Character Analysis of The Moon is Down by John Steinbeck Essay

Analysis of The Moon is Down by John Steinbeck â€Å"Apart from Mayor Orden, the characters in â€Å"The Moon Is Down† remain two dimensional† John Steinbeck’s â€Å"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 â€Å"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 â€Å"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. â€Å" ‘What’s the Mayor doing?’ ‘Dressing to receive the Colonel, sir.’ ‘... ...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. â€Å"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 â€Å"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.