I am most interested with the characters in “The Destructors” written by a British author Graham Greene. It focuses on a gang of adolescent boys who decide to destroy an old man’s house. The behaviors of these boys remind me of a book I read, Lord of The Flies by William Goldings, it tells the story of a group of British school boys who are attacked on an airplane during World War II and they crash on a deserted island. The two stories happen during and after World War II, the extreme
In “The Destructors,” Graham Greene uses a flashback to illustrate the exchange of powers between T and Blackie in order to demonstrate that loyalty is nearly nonexistent because every person will selfishly follow the leader whose ideas please him the most. At the beginning of the short story, it is noted that the newest member of the gang becomes the leader in the end, which brings into question on how it is possible that this boy replaces the previous one. The flashback then demonstrates that this
fulfill his own dream, putting the futures of the members of his gang at risk. Ambition is a strong desire to attain as a goal, or status; ambition is recognized as an attractive characteristic, unless it is shown to the extreme. The short story “The Destructors” demonstrates how one person’s ambition can drastically impact the lives of the people surrounding them, by influencing them to carry out acts untrue to their character. T. comes from a wealthier family than most of the boys, giving him the advantage
The lack of parenthood in “The Destructors” is the primary reason the boys in the gang have the dark streak that is seen in their endeavors. The effects of war and the class change contribute, but both ultimately tie back in to the root of the problem - the parents. Most boys grow up with a curiosity, a knack for getting into trouble, and a longing to mess with what they shouldn’t; these attributes are definitely present in the boys in the gang. Children should be raised by parents that teach them
In the book The Destructors, the conflict is between man vs. man and man vs. social The Wormsley Common Gang of boys in the book include, Blackie, Mike, Joe, Summers, and T.. They all come from different backgrounds. T. comes from a upper-class background which in reality would have made him a target for the gang instead of an actual member. Blackie is the original leader of the gang. He is not a fan of the upper-class and only cares for the group. Mike is still a family by. He continues to obey
In “The Destructors”, T. keeps assuring that the reason they tore the house down wasn’t personal, but he clearly had motivation to tear it down. The motivation to tear the house down comes mainly from T., not the whole gang. T. wants to tear down the house because there was a bombing years ago, and every house crumbled into dust, including T.’s, but this was the only house that was left standing. The quote “The fact that his father, a former architect and present clerk, had come down in the world
The Cask of Amontillado, The Destructors, and Oedipus Rex Kenzie Harimon English Comp 2-5-17 The Cask of Amontillado I think the author’s purpose for writing the Cask of Amontillado was to show how being mean to people could someday turn on them. I think Edgar Allan Poe did a great job of showing how rude Fortunato was being, and why he deserved the punishment he got. Montresor played a quiet but sneaky roll in this poem. It shows how the quiet humble people can turn dark once they
The author, Graham Greene, depicts a power hierarchy as an allusion to England after WWII in his short story The Destructors. The short story is set in the early 1950’s in London, England and explains how London was ravaged by the bombings of WWII. Along with that, Greene uses young boys as his central characters who he suggests have only seen destruction in their life time. Furthermore, he depicts the young boys having a power hierarchy in the form of a gang, Greene writes, “It was the
Sumi Sunny ENG 274 OL Dr. Marilyn Johnson 24 October 2017 Major Paper Graham Greene wrote The Destructors which is about a group of boys who destroys Mr. Thomas’s house. The story takes place after WWII and explains that Germany demolished London. There are two things that the story connects to the history of London; one is when Germany attacks London. The attack was known as The Blitz and shows how much damage Germany has caused London. Another connection is the movement of the Teddy Boys. The story
“The Lottery” and “The Destructors” are both very intriguing short stories. Imagine being out in the hot, bright sun and then suddenly being stoned by fifty people or driving up to your house one day from being out of town and seeing your house completely gone. Feelings or emotions of hurt, sorrow, or loneliness begin to appear. People can be cruel for no reason because that individual is not happy with their life or simply jealousy. Shirley Jackson who wrote “The Lottery” and Graham Green who wrote