The Destructors Graham Greene

It is difficult to decide exactly how many types of fiction there are and what kinds of fiction they are. However, most of readers will agree with the idea that there are two broad classifications which are literary and commercial fiction. The literary fiction focuses on offering intellectual stimulation and broadening understanding of the world, and of the human beings while the commercial fiction aims at satisfying expectations and needs of readers, and bringing pleasure to readers. “The Destructors” by Graham Greene is a short story that dramatizes the rebellion of a group of youths who had grown up in the post-war conditions of life, never known a reality other than war and its aftermath are against society. This drama story helps the readers to understand why a group of teen boys are against the society. Set in London’s Wormsley Common, much of which is heavily damaged during the German bombing of WWII, this story centers on a local gang of boys. After two of its members, Trevor and Blackie, struggle for leadership of the group, the boys decide to systematically destroy one of the last beautiful standing house in the neighborhood. “The Destructors” is a work of literary fiction because of its person versus society conflict that boosts the complexity of moral issues, suspense that helps to enlighten the behaviors and thoughts of the character and its multilayered and complex characterization.

One of the elements that makes “The Destructors” a literary fiction is the moral conflict between the characters and society in the story that can’t be defined in terms of clearly moral absolutes: the right thing or wrong thing. The moral conflict between the boys in the gang and the society is described by their determination to put down the house of Old Misery which stands for old values of society and symbolizes of the upper-class “It’s a beautiful house…it’s got a staircase two hundred years old like a corkscrew.” (Greene 56) The house is old like the values of culture of England society. The house can only be possessed by an upper class because it is not only old and beautiful but also is designed by famed English architect Christopher Wren, “the man who built St.Paul’s” (Greene 54) which is a famous landmark of England. Although the action of destroying the house of the boys in the gangs is quite wrong, they can’t be blamed completely considering to some other factors such as the setting and the post-war conditions of life that they have grown up in, "The gang met every morning in an impromptu car-park, the site of the last bomb of the first blitz." (Greene 54) They are literally children of the war in that they have grown up surrounded by the destruction of London Blitz and in many ways they are also victims of a dramatic change of social class structure, especially the protagonist Trevor, caused by the war and the class system of England society. Therefore, they reflect the aftermath of war, of turmoil of post-war society that they got by acting of destroying the house of Old Misery.

Another element which makes “The Destructors” a literary fiction is suspense in the story because it focuses on revealing some insight to the character’s behaviors, thoughts and personality. Suspense is used throughout the story with several paragraphs, for example, the author sets suspense into the story in the first two paragraphs by mysteriously foretelling the protagonist Trevor, or T. became the leader of the Wormsley Common Gang in a new recruit (Greene 53), but does not reveal how. The author does not withhold of vital information of Trevor in the story that things are just gradually revealed as the story progresses. Another suspense is set in the story by means of the time frame in which the gang has to complete their work. The gang expect Old Misery to return home on a certain day. Suspense is pushed when Old Misery return earlier than expected and some gang members are still inside, “they heard Mike’s whistle at the back…He’s on his way.” (Greene 62) This suspense situation forced Trevor and other boys have to decide running away or staying on that risk being arrest. Then Trevor’s decision keeps on destroying the house which shows that Trevor is a persistent and decisive person. Moreover, it reveals Trevor’s thought when he says that “…yet the walls could be preserved. Facades were valuable. They could build inside again more beautifully than before. This could again be a home. He said angrily.” (Greene 62) It is the hate of Trevor to the house which stand for the old society and the upper class.