Attack on the Old Professor

The gang encounters an elderly professor-type man leaving the Public Biblio with books under his arm. They approach him with mock politeness, pretending to admire his reading habits, then accuse him of possessing filthy books. They tear up the books, rip out his false teeth, strip him, and kick him, leaving him bleeding and dazed on the pavement. The attack is a casual, almost playful exercise of power, with Alex directing the violence and Dim providing crude humor. This event demonstrates the gang's casual cruelty and their contempt for intellectualism and the older generation. It also introduces the theme of the conflict between youth and age, which recurs throughout the novel.