The story is about a gang of kids that go by the name of the 'Wormsley Common Gang' named because their parents took shelter in the Wormsley Common Underground train station (presuming) during the london bombings of WWII (London bombings - FACT).
They recieve a new member before the August Bank holidays and wave their usual initiation.
Cut a...short story uhmm short. The gang decides to take Old Misery's (Thomas a builder) house down from the inside out during the 2 day holidays. On the second day Old misery returns home early and T. (Trevor) devises a plan to lock him in his backyard outhouse.
They tear the floor boards out. Knock the joists from the roof. Burn Old Misery's money that T found inside the mattress. If i may quote donnie darko to the best of my memory. Drew barrimore (teacher) asks the class to describe why THEY think T and Blackie burned the money to which Donnie (Jake Gyllenhall) replies "They didn't do it for money. They just wanted to see what would happen if they tore the world apart".
I think Greene is fingering our natural tendency to fight fear of destruction and disorder by settling into motion, empty routines and illusions of structure, like our homes. We hide out in them and risk going our entire lives and without ever really experiencing the full spectrum of life through change. (It's no coincidence Old Misery is trapped and rendered powerless by a simple structure for a very human practice, the outhouse.) The trappings of our lives, with which we invest so much importance and permanence, are so flimsy even children and an afternoon can destroy them.
The truth is, massive change can happen to us at any time and from as unlikely sources as we can imagine, like teens with hammers. Greene seems to be asking, will we be defenseless and vulnerable when that change comes, like an old man knee deep in shit? Or will we have prepared ourselves for it by willingly tearing down the structures around us and facing the chaos beyond?
I think it's an uplifting story about the power of perspective. On the scales of influence, a building, along with its plumbing and wiring and soft pillows and all the rest of the things that represent our incessant need to delude ourselves into believing we've tamed the wildness of life, dies compared to the simple human will of bored kids.
I think Greene is saying, we have made our own prisons and called them home ... but breaking free is as easy as having the will.
The truth is, massive change can happen to us at any time and from as unlikely sources as we can imagine, like teens with hammers. Greene seems to be asking, will we be defenseless and vulnerable when that change comes, like an old man knee deep in shit? Or will we have prepared ourselves for it by willingly tearing down the structures around us and facing the chaos beyond?
I think it's an uplifting story about the power of perspective. On the scales of influence, a building, along with its plumbing and wiring and soft pillows and all the rest of the things that represent our incessant need to delude ourselves into believing we've tamed the wildness of life, dies compared to the simple human will of bored kids.
I think Greene is saying, we have made our own prisons and called them home ... but breaking free is as easy as having the will.
And as I'm sure my girlfriend would love this here's a quote from Fight Club "the things you own end up owning you."
amen
ReplyDelete