Sunday, August 12, 2012

The Moon is Down - Chapter Six

When the chapter opens, we get a description of the town. Apparently, a sense of fear has crept over the down. The lights are turned out and the streets are quiet. After the death of Alexander, Annie visits his wife, Molly, to keep her company. We learn that Mayor Orden plans to visit to speak with her as well. Apparently, the Anders' brothers have decided to leave that night. After everyone left, a few minutes passed before there was another knock at the door. She expected it to be Annie or someone else, but we find that it is Lieutenant Tonder and he has a few things to say! He explains to her how he has seen her in the town and how he really has been wanting to talk to her. He says that he is "lonely to the point of illness" (Steinbeck 74). Molly just smiles sadly, stating that he does not know who she is and that she does not have a husband anymore (Steinbeck 74). Tonder asks if it was anything that their army did, and she replies with a yes. He offers to help and explains how he has a bit of a crush on her (Steinbeck 75). After he sweetly tries to convince her to like him, she explains in a rather haunting way that he killed her husband, that he was the one who shot him (Here I felt kind of bad for Tonder... he only wanted love). Tonder filled with misery and bit her a goodnight, realizing that they could never have a relationship now. He leaves and Annie returns, asking Molly if she had joined the conquerers. She replies that she had not, and then she, Annie, the Anders brothers, and the Mayor discuss leaving. They plan to take Mr. Corell, the man who betrayed the town in the first place, so that they could use his boat. Then, they all begin to discuss how they can get the town to retaliate against the soldiers. Molly slips away during the conversation and she hears a constant knock at her door. She knows that it is the Lieutenant. She slowly grabs some scissors from her knitting kit and hides them in her dress, going to answer the door.

I... don't know what to make of this. I am honestly worried that Molly is going to kill Lieutenant Tonder. I will seriously cry. I know that he is on the invading side, but I believe his words that he just wants to find love. I felt bad for him because he said he was lonely. I am really anxious about the next chapter.

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

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