Propaganda Isn't Necessarily a Dirty Word! Truth vs. Deception!

John Steinbeck wrote The Moon Is Down as a propaganda novel during World War II. (See my original post about it here.) The book was almost immediately made into a film which was released in 1943. I watched the movie last night and in the credits was a note that war bonds could be purchased in the theater. Interesting bit of trivia. 

"The Flies Have Conquered the Flypaper!" The Human Spirit Can Never Be Defeated by Evil!

One of my favorite books is The Moon is Down by John Steinbeck, a novel he wrote as propaganda for the allies during World War II. It tells the story of a little unnamed coastal coal-mining town conquered by an invading force. The enemy have taken over most of an unnamed country across the water from England. I've always thought of it as a village in France, but it could be one of the Scandinavian countries, Norway, Denmark, or Sweden. Steinbeck interviewed many refugees from those countries and used their stories to develop his plot. And the book is a masterpiece in my opinion in both effective propaganda and literary merit. I've listened to the audio book at least half a dozen times and read it as well.

Despite its popularity in the occupied countries of Europe (It was translated, copied, and reprinted in the tens, perhaps hundreds, of thousands.), Steinbeck was shocked at the criticism at home. He treated the enemy like human beings rather than cartoon villains. Some thought he was "naive" and the book was too sympathetic to the enemy. On the contrary, it shows how people who are basically decent get caught up in evil, often maneuvered like pieces on a chessboard by godless politicians. Haven't we seen that often enough with the treatment of our own children and grandchildren sent off to fight and die in useless foreign wars? Have you read the book or watched the film, 13 Hours, about the Benghazi debacle? Some things never change!

The Flies are Conquering the Fly Paper!

During World War II, John Steinbeck wrote a novel used by the war department called The Moon is Down. It tells the story of an invasion force occupying a coastal town where coal is mined. The invaders need the coal and the townspeople, who are defeated with the help of a traitor within, gradually rebel in subtle ways that undermine the morale of the invaders. One young enemy lieutenant, on the verge of a nervous breakdown, has a dream that he shares with his fellow officers in which he hears the expression, "The flies are conquering the fly paper." His dream reveals the truth by exposing the lie.

If you've ever been in a barn where the farmer hangs sticky fly paper to trap the flies, you can see the image in your mind and realize the irony of the statement. The lieutenant knows that the people at headquarters are lying about the state of the war. The defeated people have not welcomed the invaders, but have developed a cold, uncooperative resolution to fight in their own subtle ways. They will never give in. And gradually, like the flypaper, they are taking their toll on the invading army.