("We aren't thieves," T said. "Nobody's going to steal anything from this house.) I kept these for you and me a celebration." He knelt down on the floor and counted them out-there were seventy in all. "We'll burn them," he said, "one by one," and taking it in turns they held a note upwards and lit the top corner, so that the flame burnt slowly towards their fingers. The grey ash floated above them and fell on their heads like age. "I'd like to see Old Misery's face when we are through," T said. ("You hate him a lot?" Blackie asked.
"Of course I don't hate him," T said. "There'd be no fun if I hated him.") The last burning note illuminated his brooding face. ("All this hate and love," he said, "it's soft, it's hooey. There's only things, Blackie,") and he looked round the room crowded with the unfamiliar shadows of half things, broken things, former things. "I'll race you home, Blackie," he said. Analyze what the parts in parenthesis of the passage above reveal about T's motivations and explain how the passage as a whole relates to one of the themes in the story (innocence, destruction, sentimentality, etc.) Answer every part of the prompt and be sure to include textual evidence to support your ideas. Response should be written in complete sentences and be edited for correct spelling, punctuation and grammar. Avoid informal language and the use of first-person pronouns (i.e. "I think" or "I feel" statements)
The parts in parenthesis reveal that T does not actually hate Old Misery. When Blackie asks if T hates him, T responds by saying, "Of course I don't hate him. There'd be no fun if I hated him." This indicates that T's motivations for burning the notes and destroying Old Misery's house are not fueled by personal animosity towards him. Instead, T is driven by a desire for excitement and amusement. He sees the act of destruction as a form of entertainment, rather than a reflection of his true feelings.
The passage as a whole relates to the theme of destruction. T and Blackie are deliberately destroying the notes that they have gathered. They are burning them one by one, watching as the flames slowly consume the paper and turn it into ash. This act of destruction represents a rebellion against the established order and a rejection of societal norms. T's motivation for this destruction is not rooted in anger or hatred, but rather in a desire to challenge and disrupt the status quo.
The theme of destruction is also reflected in the description of the room, which is filled with broken and former things. This imagery creates a sense of decay and decayed objects. This further emphasizes the destructive nature of T's actions and highlights the theme of destruction in the story.
One piece of textual evidence that supports the theme of destruction is when T says, "I'll race you home, Blackie." This statement signifies the completion of their act of destruction and their return to their normal lives. By racing home, they are leaving behind the chaos and destruction they have caused, showing that their actions were not meant to be permanent or significant. Instead, their destruction was simply a temporary burst of excitement and rebellion.
In conclusion, the parts in parenthesis reveal that T's motivations for destroying Old Misery's house are not rooted in personal animosity, but rather in a desire for excitement and entertainment. The passage as a whole relates to the theme of destruction, as the characters deliberately burn and destroy the notes, and the description of the room reinforces this theme.