"The Destructors" Response Questions

           A character can represent darkness through their actions, and, if told to the reader, their feelings. In "The Destructors" by Graham Greene, the main protagonist "T" (Trevor) represents darkness through his twisted, dark persona. He wants to completely destroy the house of a man who has done nothing wrong to him. In fact, T knows this. T says "There'd be no fun if I hated him", much to the surprise of the reader and his fellow characters (page 2). It is only natural to think vandalizing someone's home would be in hatred or in vain, yet T seems to think of the destruction as some kind of creation: a masterpiece he is eager to create. This twisted outlook that T has on the whole situation gives creepy vibes to the reader, who senses his dark personality through the pages of the story. In this story, T is evil but doesn't really notice it all that much. He's in a gang and is not polite, but he appears unaware that his plan is one of pure evil. T appears evil from the common person's perspective, after all he doesn't think destroying "Old Misery's" (Mr. Thomas) house is wicked.

          Graham Greene conveys the evil and darkness through vivid imagery. He intricately describes the demolition of a beautiful, antique house; this includes the broken glass, smashed walls, sawed railings, and ripped fabrics. He also has images of literal darkness, like when he describes Mr. Thomas' view from his outhouse penitentiary: "between the cracks in one of the shutters he saw a light, not the light of a lamp, but the wavering light that a candle might give" (page 3). The setting also creates a feeling of darkness since the site of the demolition is in a resolute, abandones area: giving the reader a sense of hopelessness. A memorable passage that vividly captures the essence of darkness was when Joe, a gang member, dropped a penny down the well filled with rubble and it "cracked and span amongst the broken glass" (page 3).   

             There are many layers of context and setting that convey darkness on many levels, giving this story its depth. There are obvious parts to it that give us a dark, gloomy feeling. The gang, the sketchy characters, and the plan to destroy an innocent man's house all are obvious indicators that this isn't a cheery story. However, on many other levels Graham Greene subconsciously gives the reader that eerie feeling. This is done through his lonely, spooky setting, his somber descriptions, and the twisted mind of the protagonist T; it makes it seem like evil is almost a form of art to him. The final touch that really disturbs is the end when the 'driver' laughs at the rubble that once was Mr. Thomas' house. It makes it seem like more people find this destruction good than find it absolutely evil.