What is the setting of "The Destructors"?

The Graham Greene story "The Destructors" is set in London after World War II. The Wormsley Common Gang meets in a parking lot that was the location of the last bombing during the Blitz, which was the rain of German bombs on London's industrial, military, and civilian targets during World War II. There is an underground tube station in Wormsley Common, which is a fictitious location. The title "Wormsley Common" makes the reader think of an area that has been invaded by worms, or other invasive creatures, and it is described as poor and run-down. The story takes place on the evening before a bank holiday in August, meaning that many people are away. It is during this holiday that the Wormsley Common Gang takes apart the last house that remains in the local area—a teetering old house that was built by the famous architect Christopher Wren.

The setting is at the end of a summer in England in the 1950’s.

When the story opens in a parking lot on “the eve of August Bank Holiday” in England post World War II.

The gang met every morning in an impromptu car-park, the site of the last bomb of the first blitz.

Next to the parking lot is house “number 3, of the shattered Northwood Terrace.”  The house literally leans.  It is the first occupied house, and it stands alone.  It is occupied only by Old Misery, a man who once was a decorator.

Much of the story takes place in or around the strange old house, which is falling down but has some fancy touches.  It does not even have working plumbing, because the owner did not know how to do the plumbing himself and was too cheap to hire someone.  Therefore the house itself is an ironic contradiction, just as the boys themselves are.

The setting is significant because it is right before a holiday and the owner of the house will not be home, so the boys plan to destroy it.  They are the generation that inherited the chaos in the aftermath of World War II, and there senseless violence and destruction is symptomatic of that.

What is the setting of "The Destructors" by Graham Greene?

At the beginning of "The Destructors," the August bank holiday is mentioned as the time when Trevor or "T" joins the gang.  The August bank holiday in London is at the end of August, that places the setting in late summer. It is some years after the Blitz, so it is approximately the 1950s.  The gang lives in Wormsley, a fictionalized area that could be a section of London, Buckinghamsire, Essex, or Hertfordshire, since the Wormsley Common Underground Station is mentioned, and the subway runs in the aforementioned locations.

The area in which Old Misery and the boys live must have been a nice neighborhood at one time, given that the house in which Old Misery lives was designed by the famed British architect Sir Christopher Wren.  The area, however, is no longer upscale, as evidenced by the working-class speech of the boys and the proximity of Old Misery's house to a parking lot. Moreover, many of the neighboring houses have been completely destroyed or heavily damaged by The Blitz. 

The setting is in England after the end of World War II when everything is still bombed out and demolished. A parking lot in a town surrounded by bomb-destroyed neighborhood is where the boys meet. The one house left standing is where the action takes places.

In this short story it is important to identify how the setting explicitly relates to the theme that Greene wishes to convey in this brilliant tale of post-war nihilism and emptiness. Consider the description that we are given of where the gang meets and how the setting contributes towards the mood of pessimism and emptiness that dominates the tale:

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 leanded, for it had suffered from the blast of the bomb and the side walls were supported on wooden struts. A smaller bomb and some incendiaries had fallen beyond, so that the house stuck up like a jagged tooth...

The setting is thus already a site of destruction, as bomb blasts have completely demolished the buildings and number 3 is poorly supported and isolated. How fitting therefore that it is this site that the gang chooses to meet in, because the emptiness and isolation of this scene corresponds with the emptiness and emotional detachment that is displayed by characters such as T. in this tale. The setting therefore corresponds to the psychological exploration of the impact of war on children.

What is the significance of the setting in "The Destructors" by Graham Greene?

The famous short story "The Destructors" by Graham Greene tells of a group of boys called the Wormsley Common Gang, who decide to demolish the home of an elderly man named Mr. Thomas, also known as Old Misery. The boys persevere in their destructive task despite upheavals in gang leadership, conflicting schedules with their home life, and the untimely reappearance of Old Misery, who they had supposed was gone for the duration of their exploit.

