Graham Greene's Short Story 'The Destructors'
The Destructors Graham Greene showed the destruction of war clearly in the short story, “The Destructors.” While the bomb craters and destroyed buildings were made evident, the damage done to the psyches of the children were a little harder to see. Even though these children were too young to experience much of the war, and definitely never saw the front lines of combat, they still wore scars that maimed them forever. Childhood was a very formative time in their lives of a person. It shaped who they would become and what they did. This story was set in the years following the end of World War II, and the teenagers of England had grown up in a country that experienced heavy bombings from German aircraft. Children born around this time had never known the peace and security that a child deserves. The children in this story had their innocence stolen from them well before it should have been. The delinquency of children in post war England began before the completion of the war. Due to increased bombings by the German military, a plan was devised to relocate the
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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”
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”