The Moon is Down: Question 4

            The hero in The Moon is Down is Mayor Orden. I think the hero is Mayor Orden because he is so loyal to his people. He never turns on them, and always puts them first. Even when the invaders ask him if he will cooperate, he says he will have to talk to his people (Steinbeck 606). Mayor Orden is very kind also. He does all that he can to make sure his people are happy in a confusing and difficult time for them. Although he does not really accomplish much, because there was not much he could do in the situation, he helps people stay strong. He meets with Molly, and the Anders brothers, who all lost family, and discusses how to keep them safe (Steinbeck 1455). Even until the end of the novel, Orden encourages his people to keep resisting and fighting against the invaders, because eventually they will wear down. When the invaders finally realize that it is Mayor Orden that is keeping the townspeople from following the rules, they decide they must kill him. “Will you remember to pay the debt" (Steinbeck 1891)? These are some of the last words that Mayor Orden spoke, before being killed by the invaders. Although to most, it is just a reminder, but it was his way of saying to continue to resist. Orden’s last words proved how much he cared. He was not scared or saying goodbye, he was continuing to be strong for his people, and encourage them even more. In the novel, Mayor Orden represents loyalty. He never gives up on them when they need someone the most. After they discover it was George Corell that was helping the invaders, they felt betrayed and hurt. Orden was there to consol and make sure nothing would be changed by the invaders (Steinbeck). This is what made Mayor Orden the hero of the novel.

Steinbeck, John. The Moon Is Down, a Novel,. New York: Viking, 1942. Print

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