The setting of the story is of profound significance as far as the story's theme of destruction as an act of creation is concerned. The historical setting is London in the aftermath of World War II. The entire country, and particularly the city of London, has been immersed in the destruction of the war, and evidence of the war's consequences is all around. For instance, the house the boys decide to destroy sticks up "like a jagged tooth" in an otherwise bombed-out area. This decimated cityscape is the story's larger setting. The bombs had destroyed the house's pipes, and so Old Misery uses an outhouse down at the bottom of his garden—a fact that becomes a crucial plot point near the end of the story.

The interior of Old Misery's house and the grounds around it serve as the focused setting of the story. As mentioned above, the house is already partially destroyed, and the boys manifest no remorse in demolishing the rest of it. In fact, they revel in the destruction as if they were building up instead of breaking down. So we can see that the historical setting, the surrounding cityscape, and the house and grounds of Old Misery all contribute to the theme of "The Destructors."

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The story is set after World War II in England.  This was a time of great destruction for the country, and the story plays with that idea to create a theme of universal apathy.

“The Destructors” is a story about the dark side of human nature that is simply a part of all of us.  It takes place in the aftermath of a terrible time in our history—World War II.  The gang of teenagers grew up during and directly after the war, and were therefore highly impacted by it.

From the very beginning, the setting is introduced in a meaningful way.

The gang met every morning in an impromptu car-park, the site of the last bomb of the first blitz.

This establishes the destruction of the city and its lasting effect on the landscape, as well as the everyday influence on the teens.

The setting is established with detailed imagery.

One moment the house had stood there with such dignity between the bomb sites like a man in a top hat, and then, bang, crash, there wasn’t anything left—not anything.

The effect of this imagery is to create a world that the reader can picture.  The aftermath of the destruction and chaos surrounding the blitz is an important backdrop to the story, and the description helps sell it.

What is the significance of the war's aftermath in "The Destructors" by Graham Greene?

I think that the most obvious aftermath of the war's bombings is the idea that there is destruction and decay all around the boys and their world.  To a great extent, the boys have been weened on the destruction of war, the loss of life and property, and the idea that violence is a socially acceptable way of expressing emotions.  Consider the description of the world that surrounds the boys, one that reflects an emptiness in both physicality and emotional connection:

The gang met every morning in an imprompty car- park, the site of the last bomb of the firs blitz... On one side of the car- park leant the first occupied house, No. 3, of the shattered Northwood Terrace- literally leant, for it had suffered from the blast of the bomb and the side walls were supported on wooden struts.  A smaller bomb and incendiaries had fallen beyond, so that the house stuck up like a jagged tooth and carried on the further wall relics of its neighbour, a dado, the remains of a fireplace.

The aftermath of the war is intense in its physical remnants, but also in the fact that violence and destruction become a commonplace acceptance of reality.  This creates the boys a disconnect between destructive actions and emotional affect. It is for this reason that they don't see the intrinsic wrong of destroying the old man's house, doing so in a methodical fashion with instructions and directives over a period of time.  They have become the human embodiment of the war's destruction.  There is a lack of affect about what they are doing, almost as if they have become the soulless force of destruction that the war is.  This can be seen when the boys are burning Mr. Thomas' savings of notes:  

"Of course I don't hate him,' T. said.  'There'd be no fun if I hated him.  All this hate and love... It's soft.  It's hooey.  There's only things, Blackie."

This disconnect can be seen when they lock Mr. Thomas in the bathroom, but tell him that they don't want to hurt him in giving him a blanket.  The aftermath of the war is one in which there is an gap between the of the boys' actions and the emotional effect of them.  Greene uses the aftermath of the war to show how the exposure to endless violence and destruction can have a profound effect on children who begin to appropriate reality in the same manner.

What details in "The Destructors" pinpoint the setting as postwar London, and why is this significant?

