The Moon is Down-Q.1

When an author writes a piece of literature their own thoughts, ideas, and values go into the composition. John Steinbeck is no exception to that theory. He used his great writing skills and fame as a platform to tell people how he felt about the war and society. His values and attitude were able to shine through this The Moon is Down. This novel was written during World War II and you can tell that John Steinbeck was an Ally supporter. He was aware of what was going on in the world and he kept himself informed and educated on the war that was growing. Steinbeck also showed that people can come together for a common goal and try to solve a problem no matter the greatness or severity of the issue.

This being said, John Steinbeck was a huge supporter of freedom. He supported his country and his fellow citizens. Steinbeck never actually went into battle but he used The Moon is Down as a piece of propaganda almost. The definition of propaganda is as follows: "Official government communications to the public that are designed to influence opinion. The information may be true or false, but it is always carefully selected for its political effect." (propaganda) Steinbeck was not a political figure but he did have an influence on the nation or world because so many people read his literature.

The Moon is Down is written in the third person omniscient point of view. Hey! That is just like The Old Man and the Sea! This is an excellent choice of narrator for this novel because it gives you a chance to get inside the heads of multiple different characters. Because the opinions in this book vary so dramatically it is good to have a third person narrator in this case because we are able to understand each side of every person's story. Even though we might not always agree with every character in a novel we should at least hear them out.

"propaganda." The American Heritage New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2005. 17 Aug. 2012.

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