The Destructors

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. After the end of WWII in 1945, decimated countries sought to both rebuild as well as protect themselves from future threats. What were some of the challenges in rebuilding Europe’s economy? What were some of the looming threats of the future, and how did many countries adapt?

Teaching Suggestion: This Short Answer question orients students to the historical context of the story. After the end of WWII, European countries experienced numerous obstacles in their reconstruction processes. Countries that were a part of the European theater (i.e., where many of the physical battles were fought) were forced to rebuild their cities, many of which were destroyed in battles and bombings. However, in order to rebuild public amenities on a large scale, restore their economies to pre-war levels, and continue providing basic public services, these countries needed an injection of financial support. The United States’s Marshall Plan was a strategic political and economic initiative to protect “First World” industries and free market economies against the specter of “Second World” communism and the future Dangers of Populism.