~ Graham Greene
� Social Decay
o Worms are animals that thrive in decay, so does the gang
o MACRO � Example of social decay: WAR
o MICRO: Gang in terms of decay
o MACRO: �the blitz�
� War has destroyed everything around the house
� �social fabric� � what makes us the society
What is at the core of social fabric? The family unit ? hope
� Old Misery has no family
� Middle classes is destroyed by middle class
� Common people
Destruction of family => complete destruction
� Trevor is a sociopath
o Does not have the ability to empathize
� Empathy: You can put yourself in another�s situation and understand his/her feelings/motives.
� Sympathy: You cannot put yourself in another�s situation but can understand his/her feelings/motives.
� Pity: You cannot put yourself in another�s situation nor understand his/her feelings/motives, but feel condescendingly sorry for him/her.
� �Jagged tooth�
o idea of a savage environment
o environment that lacks humanity
o environment (setting) influences the characters
� the remains of destruction
� Trevor: Behavior as a result of environment or free will?
o Trevor: has confusion about which class he belongs to�
o Mother: considers herself as upper class, Trevor is confused and seeks guidance from his environment (destruction).
� To Trevor, money (which also represents upper class) has no purpose, he has no access to the upper class
The Walls (barriers to social classes)
� The gang seeks recognition => creation of IDENTITY (fame for them)
Trevor:
� Hates his name, wants to be called �T�
o �statement of shame and defiance�
� faceless, no description, seeks identity
� rebellion: his father is an architect => wants to destroy
� his rebellion is irrational but natural
� Trevor is amazed by the staircase = > nothing is holding it up
o �above everything� => social structure
� symbolic of tradition, no reason for him
� once the house is hollow, Trevor breaks down because so is he
Trevor represents a theme: �War between the classes�
� Old Misery � name, brings misery [Misery loves company]
� Tradition without values
� Old Misery tries to solve the problem of the boys bouncing the balls on the wall by using bribery but devalues the chocolate => same with money
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