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English 10: The Destructors - Two Symbols In The Story

The symbols in The Destructors symbolize several concepts and themes in post-World War II England.

The first symbol is the top hat. A top hat represents class and superiority, a sign of wealth and power. The top hat serves no practical purpose, like shielding the wearer from the weather or warming the head, but instead is worn to show that the wearer is mindful of the regulations of formalwear (Yael, 2016). After WW2, knowing the rules of formality is almost insignificant to the society that is newly built upon a right-and-wrong, meritocratic system. Wearing a top hat in the time of post WW2 would signify to others that the wearer is asserting superiority over a fallen community and would be mocked or knocked off and destroyed (Yael, 2016). An example of this "top hat" would be Thomas's house: "[Old Misery's] house had stood there with such dignity between the bomb sites like a man in a top hat" (Greene, 16). Thomas's house was the only one upright within a town of rubble, with lavishly decorated interiors and was built by the finest architect in all of England, Christopher Wren (Summerson, 2021). It stood out to the gang like a sore thumb, and it was, just like a top hat, asking to be knocked down by the children affected by the war.

A second symbol in the story is the Old Misery's outdoor loo. The indoor toilet, back in the 1940s, was another symbol of the upper class since they didn't become available until after the 1700's when Wren built his house, and "their tendency to cling to obsolete things and values" (Yael, 2016). Thomas was once a builder and a decorator, which were occupations for citizens of higher social classes as it was more expensive. Since he was a decorator, a high-classed citizen, he did not take on dirty jobs like plumbing. Because of this, Thomas did not have a working toilet inside of his house, and instead would rather inconvenient himself to go outside for his business than pay someone to build him a toilet inside his house, since he "was too mean to spend money on the property" (Greene, 2). The house, decorated by Thomas himself, is adorned with old-fashioned decorations, which implies that he likes the way it reminds him of the past, before the war when there wasn't a meritocratic system. The way that Thomas was locked by one of the boys into his outdoor toilet while his house was demolished implies that one being immersed in the past while the future is advancing could potentially be destructive and damaging.

These two symbols both relate to the past, the past's social hierarchy, and the mockery of the past. The story itself has a theme of advancing after the war had changed their lives, and the foil between the two ideals creates a message in the story that it is best to not stay in the past because of your refusal to accept the future.

- Sources:
Levine, Yael. "The Destructors Symbols." LitCharts. LitCharts LLC, 30 Nov 2016. Web. 12 Jul 2021.

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