Character Analysis of The Moon is Down by John Steinbeck

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Analysis of The Moon is Down by John Steinbeck

“Apart from Mayor Orden, the characters in “The Moon Is Down” remain

two dimensional”

John Steinbeck’s “The Moon Is Down” is a novel about human

relationships, the relationships between a small town and its

invaders, the relationships between town officials and the

towns-people, and the relationships between the members of the

invading army. Although it is a short novel Steinbeck has made a few

strong and well-defined characters in these 122 pages. While there are

many characters that only have a few pages in which to define

themselves, the major characters seem to be very well thought out, and

most are quite well rounded.

Most of the characters in the novel receive a small paragraph with a

description of who they are, these paragraphs are very detailed and

help to make the character whole. They not only provide a description

of what the character looks like, they give an insight into what the

character is thinking. Even to small characters this adds a feeling of

understanding on the part of the reader. It allows the reader, in some

way, to have a connection to the character, and while the dialogue of

“The Moon Is Down” may be a bit thin, it makes the characters seem

more real.

Mayor Orden is indisputably, not only the main, but also the most

realistic of all the characters in “The Moon Is Down”. He was made to

be Mayor of the town, and nobody would ever dispute his position,

however, the first few pages of the book show Doctor Winter and the

Mayor’s serving-man (Joseph) offhandedly referring to the Mayor as if

he was a little apathetic and vague towards his own appearance.

“ ‘What’s the Mayor doing?’

‘Dressing to receive the Colonel, sir.’

‘...

... middle of paper ...

...the towns-people pose, he does know that

they are the one fault in his leaders plan. Steinbeck wrote this

character with a clear insight into the human mind. Colonel Lanser

doesn’t want to be in the town any more than he is wanted there, but a

Colonel in an army must do as their leader instructs.

“The Moon Is Down” may be a short book, but it does have a lot going

for it. Though many people may find the dialogue a let down, the

characters are strong, and full of hidden quirks. Steinbeck didn’t

directly create “three-dimensional” characters, but rather let the

readers do the work for him. The way this novel is written brings

enough life to the story to make every character seem slightly more

real, no matter how small their part to play was.

Biliography

===========

The Moon Is Down by John Steinbeck. First published by William

Heinemann Ltd. 1942.

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