The Moon is Down #5

This novel does not have a set time period that it takes place in, or at least it does not state one. But, we know that John Steinbeck wrote this novel during World War II to be used as propaganda. This novel has several parallels to the events of World War II and the countries involved. The enemy soldiers of the book invade a small town while they are at war with England and Russia. This is comparable to the real life event of the Germans invading Norway and how the Norwegians reacted to being invaded. Steinbeck wrote the novel to hopefully inspire other people to act out against the people who invaded them like the townspeople do to their enemies in this novel. Years after the novel was written and the war over, Steinbeck goes to Germany to receive a medal. "He was asked on several occasions how he knew so well what the resistance there was doing. His answer was, "I put myself in your place and thought what I would do." (Introduction xxiii).  This shows that even though Steinbeck was in America, which was not invaded by any country, he has a amazing understanding about how people would fell with these situations.

In a war filled era, many books and other works of literature were created about the war or involving the war, for the war. The Moon is Down is one of the only ones that is around today because of how different it is than other books. Steinbeck examines how both sides of the war feel and react to the events of the invasions, and this is uncommon. Books normally take one side and stick to it, and you do not hear about the other. this is why lots of people read it during the war, to show that the soldiers are human just like the people and war hurts them too. in the novel the soldiers are beaten down more than the townspeople, and that gives other people hope to beat their enemy too.

Steinbeck, John. The Moon Is Down. New York: Penguin Classics, 1942. Print.