The Novel:
a.John Steinbeck
b.The Moon is Down
c.Penguin Books
d.First Impression in 1942 in the U.S.A by the Viking Press
e.War
Personal Response:
a. I’ve chosen this novel because I’m interested in history and especially in World War II. The text on the backside of the book made me curious about what would happen in the story. The story is also a bit psychological, the soldiers are afraid because they now they are hated by the people in town, that also made me curious because I find that interesting. Once I read the text on the backside of the book I found it more captivating than the other books, that’s why I chose this novel.
b.Firstly I found the book very nice because the subject attracted me, the
book was also very exciting because the soldiers and the civilians hated each other, sometimes they even killed each other. I couldn’t put the book away because I constantly wanted to know what would happen. I found the book very realistic because WW II and the situations in the book had really taken place, the reaction of the civilians to the soldiers was also very realistic and sometimes funny.
Short Summary:
The Germans invade a peaceful Norwegian town during WWII because a traitor, Mr. Corell, told the Germans about the town and distracted the local soldiers from the town. The town owns a coalmine, the order of the Germans is to delve and transport coal to Germany. One day a miner, Alex Morden, kills a Captain of the German army. Colonel Lanser the leader of the German battalion decides to execute the miner Alex Morden, he knows from experience that the execution of a civilian will cause great resistance of the local people. Colonel Lanser asks Mayor Orden, the Mayor of the town, to be judge of the trial, but Orden refuses. The resistance starts immediately on the day Alexander Morden gets executed: A Lieutenant gets shot in his shoulder. The resistance continues, people signal English bombers to bomb the mine, German trucks get sabotaged and the electricity generator is demolished several times. In the meantime the Germans shoot everyone they catch on resistance. The soldiers feel threatened by the local people, they feel they are hated and don’t feel safe anymore, because a few soldiers were stole up on and killed by the inhabitants. When another German gets killed the murderer gets caught, his name is Jack Anders. Jack gets executed and the Germans want to kill his two brothers, Tom and Will too. Tom and Will flee to England with a boat with the request of Mayor Orden to ask the English authority for weapons. After a few days English planes approach in the middle of the night. The planes drop tubes of dynamite for the local people to demolish the railroad, everyone collects the tubes. The people damage the railroad on several places. Colonel Lanser arrests the mayor and the Doctor of the town. He says that if the resistance won’t stop, he’ll kill them both. The mayor says that the people will continue anyway and that the conquerors will be defeated soon. The mayor and the doctor are executed but the resistance continues.
a.The point of view is the he/she perspective, you get to know thoughts
and feelings of everyone. This perspective makes you like the resistance and have compassion with the Germans.
b.Mayor Orden:
The mayor of the town, he is an old respected man in
town. He is mayor of the town for a long time. He is wise but diverted. He wants to achieve the departure of the German invaders and has because of that a conflict with Colonel Lanser, the conflict gets solved when Mayor Orden got killed.
Colonel Lanser:
The Colonel of the German battalion, he is a rough and hardened man who has fought in many wars. He wants to fulfil his orders which is supplying Germany with coal from the mine. He has a conflict with Mayor Orden because they are the leaders of two opposite groups, the conflict gets solved when Mayor Orden got killed.
c.The Germans invade the little town in Norway, the rest of the story takes place in the same town.
d.The story ends when Mayor Orden and Doctor Winter get executed by the Germans, although the resistance continues.
e.The main theme is constant fear and hatred between two different groups.
f.The Germans invaded the town when the winter came, when it is
winter in Norway the days are very short and at night there is no moon. That declares the title “the moon is down”. When the Germans invaded the town it were literally and figurative dark times, that’s why this is the title of the book.
Characters:
Main Characters:
Mayor Orden: Round character. The mayor of the town, he is an old respected man in town. He is mayor of the town for a long time. He is wise but diverted. He wants to achieve the departure of the German invaders and has because of that a conflict with Colonel Lanser, the conflict gets solved when Mayor Orden got killed.
Colonel lanser: Round character. The Colonel of the German battalion, he is a rough and hardened man who has fought in many wars. He wants to fulfil his orders which is supplying Germany with coal from the mine. He has a conflict with Mayor Orden because they are the leaders of two opposite groups, the conflict gets solved when Mayor Orden got killed.
