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.
