The Moon Is Down blog 2

The conflict dealt with in The Moon is Down is centered around the occupation of a small town by an invading army.  The causes of this conflict revolve around an important coal mine near the town.  The invading army needs this important resource to further their war efforts and the townspeople become the primary laborers of this mine.  “This whole thing is more an engineering job than conquest.  The coal must come out of the ground and be shipped.  We have technicians, but the local people will continue to work the mine.  Is that clear?  We do not wish to be harsh”  (Steinbeck 15).  This quote, stated by Colonel Lanser, explains what the purpose of the invasion was.  The army invaded a free and quiet town just to take some coal, and they ended up receiving a lot more than that.  Because of the invaders, the citizens of the town became more united than ever.  They secretly began to fight off their oppressors and slow the progress in the mine.  This gain also allowed a martyr to rise up after he killed an officer in the army.  “Alex, go, knowing that these men will have no rest, no rest at all until they are gone or dead.  You will make the people one.  It’s a sad knowledge and little enough gift to you, but it is so.  No rest at all”  (Steinbeck 55).  Alex was the martyr that united the people to begin to fight back against the army.  This eventually led to the dropping of dynamite by England to aid the citizens in their plight.  A loss of the conflict included many civilians being killed for their “crimes” against the invaders.  Morality was also lost during this time where anything was acceptable for killing a soldier.  Some bonds of trust were also broken from this invasion.  When the people learned one of their shopkeepers betrayed them, he was never treated the same.  These people could be conquered, but their spirit could not be destroyed.  No matter what the invading army threatened, resistance continued and democracy proved to be indestructible. 

Steinbeck, John. The Moon Is Down. Ney York: Penguin Group, 1995. Print.