"The Moon is Down" Question 5

The setting of "The Moon is Down" is a small village in Europe in the 1940's.  If you were in Europe in the 1940's there's no doubt you were aware of and probably being effected by World War II.  This little town is directly being effected by World War II through the course of this book.  This book is completely about World War II so the history of the time period is reflected pretty strongly in this book because that's what it's about.  The people of the town that this book take place in act pretty typical with all that's going on.  A brigade of soldiers randomly show up, well it's actually not that random but very well thought out and planned but to them it's random, and invade their town and conquer them and they act how most people would:  scared and confused.  This reflects most people during World War II.  For the people in Germany who weren't for Adolf Hitler, they were scared of what was to become of their home and their friends and family and confused and didn't really know how to react.  For the people surrounding Germany they were scared because they had heard about the going on's in Germany and the crazy dictator rumored to be coming for them next.  The people in America who had boat loads of people being dropped off at their doorstep and had no were to go they were probably scared for their possible relatives in foreign countries at risk of being killed.  Then you probably had some random eskimos in Antarctica who had no clue of the going ons.  I don't actually know that but hey.  It's whatever.  During the 1940's women were still pretty dependent on men.  This social issue is reflected when Alex Morden reacts to being told he cannot leave the mine and swings his mining axe at a soldier and kills him.  He is convicted and shot by the soldiers.  This leaves his wife to fend for herself.  She was used to the married life and having a man around to provide for her and to open jars when she couldn't and scoop the snow off of her roof when it got to heavy.  It doesn't appear that she is on the brink of starvation or anything that serious but I think if you had given it some time it may have gotten there.  I believe the symbolic meaning of this book was to spread the word of the war far and wide.  It was translated illegally into French, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, Swedish, German, Italian, and Russian.  The possession of the book in Axis-power countries was punishable by immediate death.  The thematic significance was very simple.  Hope.  It gave people hope.  I'm sure to read this during World War II and to find out that this was an actual thing and it was actually happening was very unsettling but it also showed someone was trying to do something about it.  This makes this 500 words.




Simon, Marion, and C. Bosker. John Steinbeck: The Moon Is down. Paterswolde: Dalcomtext, 1997. Print.