The Moon Is Down

Do you believe Colonel Lanser would act differently if not for Mr. Corell’s continued presence in the town and Corell’s threat of reporting Lanser to his superiors? Why or why not?

How does Steinbeck use the town’s setting to discuss the moral and ethical implications of war? What significance do you see in the frequent snowfall and cold weather the soldiers must endure?

What function do the female characters (Mayor’s wife, Annie, and Molly Morden) have in the novel? How do those functions compare with the male characters of The Moon is Down?

Doctor Winter is described as the mayor’s confidante, friend, and a leader of the town. How does the doctor help lead the town? Is there significance in the connection between the doctor’s name and the physical setting of the town?

Prior to his execution, Mayor Orden draws strength from the knowledge that the town will continue to fight against Lanser’s occupation after his death. How does Orden’s death correspond to the novel’s discussion of democracy and political idealism?

Discuss the similarities between Mayor Orden and Colonel Lanser. Where do the two characters differ in their morality and actions? What implications do their similarities have on the townspeople's actions in the novel?

At the beginning of the novel, Doctor Winter describes Lanser’s people as “time-minded” and mechanistic. Colonel Lanser himself describes their presence in the town as merely completing an engineering job. How do these descriptions of Lanser and his soldiers correspond with the novel’s discussion of authoritarianism?

Considering that the town and the town’s country are never named in the novel, how do you think this affects the tone of the novel? Why would Steinbeck withhold this information?