Remember, the climax of the story is the key scene in the
tale - that tense or exciting or terrifying moment when our emotional involvement is
greatest. Now we learn what the outcome of the conflict is going to be. To my mind, the
climax of "The Destructors", therefore, is when the boys have already advanced greatly
on their mission of completely destroying "Old Misery"'s house, but the surprise return
of Old Misery threatens the entire project and also T.'s leadership of the gang. Note
how the gang is just ready to drop and leave everything and run, but T. insists that
they continue:
"Anybody could do this - ". "This" was the
shattered hollowed house with nothing left but the walls. Yet walls could be preserved.
Facades were valuable. They could build inside again more beautifully than before. This
could again be a home.
We see
here T.'s obsession with the absolute destruction of the house and his fear that his
project might be thwarted. Note too how T. reacts as it appears his plans will come to
naught:
T.
stood with his back to the rubble like a boxer knocked groggy against the ropes. He had
no words as his dreams shook and
slid.
Note the simile that
compares him to a boxer knocked for six and defeated in the ring. It is only the support
of Blackie that brings him round. When they lock Mr. Thomas in his outside toilet it is
clear that they have passed the crucial danger - the final destruction can proceed in
the denouement of the story.
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