The Moon

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.