silent, yet cunning member. However, there are possibilities about his brooding silence that give him an element of mystery. It is important to remember that one important factor which differentiates him from the others is that he is well educated- an uncommon trait- which is indicated by the fact that he correctly identifies the shared style of architecture of two different buildings a house, and a church.Blackie is the leader of the gang in the beginning of the story. He is mature, practical, and a good leader, but lacks any form of refinement and is doubtful of his own capabilities. This is sheer when he replies to T.s comment about St. Pauls Cathedral with an indifferent who cares? Mike is the youngest of the group, very obedient and respectful, but further with the other gang members. He is not obsolescent enough to be scarred by the brutality of his city, but on the other hand he is not old enough to have formed a real bond with any of the other boys. He follows their orders not because he is driven to do so by motivation, but simply because he doesnt know better- something we call navet. His innocence is the only somewhat comforting concept in a world where everything is broken and the one remnant of the past is the house of a manhood physical bodyd over-the-hill Misery.This house had been built by Wren, whose most renowned construction- St. Pauls- had also miraculously survived the horrors of the war. This makes the house seem even more of a foreign entity in t he boys lives. experient Misery is the man Mr. Thomas, who lives near the unrehearsed car-park where the boys meet each morning. He is actually well meaning and kind, but the boys, who have only learnt to be distrustful, struggle to cast him in a electronegative light. When Thomas gives them chocolates for no obvious reason, they naturally assume the worst of him for it and believe that they are being bribed to stop bouncing their balls on the smothers of his house. Therefore, they devote the entire chase day on doing just that- bouncing their balls on the walls of his house- something that only Mike is young enough to enjoy.The boys are obviously doing this out of spite for Thomas, and impulse respect in the eyes of adults and the other gang members. Blackie once claimed that he had actually heard the first-blitz, but no-one notices that at the time of the bombing, even Blackie would have been only one year old. He said this in order to strengthen his position as the leader of the gang, and so the boys would respect him as an authoritative figure. T., whose name is actually Trevor, is referred to as T. but not because it is an endearment, but so that his posh name wouldnt set him apart from the other members of the gang.However, Thomas does not brainiac these antics, for in the children he sees his own childhood and he has hopes that they will someday renew his countrys former glory. This is extremely ironic, considering that their behavior towards him completely contradicts this. The boys lack of empathy can be quite a bit associated with their parents examples, who had been forced to live through the war, and as a result becoming bitter and shrugging off their responsibilities. For instance, T.s father had come down in the world and his mother considered herself to be better than others. We assume that he has had an unloved upbringing. Mikes parents tell him to go to church on his own, as his mother felt ill and his father was tired (after a late nigh t of drinking) Mike recognizes these excuses and his impressionable mind gradually becomes influenced by lies. The boys are, in essence, left by themselves, and without the guidance of their parents, become hateful and aggressive.Of all the members of the gang, T. is probably the most radical and frightening. At first, when he calls Old Miserys house beautiful we are relieved to know that at least one of the children still appreciates beauty. Believe it or not, the other boys presuppose the same thing, and rebuke T. for not stealing something while he had the chance. However, this statement is not one of appreciation. Far from it, it is an accusation T. can identify beauty as something he never had a chance to experience, and he wants to make sure that no-one else appreciates it either.He decides to propose that the boys tear the house down, as Old Misery is passing for the weekend. Not only does he become the gangs new leader with this suggestion, (remember the common emotion the boys share? Well, its jealousy. They are jealous of anyone who has go through the happiness and compassion to which they are strangers and, as revenge, they want to destroy the few things that act as reminders of the past or can be described as beautiful . Hence the name Destructors) and the fickleness of favor is symbolic of the changing opinions in the society of London at the time.When T. states that he doesnt hate Old Misery, the reason behind his actions is unclear. But then he goes on to say how if he did, the demolition of his house would not be fun. He makes sure that the boys carefully destroy only the interior of the house, and goes so far as to burn all of Thomas savings The efficient, militaristic manner with which the boys tear down the house is microcosmic of the efficiency with which Germany completely obliterated some parts of London. When Blackie enters the house at their first meeting, he immediately notices that the demeanor of the boys had changed from the happ y-go-lucky ways of before to something greater than them all.He gets the impression of organization. No-one speaks and there is a sense of great urgency as they carefully destroy the innocent mans house (Greene almost makes the boys seem similar to terrorists in this way). They work with the seriousness of creators and stating that destruction is a form of creation only further supports the sentiment that man has become increasingly destructive, almost to the point of self-destruction, after the horrors of war and the resulting bitterness.The words Greene uses to describe the condition of the house pillaged, ripped and smashed are pensive of the appearance of the city after the bombings, and can also be linked to its description in the beginning of the story, where the entire lane was shattered and glass had all been sucked out of the window frames. When Summers, a skinny yellow boy asks whether they have done enough, T. replies adamantly that they must utterly destroy the house u ntil there wont be anything left. They are later interrupted by Mike claiming that Old Misery is well on his way back, and T. states that It isnt median(a) which is an ironic statement coming from him as Greene states that it mimics the childhood he never had. T. doesnt want to leave the house as it is because there is still a possibility that it could be rebuilt, this time even more beautifully than before.T. struggles to remain composed, and it is obvious that his authority has started to crumble under the immediate threat of discovery as he begs the boys to please give him a chance to fix this, which is an interesting choice of words as T. lacks the great power to create and would obviously lack the ability to fix as well. Surprisingly, it is Blackie who steps up to help T. and this action clearly portrays how to people, no matter how different in ideologies and opinions, can work together to contact a common goal (here, this goal is destructive).The boys devise a plan to keep Old Misery occupied and T. manipulates Thomas into following him to the loo, where he claims that a boy has fainted.The fact that Thomas follows T. not only hints at his trusting nature, but also his desire to help the boys to which they are oblivious. Not only does he do this, but T. even persuades Thomas to climb the wall of his own garden, even though he states that Its absurd. His climbing over the wall shows a shift in control from the older generation to the younger generation, of which they take advantage. As Thomas opens the door of the loo, he is pushed inside and the door is bolted.As he sits inside, occasionally receiving food and blankets, Thomas is aware that due to the Bank Holiday, everyone would have gone out and his cries for help would not be heard. As he wonders what is happening outside, Greene explains how the older generation is now trapped they can only sit idly as they watch the new generation destroying their legacy, unable to treasure their home. Meanwhil e, the boys continue to penetrate into the house, leaving it gutted (These words create an effect of a process like dissection taking place). Greene describes the house as balanced on a few inches of bricks and this is apt to describe the state of Britains economy in shambles.The fact that it is ultimately the driver who actually destroys the house shows that although the initial thought of destruction was the boys, their plan is finally executed by the generation that is responsible for their destructive nature. The line Its nothing personal is repeated twice in the story, once when Thomas is sitting in the loo, and once after the house has fallen, indicating that the driver did not feel the slightest hint of compassion for Thomas as he tries to control his laughter and for the children, who are responsible for the destruction of his house, it is an impersonal act borne of mans aggressive nature.However, to Thomas, who can still remember the Britain of old, it is the loss of ties to the past and the annihilation of any hopes for the future for the second time first to Germany, and second to the children of his own country, for which he had such high hopes. The final act of destruction demo the transition of power over the generations, and expresses how the bitterness of war causes bitterness to fester in mans heart until he becomes what he ought to despise.