Graham Greene's The Destructors

Art is all around us and takes shape in a plethora of forms, but what exactly is it? Most believe that it is any form of creation that allows the artist to convey a message or idea, whether it is through visual arts, literature, language or photography and film; very few people would think destruction could be art, but is destruction a form of creation in its own right? In Graham Greene’s short story “The Destructors,” this theme of creative destruction is toyed with throughout, as a group of mischievous young boys, led by Trevor, a seemingly psychopathic and intimidating young man with an upper class background, a source of shame for him from the rest of his gang, completely destroys the house of an older gentleman living in one of the fanciest …show more content…
Creative destruction might have been used in “The Destructors” as a way to represent the social change desired by Trevor; his destruction of the house cast out an old, stuck-in-his-ways upperclassmen, providing him the creative freedom to rebuild in a new area and with a change of lifestyle, while also allowing Trevor to convey his artistic message of the injustice between the upper and lower social classes. “The Destructors” takes place in London, England, just after the end of World War II, when many buildings and roads were still destroyed from the German Blitz. This was a period of intense social discourse between the different classes of society, as the lives of many lower class citizens were destroyed by the bombs, and the rich upper classmen, many of whom were left relatively untouched, did little to nothing to help those who could not help themselves. This is perfectly represented by the situation the boys were in with Mr. Thomas. His antique, posh home was the only building left that was not destroyed by the bombs in this poor neighborhood, and on either side of the home are destroyed buildings that most likely once belonged to the families of the lower