The Moon is Down - Conflict : Causes, Gains, Losses

In The Moon is Down, we are introduced to the conflict in literally the first two sentences. "By ten-forty-five it was all over. The town was occupied, the defenders defeated, and the war finished." (Steinbeck 1). Great, so their peaceful town has been captured. We learn that these invaders are there for the coal mine and the fishing there, and that they do not mean any harm (Steinbeck 14). No harm or not, that is a big deal. They just took away the freedom that the little town had. It continues to be a problem until the very end of the book.

Obviously, this conflict is being caused by the group of soldiers that have pretty much only been referred to as the "conquerors" or the "invaders". Where they start off being rather polite to the people of the town, as the townsfolk start to misbehave, they begin to lose their tempers. They begin to put food rations on the people, the food was "issued to the obedient, withheld from the disobedient" (Steinbeck 57). This only fueled the conflict.

After a lot of thought, I have come to the conclusion that only one major thing was gained because of this conflict. The townsfolk gained a new and strong sense of determination and strength. At first, they were just a simple, peaceful town, but by the end, they were willing to do whatever it took to earn back their freedom. Even in the middle of the novel, we can see that the townsfolk are fueled by hatred and a need for revenge, "The people of the conquered country settled in slow, silent, waiting revenge." (Steinbeck 57). They gained new strength that even the Mayor noticed in the end. "If I tell them not to fight, they will be sorry, but they will fight. If I tell them to fight, they will be glad, and I who am not a very brave man will have made them a little braver." (Steinbeck 110-111).

Many things were lost during the duration of this conflict. The main loss was the townsfolk's loss of freedom. They were no longer their own town, but under the control of another country. They have to work for them in their own coal mines under their terms (Steinbeck 15). Along with this, many lives were lost, including many of the characters we met personally during the novel.

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