The Moon is Down: Hero

If I had to choose one person from the book to call the hero, it would probably have to be Mayor Orden.  He is portrayed as a kind-hearted man who believes that no price is too high for freedom.  He stands by the will of the people all the way up to his death (he does not actually die during the book, but it is known that he will be executed soon).  When the people were threatened, he stood up for them by telling the invaders that the people are used to freedom and and that they need to be treated fairly (Steinbeck 18).  The mayor also tried to plead for Alex Morden’s life when he was found to have killed Captain Bentick.  He told the enemy that since they had killed six men upon entering the town, then the soldiers who killed those six men should be killed in exchange for the life of Alex Morden (Steinbeck 39).  Mayor Orden was also the one who asked Tom to have the English send dynamite over so that the people can fight for themselves.  Finally, when he is told that if the people put up any more resistance he will be killed, he does not plead with the people for his life.  His last recorded words came from Socrates, which are, “Crito, I owe a cock to Asclepius, will you remember to pay the debt?” (Steinbeck 82)  By this quote I assume that he means to make the invaders pay for taking over the town.  Due to his uprightness, kindness, and eventually his death, Mayor Orden would be considered a tragic hero because he tries to save the people but he cannot save himself. 

            Another hero in this story is actually a collective group of people.  I would consider the citizens of the town to be, in a sense, heroes as well.  When they are first conquered, the people do not know exactly what to think and hardly anyone chooses to counteract the invading force.  Their guns are taken away and they are under the watchful eye of enemy soldiers.  While they may be silent and afraid to act at first, eventually they are able to gather up their courage to fight for their town and their country.  One event that significantly raises their morale is when dynamite is dropped on the land for them to use. One word that would describe the people is courage because it is hard to stand up to others who are armed and would not care if they were dead or alive.  They are traditional heroes because they try to save their day as well as that of their fellow countrymen.

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