Characterization In Blackie In Graham Greene's The Destructor

When it comes to writing good fiction, the most important factor is characterization. Characterization, compared to developing a plot, is much more difficult for authors. Humans, in nature, are complex creatures.(Characterization) Writers must come up with characters that are unique, but at the same time convincing. If a character is not convincing, the reader will become bored and the story will fail. A convincing character is the readers connection to the story, without one the reader will not become invested. To develop a convincing character a writer must consider three principles. First, characters must be consistent in their behavior. Second, a character’s actions must stem from their motivations. Lastly, characters must be lifelike.(Characterization) A prime example of an author showcasing these three principles is Graham Greene with his character Blackie in “The Destructors.” For a character to be convincing to the reader, they must be consistent in their behavior throughout the entirety of the story. They cannot behave a certain way in one …show more content…
Graham Greene’s Blackie from “The Destructors.” At the introduction of the short story, the reader learns that Blackie is a young teen leader of the Wormsley Common Gang.(Greene,”Destructors”) Through indirect characterization Greene shows the reader that Blackie wants his gang that he is their superior by saying that he, “claimed to have heard it fall, and no one was precise enough in his dates to point out that he would have been one year old…”(Destructors) Blackie wants to impress his gang, but at the same time he wants to show them that he is better than them by lying. He knows that there was no way he could have heard the bomb go off, and he also knows no one will try to prove him wrong. Through this the reader is introduced to Blackie’s motivation that he will do whatever is necessary for his gang to