In the short story "The Destructors" by Graham Greene, several clues help readers understand that the story takes place in postwar London. This setting is established early on when Greene refers to "the last bomb of the first blitz." The Blitz is a term used to describe the German bombing of London during World War II. It comes from the German word blitzkrieg, which means lightning war. Starting in September 1940, the Germans began dropping bombs on Great Britain, with a large portion falling on the city of London. Many people died, and residents fleeing the devastation went underground and hid in tube stations (or subway stations). Many buildings were destroyed.

Greene writes that one of the gang members in the story, Blackie, probably slept underground in the Wormsley Common Underground Station when he was one year old. This fixes the time of the story as the mid-1950s, after the war is over but when the city has not been completely rebuilt. There are still many ruined or partially-ruined buildings, including the building belonging to Old Misery that the gang destroys. Greene points out that, in the bombing, the pipes of Old Misery's house were damaged, and so he uses an outhouse instead of an indoor toilet. According to the description, the houses around Old Misery's are ruined, and his is the only one still standing "like a jagged tooth."

The ruined atmosphere of this part of the city helps to explain the attitudes of the teens in the gang. All around them they see the destruction caused by the war, and their parents have also suffered in the postwar years. The boys are obviously also traumatized, or they never would have engaged in acts of wanton destruction such as tearing apart Old Misery's house. They see devastation all around them, and so they assume that it is the natural state of things. That's why the setting of the story is significant to the cruel crime that they commit against Old Misery, who is actually a pitiful survivor whose name is Mr. Thomas.

What is the significance of the setting in "The Destructors"?

The setting, or time and place that the events of "The Destructors" occur, has great impact on the story's theme. English society has traditionally been extremely class-conscious, and the fact that Trevor's father has recently fallen from a professional position as an architect to a lowly clerk fuels Trevor's anger. He targets for destruction a house said to have been designed by noted architect Sir Christopher Wren; it is therefore a symbolic act as Trevor delivers payback to the upper echelons who have summarily rejected his father.

The fact that London has been attacked again and again by the Luftwaffe during their WWII bombing blitz provides an appropriate setting as the boys in the Wormsley Common gang live amidst the rubble that was once a prosperous neighborhood to which the the lower classes had been able to ascend. The war has normalized destruction for the boys, and so when Trevor proposes tearing down the house occupied by Old Misery, they have no qualms about what it will do to their neighborhood.

London has been "blitzed" during WWII, meaning that it has been bombed and torn down by the events of war.  The boys are tearing down their own barriers.  They have rejected the leadership of adults and have established their own heirarchy.  They have taken control of the empty lot and plan to make an incursion into Mr. Thomas' house, just as the Germans were trying to make an incursion into England.  Greene is mimicking the events of the war in a smaller setting, and uses London to reinforce that analogy.

Why is The Destructors set in a post-war London neighborhood?

Graham Greene chose to set "The Destructors" in post-WWII London in order to comment on how violence, instability, and destruction affected England's society. Throughout the story, a group of juvenile delinquents bands together under the leadership of T. to utterly destroy a battered but stately eighteenth-century house. The house was built by Christopher Wren, Great Britain’s greatest architect, and symbolizes the pre-WWII upper class. Greene also incorporates various allegorical elements throughout the story to comment on England's post-WWII society and values. Mr. Thomas and his home represent the pre-WWII aristocracy, as well as the older generation, which holds traditional values and owns property. The Wormsley Common gang represents the disenfranchised lower class, which rejects the empty promises and values of the past. Greene represents the post-WWII class struggle through the Wormsley Common gang's destruction of house number 3. The desolate, war-torn setting; the nihilist attitude of T.; and the destruction of the eighteenth-century home represent how WWII affected London's society.

