The Destructors review

Graham Greene wrote “The destructors”, a story that is set up after the Second World War in England. Living the war made a group of boys identify with destruction; and believing that they were being tricked by Mr. Thomas so they decided to destroy his house. Surrounded by ruins left by the war, the house was the only one left.
Instead of destroying as one expects: with anger and with no control, the boys decided to meticulously tear it apart. Trevor, being the planner and creator of this project becomes the leader of the group.
The destruction begins, but plans are ruined as Mr. Thomas approaches his house, the destruction was not complete so they decide to lock him in the bathroom outside until it was done. They leave him trapped all night, not knowing what to expect from him. Luckily someone hears him and lets him out, the driver who accidentally finished the demolition of his house.
When Mr. Thomas gets out he sees the only house that survived the war in ruins. The driver laughs at his misfortune, but all he can see from this is the irony of life represented in this house.
This story has a clever sense of humour as well as a slightly psychological background of the characters. The psychological profile of the leader, Trevor, is also very ironic since his father is an architect. Black humour is shown because although it is tragic you can understand what the driver laughs at.

By Caro

Analizing humour

"Life is a disease, sexually transmitted and fatal."
Neil Gaiman

I find this quote funny. It is black humour and ironic; to consider life a disease is a cynical point of view because many consider it a gift. What is funny about this quote is that he links the 3 ideas: that it is a disease, that is sexually transmitted and that it's fatal and that there is an element of truth in each.

By Carolina

I write you this letter in total confusion.What would you like me to write? I don’t know if this should be just another letter, like one of many that I have sent you, to have the hope that I will be alive to send you more. Or to let you know that this will be the last letter you will receive from me, to take away all expectations of life; this to be my letter saying goodbye forever. What would you like me to write?
I am nervous, scared, worried. Not of what will happen to me, but of what will happen to you. I don’t know what you will do alone and that scares me more than any attack or any war. That thought of you not having me there for anything that you need, not being there for you in this mess, in this agony, in such cruel times. Our children, growing without a father, me being just a memory for them. War changes people’s lives, people’s views, people’s minds and leaves them completely destroyed one way or another, and that is what has happened to me. My soul has been wrecked seeing people come and go, seeing the cruelty that the world can have upon you, seeing how heartless people can be. My life has been destroyed forever; I know I can’t escape from war, even if it was over, even if I survived.

I have to confess that the image of you being alone concerns me, but the image of you being with who I’ve become, with this broken man, is what makes me stay awake all night praying to God to not be unkind, not to you.

Sometimes there are situations that make people talk about how they really feel, express their true feelings, open up as they’ve never have before. But why did I wait to this situation to tell you how I feel? Why is the approach of death the reason for me to tell you how much I love you, and how much I’ve missed you every single day I’ve been here? Why did I wait so long? This doubt of not knowing if I will survive the mission is what makes me more close to you than I’ve ever been.

WORLD WAR ONE

Early signs in Europe
In Blackadder Goes Forth, Baldrick opined that the war began when 'Archie Duke shot an ostrich because he was hungry'. His garbled version of the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary reflects popular opinion: that the issues were not worth the ensuing bloodbath. Most modern scholars would not agree. Germany and Austria-Hungary (the Central Powers) are seen, at the very least, as creating the conditions for conflict. Some go much further, blaming Germany for planning and waging a deliberate war of aggression.
'Europe was divided into two armed camps: the Entente Powers and the Central Powers...'
Under Kaiser Wilhelm II, Germany moved from a policy of maintaining the status quo to a more aggressive stance. He decided against renewing a treaty with Russia, effectively opting for the Austrian alliance. Germany's western and eastern neighbours, France and Russia, signed an alliance in 1894 united by fear and resentment of Berlin. In 1898, Germany began to build up its navy, although this could only alarm the world's most powerful maritime nation, Britain. Recognising a major threat to her security, Britain abandoned the policy of holding aloof from entanglements with continental powers. Within ten years, Britain had concluded agreements, albeit limited, with her two major colonial rivals, France and Russia. Europe was divided into two armed camps: the Entente Powers and the Central Powers, and their populations began to see war not merely as inevitable but even welcome.
In the summer of 1914 the Germans were prepared, at the very least, to run the risk of causing a large-scale war. The crumbling Austro-Hungarian Empire decided, after the assassination on 28 June, to take action against Serbia, which was suspected of being behind the murder. The German government issued the so-called 'blank cheque' on 5-6 July, offering unconditional support to the Austrians, despite the risk of war with Russia. Germany, painted into a diplomatic corner by Wilhelm's bellicosity, saw this as a way of breaking up the Entente, for France and Britain might refuse to support Russia. Moreover, a wish to unite the nation behind the government may have been a motive. So might desire to strike against Russia before it had finished rebuilding its military strength after its defeat by Japan in 1905.

Published: 2002-03-01
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/wwone/origins_01.shtml



Journeys end
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Journey's_End


In English we are reading a very interesting book about a hero in world war one. this here fights for England. I think war is a vert traumatisaing event. I really like the idea of reading the play. aboe there are come good links about world war one and journeys end.
BY ANA

EMo

In english we are stufing emos. i think emos shouldent be judged like in teh daily mail. for me these articles show the lack of information, knowledge and understanding that peopl have for emos. Emos shouldent be called a "Culture or Cultre" couse its just a wa to feel accepted, and if we call emos a cult we should also call punks, hippies, etc cults.
I strongly think that everybody has theright to decide what they want to bealive and be, and if people are to closminded to accept that there are different bealives, then they are the one with problems. Emos are harmless to everybody, they dont creat or couse mess, they aint agressive so why the necessity from people to treat them like that.
By Ana

Prisioner

So I looked up and stared into the darkness of the room that grow with the sound of desperate voices that begged for forgiveness. I crashed my head unto the barriers made of stoned gold that blocked my way to freedom and listen carefully to the innocence of the voices. It seemed to me as if they didn’t even know why they were asking for forgiveness. I was surrounded by killing shouts witch, suddenly, died one by one as they begged one more time. I knew I dint have much time left, soon it will be my turn, I would be heated up until I died of pain and burns that will deform my body. In seconds I did not know if I steel had any friends left or if they had all suffered a terrifying death, there was no way of knowing. Not even the slightest sign of light fall into my frightening seld, I could not see beyond it, I did not know what was in front of me, it was all a mystery. There were no windows, there was no way out. I was locked up from the world as if I was a thief or a killing animal. I have done no harm, I have killed no person, I have done nothing but help; so why am I the enemy and those who kill for the good of it, or rob for the good of it, or treat people as things just because they are different are know asking me to apologies for things I don’t even know about, as if they were heroes, as if they were right, as if they actually wanted the good of people.
I am guilty of no harm, I will no confess.

Emo DIARAY.. ANa

Dear diary

Today i wake up again with the same feeling i did yestudrday: lonlyness, deseption and numbness. Why shal I go to school to learn thing i will remember no longer when I arrive home. Why would I want to see people that I unsettle don’t know and care about? i am not a normal kid, I do not belong in this world. I do not bealive that we belong were we were born, for I know theres something more to life when it ends, and theres were I belong. I don’t care about what they all say, they are fools, it is non-sense.
The world its self is a lie, theres no sense to it no more. Everything already came to an end although it just started it. I do not bealive the world is life. I bealive we are already dead inside, for me everything and everyonw I know is dead. The moment we die is the moment we start living. Death is only the start of a much greater world with no superficiality. This world I don’t belong to, death is were I belong to. I was born here but I don’t die here.