John Steinbeck Goes to War

In March 1942, a desperate period for the allies in World War II, John Steinbeck published his propaganda novel The Moon is Down­ —the story of ruthless invaders who overrun a militarily helpless country.  Throughout the novel, Steinbeck underscored both the fatal weakness of the “invincible” unnamed aggressors and the inherent power of the human values shard by the “conquered” people. The Moon is Down created an immediate sensation among American literary critics; fierce debate erupted ove