The setting of post-WWII London contributes significantly to the development of Graham Greene's short story "The Destructors". London was still damaged and rebuilding after extensive bombing during the war. This setting symbolizes the gang's desire to destroy the past and "construct from scratch" by targeting the only undamaged house left standing. The bombings also caused social and economic upheaval, explaining the main character Trevor's fall from wealth and his resentment towards those like the owner of the undamaged house who still lived lavishly. The ruined setting of London provides crucial context for the gang's destructive actions and Trevor's obsession with destroying the symbol of a life he has lost.

1. Essay - The Destructors
Luz Esteban and Olivia Obligado
Essay Question: The setting for this story is London, nine years
after the city survived a series of bombing attacks during WWⅡ.
How does this setting contribute to the development of the story?
Graham Greene’s “The Destructors” is a short story that takes
place in London after the conclusion of World War II. The
setting of the story has a profound significance on the
development of it by both exerting an influence on the society’s
behaviour and by showing this “destruction vs construction” idea,
pictured in the figure of Trevor’s gang.
To begin with, the author cleverly manages to present a
disastrous and demolished setting so as to build up a contrast
between “construction” and “deconstruction”, which would help to
the development of the text. In fact, London was portrayed as the
typical damaged country who has gone through rough times at
war, for which every aspect of it was completely destroyed,except
for Old Misery’s house. This begins to introduce us the hidden
intention behind the gang’s cruel deeds; they wanted to start over
and therefore, “construct” from scratch, by destroying the house
that acted as a constant reminder of war. Under their eyes, the
only way to move on was to break off all those strings attached to
war, which, in this case, was Old Misery’s house. As the text
follows; “Yet walls could be preserved … They could build inside
again more beautifully than before." , we can clearly see how much
the boys were willing to leave the past behind and start all over
again. In fact, it is evident that their aim of making it “more
beautifully than before”, actually referred to their construction
process rather than the building. Therefore, we can identify the
house as a symbol of their lives and their desperate need of
creating from a starting point its suggestive of its destruction. At
this point, the author conveys a clear contrast between
construction and deconstruction, in a way which the characters
needed to deconstruct their past so as to construct their present

2. and progress as a society. By choosing London as the setting of
the story, this two binary opposites are clearly transmitted.
In addition, the fact of the bombing in London and therefore, the
destruction of part of the territory and some of the houses, not
only created a great economic economically, but also a social
chaos in the society. This is because families who previously lived
luxuriously in the upper class, after this tragedy, lost everything
and because of this, lowered their prestige and economic and
social level as well. This is exactly what happened to Trevor's
family. This can explain his behavior and development throughout
this impressive story. This is due to the child's refusal to leave the
past behind and confront his new reality, his new humbler life. Due
to these thoughts, T joins the gang and begins to reveal and
behave intelligently to finally fulfill his plan if destroying a house
that survived the bombing of the war. This also reveals the
resentment that Trevor has and that is why at a point in the story
comes that the beautiful and huge house becomes his ultimate
goal and complete obsession. We can clearly see this obsession
and effort to destroy the indestructible when they were in the act
and everyone had to go fast and Trevor begs to stay saying "just
give me a minute and i'll fix it, I swear, I'll fix it" this shows the great
and immense despair to fulfill his plan and ruin the life of a
person who leads a dignified life in the upper class, such as his, in
the past.
In conclusion, all along this marvellous and grateful story we can
perfectly see that the setting is the one that depicts and creates
senses of anger and resentment from Trevor towards Old's Misery
house as he does not accept the cruel but true reality that he is
leaving since the bombing attacks that fully destroyed his
prestigious life in London.