Essay | Book Review of "The Destructors"

Set in the ruins of London after World War II, Graham Greene's "The Destructors" speaks of a new form of creation as a group of young delinquents search for a reputation that will draw attention from even the most well respected gangs in London. This story displays the destructive habits of kids living in a town destroyed by war. Destroying a house, the social system, and the system of leadership, the Wormsley Common Gang shows that because of their destroyed setting, it becomes normal for them to be destructive themselves. A promising plan is schemed by a young boy named Trevor. His plan is clear and brilliant in its simplicity: It calls for the total destruction of Old Misery's house from the inside out. After all, "destruction," he claims "is a form of creation."

Trevor is the newest member to join the Wormsley Common Gang. Trevor's name, common to...
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