In "Rocking Horse Winner" by DH Lawrence and "The Destructors" by Graham Greene the reader can immediately see both the differences and similarities in both stories from the authors' choices of setting, tone and characterization. The author's use of imagery and plot in both stories makes it clear that materialism can play an important role in how people's attitudes and behaviors are influenced and altered towards others because of a style of life full of misfortunes. In “The Destructors” and “The Rocking Horse Winner,” the authors' backgrounds and writing dispositions are very similar. Both authors are British and once lived in London. Lawrence and Greene both convey a post-war setting in Britain. Their stories involve families with upper class status but struggling due to insufficient income, while maintaining a form of their perceived identity of wealth. The family of "The Rocking Horse Winner" lives in a pleasant house with a garden with discreet servants. They feel superior to everyone in the neighborhood (Lawrence 365). Trevor in "The Destructors" comes from a family "that had descended into the world" since his father lost his job as an architect and became a clerk. Even though there is a change in wealth, a glimpse of her mother's attitude is revealed as she still considers herself better than the neighbors. Where the setting of "Rocking Horse Winner" is inside a large rich looking house with voices asking for more money; the setting of "The Destructors" begins by being outside, in the obliterated city, only to enter a house to destroy it. The tone of "Rocking Horse Winner" is set in the very first sentence where the author introduces a... ...middle of paper ...too young to work becomes an obsessive gambler who wins money for his mother to make money the income that adults usually earn. Poverty turns to fortune, but returns to poverty as the boy's mother spends the money quickly due to her greed and selfishness. Then tragically the precious life she had but didn't love and that had brought her good fortune suddenly ends. In "The Rocking Horse Winner" the characters were more concerned with their selfish desires and needs than with the family relationship. Misfortune brought resentment and bitterness focusing on materialism rather than love. The same theme is seen in "Destroyers". Not only did the group recklessly destroy another's house due to the unfortunate environment they found themselves in, but a driver also laughs at the end after realizing that Mr. Thomas' house fell on his face..