Top-Rated Free Essay
Preview

"The Destructors" written by Graham Greene.

Satisfactory Essays
249 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
"The Destructors" written by Graham Greene.
Graham Greene's "The Destructors" is a short story that takes place in London nine years after the conclusion of World War II. Post-war conflict had struck after that ("the last bomb of the first blitz") and because of this, situations such as the destruction of Old Misery's house occurred. The story uniquely conveys the boys' desire to destory, gain power and to gain acknowledgement ("The fame of the Wormsley Commen car-park gang would surely be reach around London"). They are out to show society they still exist, and doesn't like to be looked down upon ("Even the grown-ups gangs who ran the betting at the all-in wrestling and the barrow-boys would hear with respect") and they want to opress something that stands out in their impoverished world (Old Misery's house, the only house left standing in the bomb-site). This story not only shows a distinct power of the Wormsley Common gang but also shows everyone else's desire to gain power. In the story Greene focuses on mainly the destruction of the house but looking past that the destruction of the house was merely a small piece belonging to a big puzzle. Destructions equal power, becoming the destructor means becoming powerful. The need for power had started it all. Beginning with the German's blitz because they wanted to become more powerful and rule which then led to other destructions. The struggle to gain power is once just a blurred image, a story within a story that can't be simply told.

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    In the book ‘’Guns, Germs and Steel’’ By Jared Diamond explores a brief history of the human world and how it has become what it is today. When Jared Diamond takes a visit to New Guinea, he is encountered by a local politician on the beach whose name is Yali, and as they walked and talked together, Yali asked a simple question “Why is it that you white people developed so much cargo and brought it to New Guinea, but we black people had little cargo of our own?’’ .That question made Jared go on the journey of his life. The book explains how three major powers: Guns, Germs, and Steel brought by the Europeans, conquered the world and raises a simple question on why many societies and civilizations were different back then and how it has shaped the fates of humanity as it is today.…

    • 783 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The article, Guns, Germs and Steel, written by Jared Diamond, is an argument about how and why things happened differently in history in different continents. It’s about looking deeper into why things happened the way they did. Why did western Eurasian societies become more powerful? What enabled these parts of the world to develop more quickly and in turn be able to conquer less developed societies around the world? The important message to grasp from this article is not about how certain continents or areas becoming developed quicker, but why those specific areas were the ones to develop quicker. An example of this that Diamond discusses, is how New Guineans were still living in the “Stone Age” 200 years ago when Europeans came to New Guinea with materials (called cargo) that were very valued. The question was, why did the people of New Guinea have a scarce amount of cargo when the white Europeans had so much of it? (page 14)…

    • 703 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the film Twelve Angry Men produced by Reginald Rose begins when a young teenage boy was on trial for murdering his abusive father. All the evidence and facts brought to the trial was against him, however, the twelve jurors had to make a verdict whether the boy is guilty or not guilty, and they decision would concluded whether the boy should or should not be sent to the electric chair. In process of making a verdict, the twelve jurors came together to reason and decide the fate of the boy. The verdict began with eleven guilty to one not guilty. Juror number 8, who voted not guilty did not believe on the evidence because, he believed that the murder weapon could be available to anyone, so he had purchased a look alike knife. Which made some…

    • 407 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In After the Bomb, composers not only critique personal and political values but also manipulate textual forms and features in response to their times.…

    • 1133 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    It was the spring of 1944 when the lives of the people of Sighet were changed forever.…

    • 706 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    In “Night” by Elie Wiesel I learned that the history behind the Holocaust is very inhumane. For example, in the Holocaust a total of 1.1million children were killed. The children were not killed in a very gentle way, they were worked to death,gassed, and cremated. Another example, most people think that Jews were the only victim to the Holocaust. This statement is proven to be wrong because the Nazi’s persecuted homosexuals,the disabled,gypsies and non Aryans. In addition, when selection came, the fit were put back to work;the elderly and disabled were sent to be killed. Another fact is that Auschwitz was the largest camp there was, It contained 3 camps within itself. Auschwitz was the worst camp to be put in. The condition in the camps were…

