So here's the thing about English short stories. They don't really make sense unless you look for the deeper meaning. The first time I read most of these stories (especially "The Child by Tiger") I just end up asking myself why this is considered good literature when it's so ridiculous.
For example, the short story we discussed on Wednesday was "The Destructors". It's about this gang of teenage boys in London who goes around and causes trouble, but a new kid in the gang decides to take it to a whole new level. Trevor, who gets made fun of for having an upper class name, wants to tear down this old man's house just for the fun of it. He really stresses that he wants it destroyed, gone, nothing left. They break all the glass, tear down all the furniture, and ultimately pull the house apart.
At first glance, that story is just ridiculous. The kids are stupid, there are better things to do when you're bored, and why did they even put in the effort to pull that off? But you have to know a little context before you judge the story like I did. This takes place just after WWII ended in London, after some horrible bombings nearly destroyed the city. So these kids grew up in a time and place where things just got senselessly destroyed. There's also probably a bunch of symbolism and hidden messages, but like I said I'm not an expert at this yet, and even if I tried to explain it I'd probably be wrong.
Anyway, I feel like after some explanation I'll start to understand these better, but it's going to take some work.
Just remember: they're not complicated for the sake of being complicated. And there's no secret code to decipher them. The authors are trying to present complex views of humanity and real life (which are by nature, complex!) in interesting/artistic ways.
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