The Moon is Down: Mayor Orden Character analysis

In the last blog, I planned to talk about my thoughts and notes on the death of both Alex Morden and Mayer Orden, but I decided to split it into two portions because I had a lot of notes and things I thought about when reading. Mayor Orden was one of my favorite characters because I viewed him as a very wise and thoughtful leader. He wasn’t selfish, and he considered the wants and needs of the town over his own opinions. He also dealt with many hard situations in careful and considered ways. He deals with the death of Alex Morden extremely well, and like I mentioned in the last blog, he tells Alex that he “made the first clear act’ and ‘made the people one’ (Steinbeck, 54-55). He doesn’t scold Alex, but rather tells him, “Good work, Alex!” to much surprise from Colonel Lanser and Loft (Steinbeck, 53). That was a courageous thing to say, and especially in front of the invaders. He makes Alex braver, and comforts him, and tells him how his death will not be in vain.  Orden doesn’t put on a show for anyone, and even from the very start of the story he considers the people. He understands that he’s not just to be a leader, but also a listener, and he admits openly to Lanser that the ‘authority is in the town’ (Steinbeck, 18). Throughout the novel, he remains that same calm, courageous, and collected leader. He doesn’t sway, even when he faces his own death. I really admire that about Mayor Orden, and I think he left a legacy behind when he died.  The part where Orden recites Socrates’ speech, the one he gave before he was killed, was really powerful to me. He knows he’s going to die, and at this point in the story, he says some of the most important things in the entire novel. He quotes something that Socrates said about death, “There you are mistaken: a man who is good for anything ought not to calculate the chance of living or dying; he ought only to consider whether he is doing right or wrong.” (Steinbeck, 106) I believe in this quote whole-heartedly.  It’s really true. Mayor Orden’s character just really stood out too me. He stays brave and makes his people brave.

Steinbeck, John. Moon Is Down. N.p.: Penguin Group, 1942. Print.