    • 198 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Better Essays

    With so many of the buildings destroyed in the bombing raids, this was a logical thought. By destroying Mr. Thomas’s house, it will build the gang’s reputation with the other gangs of the city, both young and old alike. The gang was only intent on destruction. The idea of stealing was not even allowed to enter into the conversation in Trevor mind. In fact, when they came up Mr. Thomas’ money, they burned it instead of taking it. In the publication "The Destructors." Masterplots II: Short Story Series, the idea is presented that this is an analogy for the institutions of the time. It states: “Trevor” and his followers represent the extremes of nihilism, the philosophical doctrine that existing institutions- social, political, and economic- must be completely destroyed in order to make room for the new”…

    • 1436 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    In “The Veldt” by Ray Bradbury, the parents were the causation of their deaths because they spoiled their kids sick. In the story, the parents gave their kids everything they’d ever wanted, but their kids were spoiled, and when the parents took away some of the technology, the kids were mad, so they killed their parents. One determent of this is the kids didn’t have any severe restrictions on their electronics from their parents. According to kidshealth.org, it states “The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that parents of kids and teens 5 to 18 years old place consistent limits on the use of any media.…

    • 459 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Jon Krakauer's is considered an eccentric writer to many, even so he is a very intelligent one. Into the Wild is a true story about Chris McCandless who is found dead in the Alaskan Wilderness. The story recaps his life prior to his death. Krakauer writes this story for the notion of how individuals exist in a state of nature might be a component of the work's essence. Jon also felt a connection to Chris death as he was a huge nature lover as well.…

    • 1277 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Antigone by David Greene

    • 798 Words
    • 4 Pages

    declares that he will improve the city (she) by his rulings. Creon describes how his…

    • 798 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Blackie is the leader in “The Destructors” and the leader of the Wormsley Common Gang, a group of boys that live in London after the end of WII. The leadership was lost by Blackie to Trevor another member of the Wormsly Common Gang. Symbolism is used by Greene as Trevor talks the gang into destroying the nearby home. Greene’s analogy of destroying the house from the inside out like a worm in an apple is a very dynamic statement. Halfway through the story, the gang is caught unaware when the…

    • 896 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The novel, The Fault in Our Stars by John Green is about two teenagers Hazel Grace and Augustus Waters who fall in love. However, this novel is unlike most other teenage romance stories, because Hazel Grace and Augustus Waters are terminal cancer patients. They know each other from the support group and they grow closer even though death can so instantly tear them apart. They live out their own infinity together and create a lot of memories along the way. The novel spans the meaning of life, death, acceptance, aspirations, friendship, and support. The novel Twilight is a series of four vampire-themed fantasy romance novels by American author Stephanie Meyer. Bella Swan, a teenage girl who moves to Forks, Washington, and fall in love with a…

    • 1167 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In Neil Bissoondath’s “I’m Not Racist But…” the narrator intends to bring awareness to his readers on the connection between stereotyping and racism and condemns such acts against one another, while in Joseph Conrad’s “Heart of Darkness, the protagonist informs his audience on the consequences of African colonization. Bissoondath’s work is oriented to educate the reader in the different types of racial acts leading to hatred, abuse or enforcement of power toward any given group of people. He condemns their use whether ignorantly or intentionally. Conrad’s work however, informs the reader of how the goals of the European settlers in Africa, such as ….., led them to exploit the Africans and their raw materials for the purpose of earning profits.…

    • 830 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Kurt Vonnegut's The Lie

    • 368 Words
    • 2 Pages

    There comes a time in life where people honestly change. Whether or not it’s for better or for worse is up to you. Throughout the short story “The Lie” written by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. Dr. Remenzel had changed the most compared to the other individuals such as Eli and Sylvia. There is much about him that gave the audience different impressions. From start to finish since after all where he is in life and what he thinks is right at the time changes him. First off Dr. Remenzel was near emotionless and was very absorbed in his work. “He was studying blueprints… “What’s the matter Eli?”... He asked Eli without looking up from the plans”. This goes to show that he was too busy dealing with work to show that he cared for Eli. Later on in the school…

    • 368 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Before learning a little more about the destruction of past societies, I felt that I had a good grasp of the history of not only our country, but general knowledge about the most important events that took place in the shaping of our society. Growing up as a female in the United States, I find myself coming to the devastating conclusion that the information presented to me about the world has some sort of bias because we are so close minded of the devastation that has happened, or still happening outside the United States. We tend to conform to the social norms that are presented to us throughout our lives. Here in the United States, we have a bad tendency to only worry about the problems on our soil. We tend to think nothing bad could ever…

    • 899 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays

Related Topics