The Destructors Analysis

Irony takes many forms in literature, but regardless of the form, it is defined by incongruence between what is presented and what actually is. Graham Greene’s short story, The Destructors, first published in 1954, is often viewed as commercial fiction due to its frequent use of action and suspense to draw readers in. It does however incorporate literary elements that could allow it to be categorized as literary fiction to an extent. The presence of irony, particularly irony of situation, in The Destructors is a literary characteristic that serves to add suspense to the plot by revealing the opposite of what the reader expects.

Situational irony appears countless times in Graham’s short story. Some occurrences are more critical to the plot than others. It is revealed early on the Trevor, or T, the story’s protagonist, is the son of an architect. This sets the stage for a contrast between father and son. Architects design, create and construct. T’s father is a constructor by trade. T, on the other hand, is hell-bent on destruction of a house that has just survived the first blitz in World War II era London. Graham does not describe this as an act of rebellion against his father. It simply appears that T is the opposite of his father by nature.

Upon his introduction, it is learned that T is a member of a gang. The gang he is a part of is made up of lower class boys that are close to him in age. It is clear that the boys do not have a good grasp of right and wrong. During one of their meetings, the boys make plans to steal bus rides. Graham explains, “…the gang was to disperse in pairs, take buses at random, and see how many free rides could be snatched from unwary conductors (the operation was to be carried out in pairs to avoid ...

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... what they are doing as fair. This strange understanding they have of the situation drives home the idea that the boys see what they are doing as little more than a game. It is possible to make some sense of this notion considering the other details given. It is still nearly impossible to comprehend why they committed this act in the first place.

The irony in Greene’s The Destructors contributes the story’s plot in a way that causes readers pause and try to assess the actions of its protagonist. Irony as a literary characteristic served to add to the suspense of the story. It is very characteristic of commercial fiction in this sense. It does however have elements that readers may want to read over again for greater understanding. However, they will likely find that some instances of irony, much like the actions of Graham’s characters, simply do not require reason.