Major Characters:
Doctor Winter: Flat character. He is the best friend of mayor Orden and supports the Mayor with many decisions.
Alex Morden: Flat character. A miner who killed a German Captain.
Molly Morden: Round character. The wife of Alex Morden, she is a blond beauty and very sweet, she can listen well. She killed a German an fled into the woods.
Annie: Round character. The Cook of the Mayor, she gets angry really fast but is very nice when you get to know her. She eavesdrops the Germans often and helps people flee to England.
Captain Loft: Flat character. He is a very young Captain, he reached this rank so early because he follows the rules strictly and has great stamina.
Lieutenant Tonder: Flat character. A young Lieutenant who is very childish, his best friend is Lieutenant Prackle.
Minor Characters:
Major Hunter: Flat character. German Major, likes drawing maps.
Lieutenant Prackle: Flat character. He is very afraid for the people and got shot in his shoulder.
Joseph: Flat character. The servant of the Mayor, he is very smart and silent
Madame: Flat character. The wife of Mayor Orden.
The brothers Anders: Flat characters. Three Brothers, Jack, Tom and Will. Jack killed a German, because of that Tom and Will flee to England.
Mr. Corell: Flat character. The Traitor who made a clear path for the Germans to enter the town. He is very hated amongst the people and gets attacked a few times.
Time and Setting:
a.The story takes place in a winter in WWII probably before 1942,the book was first published in 1942, because the characters speak of the war a lot. The story is told chronologically and about 9 months time
are covered.
b.The story takes place in a little town in Norway lying at the coast of the sea, because some people can travel to England by boat. The name of the town is not mentioned.
c.The time and setting are important because that is when and where the war actually took place. During war there are harsh times, just like in this story.
Opening and End:
a.“By ten-forty-five it was all over. The town was occupied, the defenders defeated, and the war finished. The invader had prepared for this campaign as carefully as he had for larger ones. On this Sunday morning the postman and the policeman had gone fishing in the boat of Mr. Corell, the popular storekeeper. He had lent them his trim sailboat for the day. The postman and policeman were several miles at sea when they saw the small, dark transport, loaded with soldiers, go quietly past them.”
This is an opening in event, the writer starts just after the Germans have invaded the town. After the opening in event he tells what has taken place before the Germans had conquered the town. I think the writer used this particular opening to make the reader curious immediately, when you read the town is conquered, you want to discover how immediatly.
b. “Mayor Orden turned to Docter Winter. ‘Crito, I owe a cock to Asclepius,’ he said tenderly. ‘Will you remember to pay the debt?’
Winter closed his eyes for a moment before he answered, ‘The debt shall be paid.’ Orden chuckled then. ‘I remembered that one. I didn’t forget that one.’ He put his hand on Prackle’s arm, and the lieutenant flinched away from him. And Winter nodded slowly. ‘Yes, you remembered. The debt shall be paid.’”
This is an open end, because Winter promises to revenge the execution on Mayor Orden, but it is not certain he will. The local people will continue the resistance against the Germans, but it is not sure whether they will win or not, although the Mayor and Doctor Winter are certain they will.
Assesment:
a. I found the book very interesting and nice, the parts I liked the most were the parts where the resistance attacked or fought against de Germans because I was against the Germans also. There weren’t any parts I didn’t like. The morale of the story is: You can’t capture free people and I think that’s the big lesson of the book too.
b. “The Colonel looked at Madame and she seated herself and he settled tiredly into a chair. Mayor Orden stood, still half dreaming.”“
"Orden came close to her and she said weakly ‘don’t touch me, please don’t touch me’. And his hand dropped. For a moment she stood still then she turned stiffly and went out of the door.”
The writer describes what people do and think very detailed, I think that’s very specific for John Steinbeck
c.This is a very nice, intriguing book which gives a realistic view on WWII. The battle between Germans and a resistance is very exciting the way John Steinbeck describes it. This book is good for education because you learn a lot about the war and how people react on an Army that has occupied their town. You should really buy this book, because it is very good.
REACTIES
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