The location of "The Desturctors" is important to the story. It is a constant reminder to the readers, and to the characters, of the loss of innocence the boys grew up with during the War. ALmost everything is destroyed , and the gang wants to finish it. They have no way to imagine a better life, only a worse one, and therefore tear down the house, rather than try and build a new one, or to imagine a better life for themselves. By setting the story in post-war London Graham Greene can create an environment that mirrors the destruction of innocence and imagination within his characters.

What is the emotional significance of the setting in "The Destructors"?

The hollowed out car park in which the gang meets is significant in its own emotional implications.  The gang meets not in a communal setting of home or some type of atmosphere where there is nurturing.  The gang meets in a car park, an area where cars enter and leave.  It is an example of dehumanizing setting for machines.  There is no emotional connection in such a condition.  At the same time, the fact that it is hollowed out by the bombing adds to the fact that there is no emotional foundation upon which the build.  The gang feels no connection to the setting because there is no emotional connection present.  There is only the gutted remains of the blitz.  At the same time, this helps to bring about how the gang themselves feel no emotional connection to one another.  They abandon Blackie's role as leader when Trevor offers something "better" or even something merely "different."  In this, there is no real emotional support present. The setting is devoid of emotions.  This is significant because it brings out that the emotional climate of London in the time is one of emotional disconnect.  This is contrary to the mythology of London during the Blitz, where Londoners are shown to be cohesive in total and ceaseless support of one another.  This condition of London shows that the physical emptiness of the bombing and the war's violence is revisited and appropriated by the survivors, who lack any real connection to what is left because there is nothing left upon which to build emotional attachment.  It is here where the setting of the story reflects the emotional quotient, or lack of it, that guides its trajectory.

How does the setting play a key role in The Destructors?

The setting is key to Graham Greene's "The Destructors" because it alludes to what is at the core of the story: the baseness of human nature. The effects of the atrocities and destruction of World War II remain in the setting of London nine years after the war is over, producing an influence upon the youth.

The main character, a boy called simply T., represents the nihilism that has resulted from the destruction of London in World War II. Left with nothing, the underclass rejects traditional class values as they are surrounded by little that is not ruined. This emptiness of the setting is conveyed in the description of where the gang meets,

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...--literally leaned, for it had suffered from the blast of the bomb and the side walls were supported on wooden struts.

In destroying Old Misery's home, the boys imitate the past happenings of their environment. T. tells the others,

"We are going to destroy this house. There won't be anything left when we've finished."

This act of T. also represents the class struggle in the British society in the decade after World War II. "Destruction, after all, is a form of creation," observed Graham Greene. So, the boys reflect class restructuring in their act as lower class citizens who destroy the remaining upper class in their area. Yet, while T. rejects the social class values, he remains strangely ethical, ordering the boys not to steal anything; in fact, he burns Old Misery's banknotes when they uncover them, celebrating, instead, the destruction of that which symbolizes the wealthy class which is consistent with his nihilism.

How is the setting restricted in "The Destructors"?

I find it interesting that you describe the setting as "restricted" in your question. In my opinion, the setting in this excellent short story is anything but, except if you mean geographically. It is worth seriously examining the setting of this excellent short story and in particular how the setting contributes to the atmosphere. Greene is a master of description and this short story is no exception. Let us consider the setting as described at the beginning of the story:

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 incendiaries had fallen beyond, so that the house stuck up like a jagged tooth and carried on the further wall relics of its neighbour, a dado, the remains of a fireplace.

Clearly, the centre of the gang's world is a place of destruction. Descriptions such as "jagged tooth" to describe Old Misery's house clearly paint an image of the horrors of war, and we are forced to compare the setting to the beaten face of a human, with only one tooth left in his mouth. Cars parked where houses once stood creates a bleak atmosphere, symbolising moral desolation. This desolation is thus further developed and characterised in the figures of the boys, and especially of course in T., who is shown to express complete nihilism.

So, restricted it may be in terms of scope, but the narrow geographical focus on the bomb site only serves to strengthen the theme of the lives that the boys in the gang are living and how morally they are a bomb site as well.