Immediately a contrast is noticeable between these two short stories simply in the titles. The two titles can be seen as a connotation pair because ‘kissing’ is a positive connotation whereas ‘destructing’ is a negative connotation. The Destructors is set in a town suffering the repercussions of war (2009. The Oxford Book of English Short Stories (Oxford Books of Prose & Verse). 2 Edition. Oxford University Press, P.311, Graham GreeneThe Destructors) and comparing that to The Kiss which is set in Samarkand, the beautiful capital city of Tamerlane. 2009. The Oxford Book of English Short Stories (Oxford Books of Prose & Verse). 2 Edition. Oxford University Press, P.400, Angela Carter,The Kiss)
Samarkand is described as a majestic and beautiful…show more content… ‘The Wormsley Common Gang’ display that because of their incinerated surroundings, they consider it ordinary to destruct themselves. We can clearly observe this when the gang have a conversation about destroying Mr Thomas’ house; “It’s proposed that tomorrow and Monday we destroy Old Misery’s house.” (2009. The Oxford Book of English Short Stories (Oxford Books of Prose & Verse). 2 Edition. Oxford University Press, P.315, Graham GreeneThe Destructors) ‘Thomas’ house is the only house left standing after the war and the fact that the gang wish to destroy it manifests the idea that the gang are aware of their environment and that it is demolished therefore why not finish it off and destroy it all? Everyone has lost their home and their workplace so everyone in the town has allowed themselves to fall apart. The significance of Thomas losing his house is prominent at the end of the short story when Mr Thomas notices his house has gone and the lorry driver laughs and quotes ‘I’m sorry. I can’t help it, Mr Thomas. There’s nothing personal, but you got to admit it’s funny.” (2009. The Oxford Book of English Short Stories (Oxford Books of Prose & Verse). 2 Edition. Oxford University Press, P.324, Graham GreeneThe Destructors) In comparison to the final line in The Kiss, they are extremely different considering that in the end of The Destructors, Mr Thomas is getting laughed at because the setting has gone from the short story and you feel sorry for him because everything in London has now been demolished and in The Kiss, the final line is “Perhaps she sold lilies there” (2009. The Oxford Book of English Short Stories (Oxford Books of Prose & Verse). 2 Edition. Oxford University Press, P.402, Angela Carter,The Kiss) which retains the idea that the location is still wealthy and the ending is also an epiphany because Angela Carter hints that the old woman selling the