The Influence Of Setting In The Destructors

In the short story “The Destructors” by Graham Greene, Trevor’s behavior is influenced by the setting of the story. The short story takes place is London, England right after World War Two. The setting influenced the characters in this story because all the gang had ever seen was war and the moral destruction that surrounded them along with the descending belief of hope. The gang had never known a reality other than war and its aftermath and this engulfed their lives. They live, breathe, and act in this war setting. The upbringing in this destruction has had an enormous effect on Trevor which is described in paragraph 3: “The gang met every morning in an impromptu car-park, the site of the last bomb of the first blitz... On one side of the car-park leaned the first occupied house, number 3, of the shattered Northwood Terrace - literally leaned, for it had suffered from the blast of the bomb and the side walls were supported on wooden struts. A smaller bomb and some
As described in paragraph 52: “T. raised his eyes, as grey and disturbed as the drab August day.” This description of Trevor's eyes indicated that it has affected him on an emotional level. Trevor is a very disturbed kid which is a product from all the destruction. The war like surrounding had made an impact on T. that all his actions and behavior is cause from the aftermath from the brutal war.

Trevor and Blackie save the savings of Mr. Thomas as “a celebration”. They burn them together and in paragraph 105, T. says “The last burning note illuminated his brooding face. "All this hate and love," he said, "it's soft, it's hooey. There's only things, Blackie," and he looked round the room crowded with unfamiliar shadows of half things, broken things, former things.” Trevor is showing his unstability of emotion. He is getting more emotionally detached and he thinks it is more powerful to burn the money rather than to stealing