The Moon Essay, Research Paper
The Moon is Down Chapter One: Here we learn
that a small town has been taken over by one of the many
Nazi groups during World War Two. Mr. Corell ? The town
good guy?, the way I view it, sent the town postmen and
policemen on a boating trip, keeping them from the invasion
(we learn later that ?The town good guy? is really a
back-stabber later in the book). After the invasion, the
Nazis request a meeting with the town?s Mayor, Mayor
Orden. Joseph and Doctor Winter, two of Mayor Orden?s
colleagues, await the arrival of Nazis too. The two meet
Captain Bentick, a rank lower than Colonel Lanser who is
the one who had requested the meeting. Bentick searches
the home. During the meeting Annie, Mayor Orden?s cook,
becomes very aggravated by the soldiers who wait outside
the front porch of the Mayor?s home, and throws a pot of
boiling water at them. Chapter Two: In this chapter,
Steinbeck explains the characteristics of each of the Nazis.
Major Hunter, an engineer, ?arithmatician?, and seemingly
indifferent to the fact that he is a soldier. Captain Bentick, a
family man, was old and kind. Bentick also has certain
admiration to the English. Captain Loft, a young man, took
much pride in the fact that he was a soldier. He dreams of
his own death on the battlefield, where he is respected.
?Lieutenants Prackle and Tonder were snot noses,
undergraduates, lieutenants, trained in the politics of the day?
(Quoted out of the book; there seemed to be no sense
putting it in my own words since it was right there, and
couldn?t have been worded any better). Colonel Lanser
takes much pride in what he does. To me, he sees life as an
order given by a higher rank that must be taken out. It is also
in this chapter that Captain Bentick dies by one Alexander
Morden, a town dweller. Chapter Three: The chapter begins
with a discussion between Annie and Joseph, who are
talking about Alexander Morden and the death of Captain
Bentick. Joseph reveals to Annie what he surely thinks will
happen… ?They?ll shoot him?. Annie is rejecting the awful
thought. Unfortunately it is true and Alex will be tried. Molly
Morden, Alex?s wife, met with the Mayor because of a
rumor that had been circulating in the town. ?You wouldn?t
convict Alex would you??, the replies, ?No?. To the
Mayor?s anger he found that he did have to sentence Alex to
death; luckily he managed to shirk the awful duty. Chapter
Four: This Chapter is very brief, it simply goes into Alex?s
trial, where he IS convicted, and shot in a public area.
Because of Alex?s death, the Mayor requests Annie to keep
Molly company in her time of Mourning. Chapter Five: This
snow begins to stick, and the Nazis begin a friendly
discussion that turns into a bitter argument of being home for
Christmas and when the war will end. Chapter Six: The
chapter begins with a description of the town. The streets
are quiet, lights are turned out, and fear is about. Annie
arrives to the home of Molly to keep her company and to
catch her up on current events. Mayor Orden will be arriving
to her home soon to speak to her and the Anders? will be
leaving that very night. When she left, minutes later, Molly
heard a knock at the door. She thought of Annie and what
she could?ve left behind or forgotten, but it was Lieutenant
Tonder. Molly turned straight to her own defense by asking
who he was and what he wanted. Tonder explained his
feelings toward Molly, and Molly although seemingly
flattered, she became bitter because of the death of her
husband. She calms down and apologizes for her behavior.
She then begins talking about her husband and how he was
killed. She then tells him that he was the one who was told
to publicly execute him. When
becomes crushed because he realizes the is no chance for
the two of them to remain friends even though their
relationship had only lasted minutes. Tonder leaves and
Annie enters. ?You haven?t joined them have you?? Molly
replies, ?No Annie, I haven?t?. With Annie come the Anders
brothers and the Mayor. The two brothers tell Molly how
they plan to flee and who they will take with them. ?We?re
also taking Mr. Corell; it?s only fitting if we also take his
boat.?. The group began putting their heads together to think
of some kind of retaliation. The Mayor tells the Anders
brothers to tell people of what has been happening and to
bring back defensive and offensive weapons. Tonder comes
back and knocks on the door; Molly quickly rushes the
group outside the backdoor not to be seen. Chapter Seven:
To me, this chapter is what I think of as the turning point in
the book. The chapter begins with two soldiers going back
and fourth with meaningless dribble. One of them spots
planes high in the sky. The planes begin to drop little devices
with blue parachutes attached. The Nazis begin to fear what
these packages are. Still some men go on to open them, and
inside them reveal plans for a revolt. It gives directions on
how to sabotage the railroads made by the Nazis. A meeting
was then held about these devices (The Nazis were afraid to
open them). When opened, Colonel Lanser?s anger raged to
find the directions to the revolt. (At this point, Steinbeck
reveals Tonder is dead as a result of coming back to Molly?s
home. ?Tonder?s death was of no help to us; he was
lonely?)Prackle enters the room and asks to go home; he
too is scared and lonely, and I believe hewants leave
because these were the same conditions Tonder was in
before he died. Colonel Lanser tells him he can?t leave, and
he may do whatever he wants to the girl he disires as long as
when he is asked, he will shoot her. Mr. Corell enters; he is
in pain and various bones in his body are broken. ?The same
night Tonder died, I was waylaid,? he said (obviously by the
Anders). ?the two escaped in my boat, the patrol saved
me?. Mr. Corell is angered by what happened to him so he
requests that Mr. Lanser place Mayor Orden and Doctor
Winter under arrest and placed to be hostages because the
two always seem to be at the scene of the crime. Mr. Corell
is sure this will stop if not slow down the revolt. Chapter
Eight: News begins to spread of the Mayor?s arrest. Even
children found the devices with the blue parachutes while
playing. They ate what food was in the package and hid the
dynamite and told the parents where they stored it.
Widespread search for more packages began by both sides
of the war. Annie is working on the house and sees Mayor
Orden in his room guarded by a soldier. Doctor Winter
enters with another soldier. The speak of what may happen
to each other. Not surprisingly, they hadn?t spoken of death.
Finally the subject of death is brought up. The two began to
move away from the subject of death, and began to
reminisce about old times. They recalled a quote and the
Mayor began to recite it. Through the quote he left out
words or forgot them and Colonel Lanser corrected him as
he quietly entered the room. Prackle barged in as the Mayor
was reciting, but Lanser did not let him interrupt the Mayor.
When he was done, Prackle told Lanser finding men with
dynamite. Lanser tells the Mayor that this must stop, but he
is denied. Not because he is angry, but because he has no
control of the people. Mayor Orden told Lanser the people
won?t stand for being conquered they will fight, and they will
be driven out. They begin to here explosions of rebellion,
and the Mayor leaves the room awaiting his execution.