After finishing Of Mice and Men I looked at a list of other books that John Steinbeck wrote. The Moon is Down is the one I selected. I had never heard of this book before this week.
It is a very quick read and I enjoyed the story. I learned after I finished reading it that it was written as propaganda during World War II.
The books begins when a small town is invaded and quickly conquered by an enemy army. It is quickly learned that they were able to conquer the town with the help of one of the townspeople who had provided vital information.
Several times throughout the book the Colonel of the conquering army speaks with the mayor of the town. Here is an excerpt from one interchange between Colonel Lanser and Mayor Orden:
“It is your duty to protect them from harm. They will be in danger if they are rebellious. We must get the coal, you see. Our leaders do not tell us how; they order us to get it. But you have your people to protect. You must make them do the work and thus keep them safe.”
Mayor Orden asked, “But suppose they don’t want to be safe?”
“Then you must think for them.”
Orden said a little proudly, “My people don’t like to have others think for them. Maybe they are different from your people.”
The story goes on to show how the townspeople become rebellious and defiant to the commands of the invaders and how the invaders become more ruthless. This in turn leads to more insurgency.
Overall I enjoyed this book and rate it 5 out of 5 stars.
Great literature should do more than entertain us. It should provide a roadmap to improving our lives.
In A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens introduced readers to Sydney Carton, one of literature's most compelling and deeply flawed characters. Dickens also gives him an unusual title: the Jackal.
His struggles raise questions that remain relevant today.
Are we defined by our past mistakes? Can we overcome our weaknesses? What separates the people we are from the people we could become?
Lessons From the Jackal is a 25-day character study exploring these questions through Sydney Carton’s life, decisions, relationships, and personal development.
This is not a traditional course on A Tale of Two Cities. Our reading assignments will focus specifically on Carton, with sufficient background provided to understand his story. No previous knowledge of the novel is necessary.
Each day will feature selected readings, historical comparisons, reflection questions, discussions, and practical challenges ...
Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772-1834)
Poet, Critic, Philosopher
Samuel Taylor Coleridge was one of the most gifted literary minds of his generation. A poet, critic, and philosopher, he possessed extraordinary intellectual abilities. Yet his life was marked by unfinished projects, difficulties with discipline, and an increasingly destructive dependence on opium.
Coleridge produced some of the most memorable poetry in English literature, including The Rime of the Ancient Mariner and Kubla Khan. But he also struggled to translate his ambitious intellectual plans into completed works. His friends recognized his extraordinary abilities, even as they witnessed the difficulties that prevented him from consistently applying them.
Unlike Sydney Carton, Coleridge achieved lasting recognition. Nevertheless, both men illustrate the distance that can exist between ability and accomplishment.
Consider the comparison. Was Coleridge's potential diminished by his inability to complete everything he envisioned?
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