Generational Clashes and the Element of Destruction in “The Destructors” Post-war London was a place filled with angst as the city and its people within were climbing out of a hole. Within a changing world, Graham Greene’s story “The Destructors” looks at how the effects of World War II in London caused a clash of generational ideas and how the young people looked to fill their role in a changing city. Greene’s story includes ideas of beautiful destruction, shifts of power, and conflict between a country’s past and future. The story follows the Wormsley Common Gang, a group of boys, who meet in the rubbles of their city to scrap and play. With a number of themes, Greene’s story demonstrates how each generation shapes its ideas based on the events of the time, creating a divide between the ages. The story, “The Destructors,” is about a group of teenagers in England who meet every day, choosing to defy the ideals of society. Old Misery, …show more content…
Their adventures lead them into situations, most troublesome, involving people like Old Misery. Greene’s work includes themes of beauty in destruction, the effects of a war on generations, and the rebellion of young teens, showing the connections and effects of progressive ideas and passing time. As Peter P. Clarke explores the parallels between Greene’s “The Destructors” and an essay by Mikhail Bakunin explaining anarchism, a number of connections emerge. The essay, “Reaction in Germany,” shows that moving forward is tied to the destruction of not only physical things but the ideology of the people. The themes of rebellion and beautiful destruction can be traced back to what seems to be the case throughout history - things that are destructive now may be harmless and beautiful at the end. Every society in history has changed for the better through a number of problems, and many have thrived from the bumps in the