The Moon is Down - Why do we STILL read this book?

I believe that we still read this book because of its lasting theme of never giving up. Almost everyone can relate to this goal because almost everyone has something that they are trying to achieve. They could be trying to achieve anything from running a marathon to winning a talent show to beating the world record in the Olympics. In the end, the book can still inspire these people as they witness a town that started off weak and helpless grow in strength and determination that could one day help them succeed.

It could also still be popular because of its historical impact on the world. Written during World War II, The Moon is Down was used as war propaganda to spread word of the resistance movement in Western Europe. Where according to John Steinbeck, it did not meet that goal in Western Europe as much as he wanted it to, it still had a lasting impact on the rest of society. The book was passed around secretly, spreading the message to the world that you have to keep trying, no matter the circumstances. The rest of the world revelled in this war propaganda book. Many people still read it so that they can experience what the people of that time experienced. They might even try to envision themselves in the same situation so that they can think about how the people of the time may have taken it. Altogether, the book just has had a lasting impact on history in Western Europe so it became popular for that.

Going back to the theme, we can see how much the town grew in strength and determination. We saw how they responded when they realized their food was being rationed and their freedom was questioned. "The cold hatred grew with the winter, the silent, sullen hatred, the waiting hatred. The food supply was controlled - issued to the obedient and withheld from the disobedient - so that the whole population turned coldly obedient." (Steinbeck 57). Reading through that passage, we can see how the town is realizing what is going on. The people of the town did not understand the reality of war in the beginning of the book, but they were slowly beginning to understand as the book progressed. One person, Alexander Morgen, gets so mad that he attacks one of the soldiers, though he hits the wrong one (Steinbeck 38). Knowing that the town was able to fight back, the people who read this novel will be inspired. They will realize that if actions speak louder than words, so if you do not take action, you will not succeed.

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