1. “The Destructors” By
Graham Greene

2. Graham Greene Born October 1904
His works explore the ambivalent moral and political issues of the modern world
Worked in WWII intelligence
Suffered from bi-polar disorder
Died April 1991

3. Physical Setting Man-made Hostile London, 9 years after WW II
Bombed-out car park

4. Conflict
Person vs. person
Person vs. self
Person vs. environment

5. Characters Protagonists=gang members
appear to have opposite values of the class society they reject:
work hard at destruction
reject personal gain
forget personal rivalries
maintain justice within gang framework
Antagonists=members of the upper class
Opposite of all the above from the gang’s viewpoint

6. Theme Loss of Innocence
Trevor the main protagonist moved into the neighborhood after his family suddenly lost their social status. He already lost his innocence. This is the reason for destroying the house. Blackie is slower in losing his innocence, by the end he is in full support of destroying the house.

7. Destruction and Creation
The story suggest the possibility of creation in the face of destruction. By destroying the house the gang creates a criminal identity that will be noticed by the other gangs. When the house is destroyed, the boys create a way for Mr. Thomas to move beyond his “Old Misery” by taking away the anchor from the past.

8. Class Struggle
This is seen in Trevor because he and his family once had money but were forced to move to Wormsley Commons for unexplained financial reasons. The other gang members are aware of this. The name is an upper class name, and this is why “T” is used for his name. This gives him status for the gang. As a statement ? Trevor burns Mr. Thomas life savings. This is the way Trevor aligns himself with the gangs.

9. Absurdity of Life
Shows the absurdity of life and the meaningless randomness of misfortune.  In making young boys the main impetus behind all the actions of the plot, Greene reveals that oftentimes the clearest understanding of life emerges from immature and fickle minds. This is most strongly revealed in the final scene of the story; a motorist stands next to Mr. Thomas as they both gaze over his thoroughly demolished home. As the motorist laughs, the reader is left to wonder if there is any more significance to the destruction of the two homes that once stood next to Mr. Thomas

10. Symbolism House Top Hat
symbolically identified with the old social order and its valuing of
money
beauty
courtesy
love
Top Hat
Identified in two references as a symbol of high society
in Blackie’s thoughts
in the Lorry driver’s final reaction

11. “Destruction after all is a form of creation.”
The gang has a flipped value system.
They no longer trust members of the political structure that brought the war, including their families
They value friendship, loyalty, acceptance, courage, hard work, leadership but not outward vestiges of power, wealth, and rank.
This relates back to the Literary Analysis discussion of Postmodernism and deconstruction—the notion of flipped values and the questioning of everything traditional. These youth have had their physical world turned upside down along with their value system.