~ Graham Greene
...continued...
Leadership:
� The gang is fickle, inconsistent about who they follow
� Once you separate yourself from the crowd, the crowd will either fall with you or against you
� Becoming a leader makes you a target
� Blackie�s leadership supplied the needs of the gang, but was shallow
� Trevor was completely separated from the gang
� Trevor was ambiguous
o Trevor had ambition, Blackie did not
o However, Blackie had direction and purpose whereas Trevor did not
� Trevor may represent Macbeth
o Ambition without social purpose of conscience is self destruction
� T. what he seeks destroys him
WAR:
� Innocence is the first casualty of war
� Every action has a consequence
� Destroys the middle class
Human Nature:
�Given the choice, human beings would rather destroy than create�
� Human nature is irrational, destructive, and impulsive
� Irony: the walls come down from a small tug although the house survived through the war = the lorry driver laughs (humanity is so easily loss)
� Gang�s confusion of what�s important
The Walls = Motif
� Alienation
� Stop us from reaching potential
� All things come down => gravity
� If a group in a society is removed, social class will come down, not elevate
� Hope is gone
� The story is a comedy because Trevor completed a goal
� Can also be looked at as a tragedy
� Man vs. Society
o Trevor vs. Old Misery
o Trevor vs. Blackie
o Trevor vs. society
o Trevor vs. mother, father
� Man vs. himself
� The house represents the old wasted traditions through the staircase
LOO
� When Old Misery was trapped in it, it was like he was in a tomb
o Death of the upper class
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