SteinbeckOutsideReadingProjectReadingLog

MynovelfortheORPis:

Instructions:
Divideyourbookintotenequalparts(totalpagesdividedby10),andforeachpart,pickoutone
PASSAGE
ofat
leastfivelines,copyandcommentonthisselection.Ultimately,youwillhaveatotalof
TENPASSAGESWITH
COMMENTARY.
Yourcommentsshouldreflectyourunderstandingofthereading.DONOTmerelysummarizeor
explainthepassage.UseyourAPStyleAnalysisGuideandthefollowingsuggestionstorespondinavarietyofways
toeachpassage.Forexample:
Discusstheauthorsimagery,wordchoice,andwritingstyle(diction/syntax/figurativelanguage).
Explaintheauthorsuseand/ordevelopmentofaliteraryelementortechnique:character,setting,plot,theme,
suspense,foreshadowing,irony,symbolism,allusion,etc.
Relatethechosenpassagetoanotherscene,setting,orcharacterinthesamenovel.
Relatethepassagetoanothernovel,film,oranyotherworkofart.
Discusshowthispassageremindsyouofsomeoneorsomethingorsomeeventfromyourownlife.

YoushouldusethesampleORPpassagesprovidedwiththeassignmentinGoogleClassroomasaguideforyour
responses.

UsethisdocumenttorecordyourfirstFIVEpassages,withpagenumberscitedasaparentheticalreference,along
withyourfirstFIVEresponses.Labelthemclearly.ThefirstfivewillbesubmittedinGoogleClassroomon
Thursday,January28,withthesecondfivesubmittedinanewdocumentbyFriday,February19.

CharlesWinter
HonorsEnglish9
OConnor
28January2015

ORP:TheMoonisDown

1.Josephwenttothedoorandopenedit.Asoldiersteppedin,dressedinalongcoat.Hewas
helmetedandhecarriedasubmachinegunoverhisarm.Heglancedquicklyaboutandthensteppedaside.
Behindhimanofficerstoodinthedoorway.Theofficer'suniformwascommonandithadrankshowing
onlyontheshoulders.

TheofficersteppedinsideandlookedatDoctorWinter.Hewasratherlikeanoverdrawnpictureof
anEnglishgentleman.Hehadaslouch,hisfacewasred,hisnosewaslongbutratherpleasinghe
seemedaboutasunhappyinhisuniformasmostBritishgeneralofficersare.Hestoodinthe
doorway,staringatDoctorWinter,andhesaid,"AreyouMayorOrden,sir?"
DoctorWintersmiled."No,no,Iamnot."
"Youareanofficial,then?"
"No,IamthetowndoctorandIamafriendofthemayor."

Theofficersaid,"WhereisMayorOrden?"
"Dressingtoreceiveyou.Youarethecolonel?"
"No,Iamnot.IamCaptainBentick."(Steinbeck5)

Thisexcerptreflectsboththegeneraltoneandstyleofthestory.Thetownhasbeentakenover,but
thereisnotjustsimplyslaughter.Theinvadersfollowprotocolsandproperarrangements,however,they
stillcarrygunsbecausetheyjusttookoverthetownofcourse.Thedescriptionofthenewcharacterbythe
nameofCaptainBentickshowcasesthesimplicityandsolidityofthewaytheSteinbeckwrites.the
descriptionareverysimple,butnotblandalltogether.

2.TheMayorsaid,"Ihavehadnonews.Whatabouttherestofthecountry?"
"Alltaken,"saidthecolonel."Itwaswellplanned."
"Wastherenoresistanceanywhere?"
Thecolonellookedathimcompassionately."Iwishtherehadnotbeen.Yes,therewassome
resistance,butitonlycausedbloodshed.Wehadplannedverycarefully."
Ordenstucktohispoint."Buttherewasresistance?
"Yes,butitwasfoolishtoresist.Justashere,itwasdestroyedinstantly.Itwassadandfoolishto
resist."
DoctorWintercaughtsomeoftheMayor'sanxiousnessaboutthepoint."Yes,"hesaid,"foolish,but
theyresisted?"
AndColonelLanserreplied,"Onlyafewandtheyaregone.Thepeopleasawholearequiet."
(Steinbeck15)

Theinvadingarmyhasplannedeverythingout.TheplotisverysimilartotheNazisoccupationof
France/Norwaysofar.ThearmyrepresentsNaziGermanysarmy.Steinbeckpublishedthebookin1942,
andasheusuallydoeswithhisbooks,relatesthemwithcurrentevents.Therewasverylittleresistance,
whichmakesmethinkthiswasasmalltownintheEuropeancountryside.Thewordchoicerelaysan
atmosphereofhopelessness.Wordsandphraseslikebloodshed,destroyedinstantly,andthewaythat
thetownseemscutofffromtheoutsideworldcontributestothis.

