AUTHOR: John Steinbeck
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TIME: April 2009
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NOTES:
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This book represents my first venture into official propaganda. It is also the second book I have read in a row that deals with Nazi occupation. During WWII Steinbeck (Of Mice and Men, Wayward Bus etc...) was working for the precursor for the CIA doing intelligence work. The legend is that he found himself disappointed with the existing American propaganda and decided to publish his own booklet. The booklet now exists as a one hundred page novel. Interestingly, Steinbeck, though allowed to publish, was largely criticised for his work. The main flack he caught was that he had made the German's too human. It wasn't until after the war that the true impact of Steinbeck's controversial work was known. Evidently, the novel was published in the underground throughout occupied Europe. It was handed out in the streets and translated into at least six languages. Those under the thumb of Nazi invaders felt that Steinbeck had captured the essence of the way they felt. They were also afforded encouragement and hope from Steinbeck's treatment of the human spirits ability to survive in bleak circumstances.
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"The Moon Is Down" chronicles a fictional town that is betrayed by its own baker. The baker takes advantage of the peoples trust leaving the door open for the invaders to gain control of the town and its abundant coal supply. Although Steinbeck never blatantly identifies the invaders as Nazi's their is significant allusion in the book to draw that conclusion. At first the Nazi's attempt a peaceful occupation. They try to utilize the existing governmental structure in order to keep the people satisfied. This of course does not work as the first execution marks the beginning of strife between the occupied and the invaders.
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Because this book is official propaganda there are obvious polemical aspects. The invaders are often referred to as herd thinkers that blindly follow 'the leader' (Hitler) while the democratic occupants of the Town are applauded for their freedom of thought. Democracy becomes a threat to the Nazi's as they realize that no matter how many town officials they kill there will always rise up a new leader (yeah democracy!). Other polemical cues include the nervous Nazi's vs. the stalwart townies, the ingenuity of the slaves vs. the bumbling of the masters and so on.
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The part of the book that Steinbeck was chastised for turns out to be the most impacting element. The portrayal of the Nazi's as feeling humans with families, hopes, dreams, needs and so on gives the reader hope that they can A.) be defeated and B.) be converted to the right way (democracy in this case). The reader is exposed to Nazi weakness as soldiers are sent home insane, starved for love, longing for their gardens and model trains, and even pleading for relationship with the people they have conquered. The reader is also allowed to see the German soldiers as normal people. The most glaring example of this is one young soldier who begins to question 'the leaders' ideals at first and his sanity later. The reader sees that some of these young men believed that they were fighting on the right side. They were also trained to believe that the people they conquered would eventually thank them for the 'New World Order' which never arrives and leaves many of the Nazi's in Steinbeck's world wishing they were the hostages instead of the guards.
.
All in all this was a fun afternoon read. It was informative in its almost poetic portrayal of the occupied peoples suffering. At points I was on the verge of tears as innocent men were killed and families were left undone. It was also interesting to read something so purposely and obviously polemical. So, its not Steinbeck's best work but its worth the few hours it will take you to finish.
.
TIME: April 2009
.
NOTES:
.
This book represents my first venture into official propaganda. It is also the second book I have read in a row that deals with Nazi occupation. During WWII Steinbeck (Of Mice and Men, Wayward Bus etc...) was working for the precursor for the CIA doing intelligence work. The legend is that he found himself disappointed with the existing American propaganda and decided to publish his own booklet. The booklet now exists as a one hundred page novel. Interestingly, Steinbeck, though allowed to publish, was largely criticised for his work. The main flack he caught was that he had made the German's too human. It wasn't until after the war that the true impact of Steinbeck's controversial work was known. Evidently, the novel was published in the underground throughout occupied Europe. It was handed out in the streets and translated into at least six languages. Those under the thumb of Nazi invaders felt that Steinbeck had captured the essence of the way they felt. They were also afforded encouragement and hope from Steinbeck's treatment of the human spirits ability to survive in bleak circumstances.
.
"The Moon Is Down" chronicles a fictional town that is betrayed by its own baker. The baker takes advantage of the peoples trust leaving the door open for the invaders to gain control of the town and its abundant coal supply. Although Steinbeck never blatantly identifies the invaders as Nazi's their is significant allusion in the book to draw that conclusion. At first the Nazi's attempt a peaceful occupation. They try to utilize the existing governmental structure in order to keep the people satisfied. This of course does not work as the first execution marks the beginning of strife between the occupied and the invaders.
.
Because this book is official propaganda there are obvious polemical aspects. The invaders are often referred to as herd thinkers that blindly follow 'the leader' (Hitler) while the democratic occupants of the Town are applauded for their freedom of thought. Democracy becomes a threat to the Nazi's as they realize that no matter how many town officials they kill there will always rise up a new leader (yeah democracy!). Other polemical cues include the nervous Nazi's vs. the stalwart townies, the ingenuity of the slaves vs. the bumbling of the masters and so on.
.
The part of the book that Steinbeck was chastised for turns out to be the most impacting element. The portrayal of the Nazi's as feeling humans with families, hopes, dreams, needs and so on gives the reader hope that they can A.) be defeated and B.) be converted to the right way (democracy in this case). The reader is exposed to Nazi weakness as soldiers are sent home insane, starved for love, longing for their gardens and model trains, and even pleading for relationship with the people they have conquered. The reader is also allowed to see the German soldiers as normal people. The most glaring example of this is one young soldier who begins to question 'the leaders' ideals at first and his sanity later. The reader sees that some of these young men believed that they were fighting on the right side. They were also trained to believe that the people they conquered would eventually thank them for the 'New World Order' which never arrives and leaves many of the Nazi's in Steinbeck's world wishing they were the hostages instead of the guards.
.
All in all this was a fun afternoon read. It was informative in its almost poetic portrayal of the occupied peoples suffering. At points I was on the verge of tears as innocent men were killed and families were left undone. It was also interesting to read something so purposely and obviously polemical. So, its not Steinbeck's best work but its worth the few hours it will take you to finish.
