Steinbeck's The Moon is Down was first published in 1942, before he was sent off to fight. As a journalist, he enlisted in order to be in the thick of thing to write with authenticity. This may be a book for our times, unfortunately. It's about a town invaded by enemy forces.
It's a short read, but also captured fairly well in the movie, made just the following year, with Henry Travers (Clarence in It's a Wonderful Life). Of course it's a hopeful read as the town fights back, but it's also terrifying for what they endure.
And then I watched Shame, which might be a more realistic depiction of what it is to live with the beginnings of invasion as sides get confusing and people betray one another.
Possibly I'm looking for instruction of how to be when another country threatens invasion, what it looks like to be courageous in the face of real danger, but I may well be just torturing myself! I'm also reading Byung-Chul Han's The Spirit of Hope as a healthy antidote to the gloom.
2 comments:
Watched the The Moon is Down
And for some reason can vibe the characters in my little town.
America paid afghanis to turn in "taliban" ... no questions asked
Enough to retire on there
It is said every man has a price
Let me add can be low especially if it is paid for another's head
Killer line for me was "Here is a list"
Way too many pro-clownvoy, pro-wexit, freedumbers here
Town still flying the stars and stripes. Today. Downtown.
Guess I did the math
In the movie 0 in 1000 wanted occupation.
In Canada 1 in 10 want to be 51.
Trust truly is the first step to betrayal.
Be the lone wolf
Walk in beauty
That it's not always clear who's in that small group who are on the other side adds another layer to the difficulties, wondering, How much cash is our safety worth to our neighbours? Shame gets at that dilemma in spades, but so does Jojo Rabbit, and that's a much more hopeful story.
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