rs materialism is destroyed. Where Paul in The Rocking Horse Winner strives to fulfill his familys need for more money; in The Destructors, T. along with Blackie, burns seventy-pound notes in what T. called a celebration. In both stories, there is an intense struggle to satisfy the frustration over being impoverished.Suspense is created in The Destructors by means of the time frame in which the gang has to do their work. The gang expected Old Misery to return home on a certain day and at a certain hour. Suspense is quickened when Old Misery returned home early and some gang members were still inside. The suspense heightened yet again as a gang member tried to stall Old Misery outside the house. Eventually, Old Misery was lured into his Lav, where he was locked for the duration of the homes destruction.Suspense built in The Rocking Horse Winner as Paul rocked furiously for the name of the Derbys winner. Suspense heightened as the winning name came to Paul, because he had recently had a dry spell and there was doubt concerning his luck.It is interesting that both stories revolve around luck being a prerequisite for wealth. Old Miserys fine home in The Destructors represents luck and wealth. The home survived bombings of the war even when everything around it had been reduced to rubble. Pauls mother in The Rocking Horse Winner blames her familys unluckiness on their poverty.The moral implications of both stories reflect the desperation that is sometimes associated with those in need. This is especially true when those that want see others that have. They begin to feel as if it should be them. The gang in The Destructors not only destroyed Old Miserys house out of idleness, but also for the recognition they perceived to gain from other gangs and the underworld associations. Greene makes it clear that the gangs intent on destroying the house was without malice against Old Misery himself. Paul in The Rocking Horse Winner, seeks...