3.Lanserrelaxedsuddenly.Hewenttoachairandsatdownandcrossedhislegs."Yoursisa
difficultandbravebranchoftheservice.Itshouldbegreatlyrewarded."
"Thankyou,sir."
"Youwillhavetheirhatredintime,"saidthecolonel.
"Icanstandthat,sir.Theyaretheenemy."
Nowlanserhesitatedalongmomentbeforehespoke,andthenhesaidsoftly,"Youwillnoteven

have
our
respect."

Corelljumpedtohisfeetexcitedly."ThisiscontrarytotheLeader'swords!"hesaid."TheLeader

hassaidthatallbranchesareequallyhonorable."

Lanserwentonveryquietly,"IhopetheLeaderknows.Ihopehecanreadthemindsofsoldiers."
Andthenalmostcompassionatelyhesaid,"Youshouldbegreatlyrewarded."Foramomenthesatquietly
andthenhepulledhimselftogetherandsaid,"Nowwemustcometoexactness.Iaminchargehere.My
jobistogetthecoalout.TodothatImustmaintainorderanddiscipline,andtodothatImustknowwhat
isinthemindsofthesepeople.(Steinbeck33)

ColonelLanserwantsthistowntokeepfunctioning.Hesayshisjobistogetthecoalout.There
aremanyreferencesandsymbolshavingtodowithWorldWarII,andthisisjustanother.Germanyneeded
coaltocontinuetoproduceweaponsandpower.OnesignificantthingInoticeaboutwordchoiceis
capitalizingLeader.TheLeadersymbolizesHitler,theleaderofNaziGermanyandprobablythearmyin
thisbook."TheLeaderhassaidthatallbranchesareequallyhonorable."
Lanserwentonveryquietly,"IhopetheLeaderknows.Ihopehecanreadthemindsofsoldiers."
Andthenalmostcompassionatelyhesaid,"Youshouldbegreatlyrewarded."(Steinbeck33)Thispartof
mychosenpassageisimportantandstrikesamemorywithmebecauseIrememberseeingadocumentary
aboutWorldWarIIanditshowedhowHitlerwouldtreathissoldierswell,greet,andhonorthem.

4.Well,IguessAlexkilledanofficer,allright.Nobody'squestionedthat."
MayorOrdensaidbitterly,"Nobodyquestionsit.Butwhydotheytryhim?Whydon'ttheyshoot
him?Thisisnotamatterofdoubtorcertainty,justiceorinjustice.There'snoneofthathere.Whymust
theytryhimandinmyhouse?"
Wintersaid,"Iwouldguessitisfortheshow.There'sanideaaboutit:ifyougothroughtheformof
athingyouhaveit,andsometimespeoplearesatisfiedwiththeformofathing.Wehadanarmysoldiers
withgunsbutitwasn'tanarmy,yousee.Theinvaderswillhaveatrialandhopetoconvincethatthereis
justiceinvolved.Alexdidkillthecaptain,youknow."
"Yes,Iseethat,"Ordensaid.(Steinbeck43)

ThispassagedoesagoodjoboffurtherdevelopingDoctorWinterscharacter.Heistheonewho
seemstounderstandtheinvadersandwhattheyaredoing.Heseemsveryknowledgeableandcomfortable
despitethecitysseizure.Thetonesofarinthestoryhasbeenverysympathetictothetownspeople,butin
thispassagethereisverylittlesympathyshowntowardsAlex.

5.Thesnowwasfallingheavilyinbig,softpuffsandtheskywasnotvisibleatall.Peoplewere

scurryingthroughthefallingsnow,andsnowpiledupinthedoorwaysanditpileduponthestatueinthe
publicsquareandontherailsfromtheminetotheharbor.Snowpiledupandthelittlecartwheelsskidded
astheywerepushedalong.Andoverthetowntherehungablacknessthatwasdeeperthanthecloud,and
overthetowntherehungasullennessandadry,growinghatred.Thepeopledidnotstandinthestreets
long,buttheyenteredthedoorsandthedoorsclosedandthereseemedtobeeyeslookingfrombehindthe
curtains,andwhenthemilitarywentthroughthestreetorwhenthepatrolwalkedwonthemainstreet,the
eyeswereonthepatrol,coldandsullen.Andintheshopspeoplecametobuylittlethingsforlunchand
theyaskedforthegoodsandgotitandpaidforitandexchangednogooddaywiththeseller.(Steinbeck
51)

Theimagerydescribedhereisshowinghowthetownisgoingintoamoredismalandhopeless
state.Snowpilingupinplacesshowshownoonewantstogooutside,theyjustwanttositintheirhomes
andwaitforthistobeallover.Thesnowalsoobviouslyinfersthefactthatitswintertime,probably
somewhereinNortheasternEurope.Hatredfumesfromthetownspeopleasthemilitarywalksby.