The Moon is Down: Soldiers and Citizens- Describe, Compare, and Contrast

The citizens in The Moon is Down are not described in full detail.  On all account, though, in the story they seem like a simple people who are usually pleasant.  They do take pride in their freedoms, however, and if they feel they have been treated unfairly then there may be violence.  This was first displayed when a miner rebelled.  Captain Loft tells the story: “Captain Bentick was about to leave to come here when I had some trouble about a recalcitrant miner who wanted to quit work. He shouted something about being a free man. When I ordered him to work, he rushed at me with his pick.” (Steinbeck 31)   After the people became angry with the invaders for killing the man as well as for other reasons, they were not quick to act but rather kept their anger built up inside of themselves.  When the right moment came, then they would attack.  Molly Morden waited to kill Lieutenant Tonder when it was dark and no one was around.  When dynamite arrived, the people would hide it and use it later. 

            The invaders are displayed differently in this book than they would be in many others.  They are actually given a heart and soul and made out in a way that the reader can actually consider them to be people.  Steinbeck is able to pull this off by using dialogue between the soldiers in which they talk about back home and they seem like any other young man, not a coldblooded killer like we would typically imagine.  One quote that expresses this view point comes from an unknown soldier who says, ““Why? Let him howl. He sounds good to me. I used to have a dog at home that howled. I never could break him. Yellow dog. I don’t mind the howl. They took my dog when they took the others.” (Steinbeck 65)

            The people and the soldiers are the same because they both want the war to be over so they can go back to their regular lives.  When either side fights it is for their country.  They are different though as well.  If the top people in charge of the invading country were killed, there would be no leader (Steinbeck 77).  But if the leaders in the invaded country were killed, then leaders would arise from the people (Steinbeck 77).

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