The Destructors, Graham Greene (1954)



2001’s Donnie Darko is a movie I really appreciate story-wise and even for its soundtrack. However, today I am not exactly writing about the movie.
During one of the classroom scenes a short story is being discussed. Do you remember what is it? No? Well, that’s Graham Greene’s The Destructors. A short-story published in 1954 about a teenage gang who decide to destroy an old man’s house. Donnie Darko takes part in the discussion saying: “They say it right when they flood the house and tear it to shreds, that destruction is a form of creation. So the fact that they burn the money is ironic. They just want to see what happens when they tear the world apart. They want to change things.” This statement really caught my attention, I had to read that short story. And so I did it last night.
As said before, the gang decides to take advantage of Old Misery’s absence to put their plan into action. T, the gang leader at the time, guides the rest through his meticulous scheme while Blackie, the previous leader, deals with is loss of power within the group.
Graham Greene manages to slowly build up tension, to cause anxiety in the reader as the plan progresses. You get thrilled. You get immersed in the action. And all of a sudden: BANG! You get disillusioned. At least that was how I felt. The story end childishly. However, it is still a good read and completely worth checking out especially if you are a Donnie Darko aficionado.
Another thing that caught my attention were the several references to World War II and its blitzes. Since it is a story which deals with the idea that destruction is a form of creation I wonder if the war references have some obscure meaning. I don’t know, it's just a thought of mine.

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