is developed in the story. For example, if I used “moral ambiguity is more dangerous than moral degeneracy” I could explore how T. is an example of ambiguity in the story, and his decision to not see right and wrong leads to the destruction of Old Misery’s house. Meanwhile, moral degeneracy like Blackie’s merely leads to “fun” pranks. Blackie’s degeneracy is a small rebellion that takes into account risk and is self-serving, while T.’s moral ambiguity is unpredictable, unfeeling, and ultimately not about being self-serving as much as it is about power.

A second option would be to write an argumentative essay where you defend or argue against the actions of the boys in the text. While this type of essay would be harder to write, there are still some defenses you can make—especially if you talk about how the story operates on a metaphorical level. The house is representing the aristocracy of England and the boys representing the proletariat, and their destruction of the house is a result of their disloyalty to Old Misery’s sense of propriety.

You might also want to try to write a literary analysis essay in which you talk about character development, use of literary devices, writing style, tone, etc. and analyze those tools and elements. The goal of that type of essay would be to explain how the author chose to write the text and what those choices do to the reader. For example, if you talk about tone, you would highlight specific words, ideas, and phrases and then explain why the author would use those and how they add to the meaning of the text.

Regardless of the type of essay you choose, you should utilize evidence to support your points and focus on crafting a well-written piece that says something of significance. Don’t meander through your writing. Find a point, explain it, support it, and connect it to significance beyond the text.

One way to approach an essay is to consider questions you have about the story. The best questions that are springboards to writing an essay are those that are open-ended in nature. These types of questions have an answer that is debatable and that other people might argue with. For example, this story may make you wonder why T. and the Wormsley Common gang decide to destroy the house. What does Old Misery's house symbolize to them, and why is it is important that the house is designed by the famous architect Christopher Wren? By answering these questions, you might come up with a thesis, or main claim, for your essay.

You can also get some ideas by looking at the themes and characters sections on eNotes (in the links below). For example, one of the themes of the story is power and the way in which T. wields power differently than Blackie. This might give you the idea of a thesis, or main claim, and then you can go through the story to find supporting details about how T. uses his power to destroy things. At the end of the essay, consider the wider point Greene is making about T.'s power. Why is his willingness to destroy things so alluring to the other members of the Wormsley Common gang?

Fortunately, "The Destructors" has ample subject matter for analysis in a well-developed essay.  The first step to planning a well-organized essay is to determine the thesis statement, or main guiding argument for the paper.  Some possible topics to consider include:

• Greene's use of imagery to portray the contrast between the social classes. 
• How Greene uses characterization to develop the theme of leadership.
• The theme of destruction as an act of creation
• How the author's use of diction reinforces his characterization of the boys in the Wormsley Common gang.

Of course, the above ideas are just a few examples of arguments that could be made in a thesis statement.  Once the main focus of the paper has been decided, then skim back through the story and look for significant quotes or scenes that could be used in the analysis section of the body paragraphs to support your argument. 

A good body paragraph should include a topic sentence and then a combination of supporting evidence from the short story followed by your analysis of how the evidence reinforces the ideas presented by your thesis.  End the essay with a strong concluding paragraph which should restate the original points of your thesis.