The Destructors/the Child by Tiger

Fiction Essay

ENGL 102: Literature and Composition

Spring D 2016

Steven Marshall L27935823

APA

The Destructors/The Child by Tiger

Thesis: Often it is said, “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” With both Trevor from “The Destructors” by Graham Green and Dick from “The Child by Tiger” by Thomas Wolfe, this saying proved accurate. As each story began, both Dick and Trevor appeared to be humble individuals however a darker side to their nature soon reared its ugly head, each were responsible for complete and utter destruction, and each suffered from the common theme of post-traumatic stress syndrome.

1. At the onset of the stories both Dick and Trevor were quiet and calm only to reveal the darker side of their natures as the stories progressed.

A. Dick Prosser was the “…Shepperton’s new Negro man…” (Wolfe, p. 724)

        1. Addresses children Mr. or Cap’n

2. Teaches the Shepparton boy and his friends how to shot, box, how to grip a football, etc.

3. “…amazingly tender and watchful…” (Wolfe, p 725)

        B. Trevor a member of the Wormsley Common Gang

                1. Brooding silence (Green, p.111)

                2. Never wasted a word (Green, p.111)

                3. Startled the gang by speaking to them (Green, p. 112)

II. Destruction can be carried out against property or, at its worst, against mankind.

        A. Dick goes on a shooting spree killing several

1. He went crazy (Wolfe, p. 731)

2. Went on a shooting rampage killing several

B. Trevor instigates demolishing Old Misery’s house

1. Pull it down/destroy it (Green, p. 114)

2. Inside demolished (Green, p. 117)

3. One moment the house there and then flattened (Green, p. 124)

III.Trevor and Dick are from different worlds and yet suffer from post-traumatic stress syndrome.

1. Killing spree to show his freedom

                1. Served in Army for years (Wolfe, p. 724)

                2. Negro man (Wolfe, p. 724)

                3. Give whites a surprise on Christmas (Wolfe, p. 729)

        B. Destruction of beauty he once knew

                1. Father once an architect turned clerk (Green, p. 112)

                2. Quality of danger, of the unpredictable (Green, p. 112)

Conclusion: Both Green and Wolfe reveal in their characters that conditions and circumstances can bring out the darker side of an individual who once seemed calm and quiet, and even kind. Dick after a lifetime of oppression and abuse at the hands of the white race snapped destroying not only his life but the families of his victims. Trevor having once been the recipient of his father’s success destroyed the home of an old man simply because it was beautiful.

        It is said, “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” With both Trevor, from “The Destructors” by Graham Green, and Dick, from “The Child by Tiger” by Thomas Wolfe, this saying proved accurate. The two characters coming from completely different backgrounds, lifestyles, and ethnicity surprisingly had many commonalities. As each story began, Dick and Trevor appeared to be quiet individuals, and in Dick’s case humble, however it wasn’t long before the darker side of their nature became apparent as it reared its ugly head as both instigated complete destruction, and this being a result of victimization of their circumstances as each suffered from the common theme of post-traumatic stress syndrome.

        The main characters, Dick and Trevor, appeared to be quiet and calm individuals. Dick Prosser, the Shepparton’s Negro man (Wolfe, 1937, p. 724), was soft spoken to the boys and was “… amazingly tender and watchful…” (Wolfe, 1937, p. 725) over the young men.  The boys were impressed with the idea that Dick referred to the them as “Mr.” when speaking to them and referred to Mr. Shepparton as “Cap’n Shepperton” (Wolfe, 1937, p. 724). Dick taught the children many skills, such as shooting a rifle, different moves in boxing, how to properly hold and kick a football, and how to make a fire. The boys felt that there was nothing that Dick could not do. Like Dick, Trevor, a member of the Worsley Common Gang (Greene, 1954, p. 111), was quiet and calm. However, unlike Dick, Trevor, as described by the narrator as exhibiting a brooding silence and having never wasted a word (Greene, 1954, p. 111). It was due to Trevor’s brooding silence that the gang accepted him regardless of his name being Trevor which they shorted to T because Trevor was a name often associated with the upper-crust.  The normally quiet T shocked the other gang members when out of the blue he spoke a complete sentence.