Genre
Short Story, Short Fiction
Setting and Context
Run down suburb of London in the mid-1950s, in an area decimated by the Blitz during World War Two
Narrator and Point of View
The point of view is predominantly that of Trevor, though there is also a third-person account that gives the point of view of each of the characters according to which is predominant in the story at the time.
Tone and Mood
Depressing, rebellious, nihilistic
Protagonist and Antagonist
Trevor considers himself the protagonist, and the class system, represented by Mr Thomas, the antagonist.
Major Conflict
There is conflict between Trevor and Blackie at the start of the story because Blackie wants to over-rule Trevor about destroying the house and is angry that there is a vote and that all the boys side with Trevor.
Climax
Mr Thomas is released from the outhouse he is locked in, just in time to witness his home being demolished and destroyed.
Foreshadowing
Trevor's setting fire to the money that he finds foreshadows the darker intentions he has for the home, and his reasons for destroying it.
Understatement
Mr Thomas is said to be proud of the house, but this is really an understatement because it has been his home for a long time. He considers the fact it is standing after the Blitz to symbolize the strength of Londoners who are still standing after the German bombing raids.
Allusions
The boys allude to the events that occurred during the war.
Imagery
The images created of the area are gray and depressing, giving the reader a picture of a wasteland in the middle of a city; there used to be homes there but they were destroyed during the war and have not been replaced yet. The images created also show how devoid of hope the landscape is.
Paradox
Trevor is insulted when Blackie thinks he might steal the money he finds, but he doesn't mind being thought a vandal or a fire-starter.
Parallelism
There is a parallel between the way the house withstood the bombing raids in the war, and the way in which Londoners emerged still standing at the end of the war.
Metonymy and Synecdoche
The Wormsley Common Gang represents all of the boys in the gang, using the area they are from to define who they are and what they are about.
Personification
No specific examples
