The Moon Is Down
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| Author | John Steinbeck |
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| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Novel |
| Publisher | The Viking Press |
| Released | 1942 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| Pages | 188 pp |
| ISBN | NA |
The Moon Is Down is a novel by John Steinbeck, an American author. The title refers to a phrase spoken by Banquo's son Fleance in Shakespeare's Macbeth. It was written in 1942 during World War II when Steinbeck worked as a reporter. The story details a military occupation of a small town in Northern Europe by the army of an unnamed nation at war with England and Russia (much like the occupation of Norway by the Germans during World War II). Interestingly, a French language translation of the book was published illegally in Nazi-occupied France by Les Editions de Minuit, a French Resistance publishing house.
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[edit] Plot summary
In the story, an invading force arrives at a seaside coal-mining town and takes it over. Their goal is to take over the coal mine and to organize increased production and export of coal to support their war effort. The officers in charge of the occupation soon find themselves in conflict with the townspeople, especially as the resistance movement begins a campaign of sabotage of coal production. They try to combat the resistance and force the inhabitants into submission, but quickly realize the futility of this, especially as it becomes clear that the war has been already lost.
The Moon Is Down is a story that we can view from both sides. The main characters include both the townspeople and the officers of the occupation force who are basically conscripted mining engineers. There are no "villains" per se here; in some respects the invaders may seem more likeable, and certainly easier to understand, than their victims. The conflict starts from the very start of the occupation as an illusion of a friendly takeover that both the invaders and the locals are trying to maintain is shattered by the deaths of several people killed because of futile resistance attempts. The absurd attempt by the mayor to restore it by having the soldiers tried for the killings done in the line of duty only accentuates the inevitable setting in of the harsh reality.
At first, things go well. The locals are stunned and confused, and the invaders busily plan and carry out expansion of coal production. Soon enough, a slow, burning anger replaces the people's fear and a ragged resistance movement forms. Random acts of sabotage occur against soldiers and the coal mine. The invaders, under orders from above, impose repressive measures to keep the production going. Their commander follows his order knowing that, in fact, there is little hope of stopping the sabotage for more than a few days at a time. The conquerors say of themselves and their futile efforts to defeat the undefeatable motivation of the townnspeople, "The flies have conquered the flypaper!" Soon, all semblance of harmony is ended. The occupiers feel isolated and surrounded by hate. Coal production grinds to a halt due mostly to the fact that "Allied" planes have been dropping sticks of dynamite for the people to use to sabatoge railroads, food suplies, powner sources, and the mine itself. And as several of the invaders are murdered, they begin to realize that their hopes to be accepted as good men bringing a glorious New Order are coming to naught. The townspeople are starving rather than cooperate with the invaders. The officers and leading citizens are pawns in a fruitless ritual of death modeled on the enmity between Socrates and the accusers who forced him to drink hemlock.
[edit] Characters in "The Moon Is Down"
[edit] Townspeople aka Norwegian townspeople
- Mayor Orden - an almost embodiment of the people; white hair
- Doctor Winter - friend of Mayor Orden, beloved town doctor
- Joseph - a servant of the Mayor
- Annie - the Mayor's rather temperamental, independent cook
- Madame - wife of the Mayor
- Christine - mentioned briefly; a better cook than Annie and a friend of hers
- Alexander Morden - A miner, killed Captain Bentick and was sentenced to death.
- Molly Morden - The attractive wife of Alexander Morden
- Will & Tom Anders - flee town and ask for foreign aid.
[edit] The "Enemy"
- George Corell - popular storekeeper, traitor and spy.
- Colonel Lanser - the head of the local battalion; a WWI veteran.
- Captain Bentick - old, Anglophile; loves dogs, christmas and "pink children."
- Major Hunter - The engineer; has a model railroad at home.
- Captain Loft - young, ambitious; he lived and breathed the military.
- Lieutenant Prackle - apparently a good artist; had five blonde sisters.
- Lieutenant Tonder - a poet described as a "dark romantic," is killed by Molly Morden after flirting with her.
- "the Leader" - referencing Adolf Hitler
[edit] Allusions/references from other works
The band Further Seems Forever named an album, and the title track of that album, after the book.
The band Explosions in the Sky named a song on their album Those Who Tell the Truth Shall Die, Those Who Tell the Truth Shall Live Forever after the book.
[edit] Film, TV or theatrical adaptations
It was made into a movie starring Cedric Hardwicke, Henry Travers and Lee J. Cobb in 1943.
The novel was also adapted into a play by the same name.
