John Steinbeck Goes to War: The Moon is Down as Propaganda

PREFACE

DV3URSDJDQGD -RKQ6WHLQEHFN   *RHVWR:DU 4HE 5NIVERSITY OF !LABAMA 0RESS 4USCALOOSA Coers, Donald V., 1941– John Steinbeck goes to war: The moon is down as propaganda / Donald V. Coers. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN-13 978-08173-5328-5 (pbk.: alk paper) ISBN-10 0-8173-5328-3 1. Steinbeck, John, 1902–1968. Moon is down. 2. Steinbeck, John, 1902–1968— Appreciation—Europe. 3. Steinbeck, John, 1902–1968—Political and social views. 4. World War, 1939–1945—Literature and the war. 5. World War, 1939–1945—Propaganda. 6. Propaganda, American. I. Title. PS3537.T3234M683 2006 813’.52—dc20 90-26583 CIP Copyright © 1991 The University of Alabama Press Tuscaloosa, Alabama 35487-0380 All rights reserved Manufactured in the United States of America ∞ The paper on which this book is printed meets the minimum requirements of American National Standard for Information Science—Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI Z39.48-1984. designed by zig zeigler FOR MARY JEANNE Contents PREFACE IX 1. AMERICAN RECEPTION 1 2. NOR WAY 27 3. DEN MAR K 55 4. H 0 L LAN D 85 5. F RAN C E 99 6. OTHER COUNTRIES 113 7. CON C L U S ION 125 NOT E S 139 WORKS CITED 155 INDEX 167 Preface .....Tlht'~~l~1N EARLY March 1942, a scant three months after Pearl Harbor, John Stein- ~~~~~~~~~~ beck published his playnovel The Moon Is Down, igniting in this country the most heated literary debate ofthe SecondWorldWar. He had intended to celebrate the"durability of democracy" with this fablelike tale, in which a small, peace-loving country, rather like Norway, is demoralized after being invaded by a powerful fascist state, rather like Nazi Germany, but recovers from the shock of defeat and occupation to form a promising resistance movement. Steinbeck had been eager to lend his talents to the Allied war effort, and he had hoped that The Moon Is Down would boost morale both in his own country and in occupied Europe by proclaiming that free people are inherentlystrongerthan the "herdpeople" controlled by totalitarian leaders, and that, despite the initial advantage of the militarily mighty dictators, the democracies would eventually win the war. ...